''Three of a Kind'' is a 1936 American film directed by

Phil Rosen Philip E. Rosen (May 8, 1888 – October 22, 1951) was an American film director and cinematographer. He directed more than 140 films between 1915 and 1949. He was born in Marienburg, German Empire (now, Malbork, Poland), grew up in Ma ...

. It was made by Invincible Pictures Corporation which was later absorbed into

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...

Plot

Barbara Penfield (

Evalyn Knapp Evalyn Knapp (born Evelyn Pauline Knapp; June 17, 1906 – June 12, 1981) was an American film actress of the late 1920s, 1930s and into the 1940s. She was a leading B-movie serial actress in the 1930s. She was the younger sister of the orch ...

) tries to persuade her father, laundry magnate F. Thorndyke Penfield (

Richard Carle Richard Carle (born Charles Nicholas Carleton, July 7, 1871 – June 28, 1941) was an American stage and film actor as well as a playwright and stage director. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1915 and 1941. Carle was born in Som ...

), to invest in a business venture proposed by her sweetheart Rodney Randall (

Bradley Page Bradley Page (September 8, 1901 – December 8, 1985) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1931 and 1943. Selected filmography * '' Sporting Blood'' (1931) - Eddie Frazier (uncredited) * '' X Marks the Spo ...

). Her father, knowing Randall to be a fortune hunter, refuses and stops her allowance and freezes her bank account. Undeterred from financing Randall, but lacking the cash, Barbara decides to trade in her expensive car for a very cheap one. While she is out on a test drive with a salesman, her car is fraudulently sold by con man "Con" Cornelius (

Berton Churchill Berton Churchill (December 9, 1876 – October 10, 1940) was a Canadian stage and film actor. Early years Churchill was born in Toronto, Ontario. After his family moved to New York City, he graduated from high school there, studied law a ...

) who is loitering around the car yard. The buyer, Jerry Bassett (

Chick Chandler Fehmer Christy "Chick" Chandler (January 18, 1905 – September 30, 1988) was an American film character actor who appeared in more than 130 films from 1925 through the mid-1950s. Chandler was known for his starring role as Toubo Smith in ...

), is a Penfield Company laundry worker who has just quit after winning best employee award and $1,000. He sets out for the Royal Valley holiday resort and on the road picks up Barbara who, after the cheap car broke down, is hitchhiking to a rendezvous there with Randall. She does not recognize her own car which Bassett is driving, and introduces herself using the false name Beatrice Payne. Arriving at the Royal Valley, Bassett and "Beatrice" book into separate rooms. Later Cornelius and his daughter Prudence arrive. Bassett learns that Beatrice is really Barbara Penfield, the daughter of his ex-employer, and it is confirmed when Penfield himself arrives to put a stop to any further negotiation between her and Randall. Several cases of mistaken identity result between Penfield, Randall, Cornelius, and Bassett, with almost everyone believing the other is rich and manoeuvering to make a deal with him. Meanwhile, police investigator Cogarty is on the trail of the fraudulently sold car and he recognizes ex-convict Cornelius and swindler Randall. Bassett is wrongly arrested for stealing the car, with police compounding the mistaken identity situation. Prudence and Randall marry, and when all the identities are sorted out, Barbara and Bassett announce their intention to do the same and to manage the Penfield business when Penfield retires.

Cast

as Barbara Penfield *

as Jerry Bassett *

as 'Con' Cornelius *

as F. Thorndyke Penfield *

as Rodney Randall *

Patricia Farr Patricia Farr (born Arleine Rutledge Farr; January 15, 1913 – February 23, 1948) was an American film actress who appeared in films of the 1930s and 1940s. Despite being billed as leading lady in at least one (''Lady Luck'') of the films in w ...

as Prudence Cornelius *

Lew Kelly Lew Kelly (August 24, 1879 – June 10, 1944) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1928 and 1944. He was born Louis Kelly in St. Louis, Missouri, and died in Los Angeles, California. Selected f ...

as Police Sgt. Cogarty * Pat West as Beef Smith *

Bryant Washburn Franklin Bryant Washburn III (April 28, 1889 – April 30, 1963) was an American film actor who appeared in more than 370 films between 1911 and 1947. Washburn's parents were Franklin Bryant Washburn II and Metha Catherine Johnson Washburn. He a ...

as Mr. Grimwood * Harry Bradley as Mr. Fash *

John Dilson John Dilson (February 18, 1891 – June 1, 1944) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 250 films between 1934 and 1944. Selected filmography * ''A Man's Game'' (1934) * '' The Westerner'' (1934) * '' The Girl Who Came Back'' ...

as Doc Adams *

Billy Gilbert William Gilbert Barron (September 12, 1894 – September 23, 1971), known professionally as Billy Gilbert, was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects a ...

as The Tailor

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Three of a Kind 1936 films American comedy films American black-and-white films Chesterfield Pictures films Films directed by Phil Rosen 1936 comedy films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films