''Kisses for Breakfast'' is a 1941

screwball comedy Screwball comedy is a subgenre of the romantic comedy genre that became popular during the Great Depression, beginning in the early 1930s and thriving until the early 1940s, that satirizes the traditional love story. It has secondary characteristi ...

directed by

Lewis Seiler Lewis Seiler (September 30, 1890 – January 8, 1964) was an American film director. He directed more than 80 films between 1923 and 1958. Seiler was born in New York City and died in Hollywood, California. Partial filmography *''A Bankru ...

, starring Dennis Morgan,

Jane Wyatt Jane Waddington Wyatt ( ; August 12, 1910 – October 20, 2006) was an American actress. She starred in a number of Hollywood films, such as Frank Capra's ''Lost Horizon'', but is likely best known for her role as the housewife and mother Marg ...

and

Shirley Ross Shirley Ross (born Bernice Maude Gaunt, January 7, 1913 – March 9, 1975) was an American actress and singer, notable for her duet with Bob Hope, " Thanks for the Memory" from ''The Big Broadcast of 1938''. She appeared in 25 feature films be ...

. The film is a remake of the 1930

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...

comedy ''

The Matrimonial Bed ''The Matrimonial Bed'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film produced and released by Warner Bros. It was based on the French play by André Mouëzy-Éon and Yves Mirande. The English version of the play, by Sir Seymour Hicks, opened in New ...

'', which was produced by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

from an English stage play adaptation by

Seymour Hicks Sir Edward Seymour Hicks (30 January 1871 – 6 April 1949), better known as Seymour Hicks, was a British actor, music hall performer, playwright, actor-manager and producer. He became known, early in his career, for writing, starring in and p ...

(''Mr. What's His Name'') of a French comic farce, ''Au Premier de Ces Messieurs'' ("To the First Husband"), written by

Yves Mirande Yves Mirande (Bagneux (Maine-et-Loire), May 8, 1876 – Paris, March 17, 1957) was a French screenwriter, director, actor, and producer. Career Yves Mirande began his acting career in the theater, transitioning to movies in the silent era. F ...

and

André Mouëzy-Éon André Mouëzy-Éon (9 June 1880 – 23 October 1967) was a French dramatist, author of comedies, librettist, screenwriter and dialoguist. Biography André Mouëzy-Éon begins his career by writing short plays for the Théâtre de Cluny, loca ...

Plot

Fickle Juliet Marsden (

) breaks off her engagement to Lucius Lorimer (

Jerome Cowan Jerome Palmer Cowan (October 6, 1897 – January 24, 1972) was an American stage, film, and television actor. Early years Cowan was born in New York City, the son of William Cowan, a confectioner of Scottish descent, and Julia Cowan, née Palm ...

) for the third time to marry handsome singer and ladykiller Rodney Trask ( Dennis Morgan). After the wedding, Juliet's Southern cousin, Laura Anders (

), calls from

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

to apologize for not attending because of

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a rup ...

. Juliet promises to visit Laura on her honeymoon and has Rodney write down the address. Before the newlyweds can leave, Rodney is visited by a woman named Clara Raymond, who

blackmails Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fami ...

him over their past relationship. Juliet's friend, Betty Trent ( Lee Patrick), sees them drive away in Rodney's car. Rodney refuses to pay and is hit over the head by Clara's accomplice and develops

amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...

. The would-be blackmailers drive the car over a cliff, where it bursts into flames, and although no body is found, Rodney is believed to be dead. Rodney, not knowing who he is, takes the name "Happy Homes" from an F.H.A. billboard he chances to see, finds Laura's address in his pocket, and travels to her cotton plantation in search of his true identity. Laura has no idea who he is, but Rodney talks her into hiring him to run the nearly bankrupt plantation. A year passes and love develops between Happy and Laura. They marry, and before leaving on their honeymoon, make a surprise visit to Juliet. Family and friends (including Lucius) immediately recognize "Happy" as Rodney, but are not quite certain if he is really Rodney or just someone who looks like him. Laura and Happy are unaware of the true situation, and when the household concocts a series of delays to prevent the couple from proceeding on their honeymoon, conclude everyone is crazy. They decide to sneak out to

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...

, but Juliet discovers the plan. She diverts

fuel oil Fuel oil is any of various fractions obtained from the distillation of petroleum (crude oil). Such oils include distillates (the lighter fractions) and residues (the heavier fractions). Fuel oils include heavy fuel oil, marine fuel oil (MFO), bun ...

into the water pipes and drenches both in goo when they take showers. Finally Happy is

hypnotized Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...

by Juliet's psychiatrist uncle and recovers his memory, thinking it is the day of his first wedding. Lucius reveals the entire story to the innocent Laura. Refusing to admit defeat because she loves Happy, Laura hogties Juliet and locks her in the sabotaged shower. She confronts Rodney alone is his bedroom. She convinces him that she is the "Cousin Laura" that he spoke to on the phone and that a year has passed. Rodney realizes that he is married to both women. She also charms him into kissing her, and his latent feelings for her arise again. Juliet, covered in black oil, escapes the shower and finds Rodney kissing Laura, leading to a

pillow fight A pillow fight is a common game mostly played by young children (but also by teens and adults) in which they engage in mock physical conflict, using pillows as weapons. Pillow fights often occur during children's sleepovers. Since pillows a ...

over his affections that winds up with Juliet being

tarred and feathered Tarring and feathering is a form of public torture and punishment used to enforce unofficial justice or revenge. It was used in feudal Europe and its colonies in the early modern period, as well as the early American frontier, mostly as a t ...

. Laura decides to leave for South Carolina. Rodney realizes that he loves Laura. He tricks her into bashing him over the head with an urn containing his supposed remains (buttons from his overcoat) and "becomes" Happy again. Juliet disgustedly concludes that he is a "chameleon" and gives him up.

Cast

* Dennis Morgan as Rodney Trask/"Happy Homes" *

as Laura Anders *

as Juliet Marsden * Lee Patrick as Betty Trent *

as Lucius Lorimer * Una O'Connor as Ellie *

Barnett Parker Barnett Parker (September 11, 1886 – August 5, 1941) was a British actor. Biography He appeared in the films '' The Misleading Lady'', ''Roaming Lady'', ''The President's Mystery'', ''Adventure in Manhattan'', ''Born to Dance'', ''We Who Are A ...

as Phillips * Romaine Callender as Dr. George Burroughs * Lucia Carroll as Clara Raymond *

Cornel Wilde Cornel Wilde (born Kornél Lajos Weisz; October 13, 1912 – October 16, 1989) was a Hungarian-American actor and filmmaker. Wilde's acting career began in 1935, when he made his debut on Broadway. In 1936 he began making small, uncredited app ...

as Chet Oakley *

Willie Best William Best (May 27, 1913 – February 27, 1962), known professionally as Willie Best or Sleep n' Eat, was an American television and film actor. Best was one of the first African American film actors and comedians to become well kn ...

as Arnold *

Louise Beavers Louise Beavers (March 8, 1902 – October 26, 1962) was an American film and television actress. From the 1920s until 1960, she appeared in dozens of films and two hit television shows. She was most often cast in the roles of a maid, servan ...

as Clotilda *

Clarence Muse Clarence Muse (October 14, 1889 – October 13, 1979) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, singer, and composer. He was the first African American to appear in a starring role in a film, 1929's ''Hearts in Dixie''. He acted for ...

as Old Jeff

References

External links

* * * * {{Lewis Seiler 1941 films 1940s screwball comedy films American black-and-white films Remakes of American films American films based on plays American screwball comedy films Films about amnesia Films directed by Lewis Seiler Films scored by Adolph Deutsch Warner Bros. films 1941 comedy films 1940s American films