''World Premiere'' is a 1941 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Ted Tetzlaff Dale H. "Ted" Tetzlaff (3 June 1903, Los Angeles, California – 7 January 1995, Sausalito, California) was an Academy Award-nominated Hollywood cinematographer active in the 1930s and 1940s. Career Tetzlaff was particularly favored by the ...

and written by Earl Felton. The film stars

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly att ...

, Frances Farmer,

Eugene Pallette Eugene William Pallette (July 8, 1889 – September 3, 1954) was an American actor who worked in both the silent and sound eras, performing in more than 240 productions between 1913 and 1946. After an early career as a slender leading man, ...

Virginia Dale Virginia Dale (born Virginia Paxton; July 1, 1917 – October 3, 1994) was an American actress and dancer. Biography Dale was born in North Carolina. She was the daughter of Lula Helms Paxton, and she graduated from Central High School in Ch ...

, Ricardo Cortez,

Sig Ruman Siegfried Carl Alban Rumann (October 11, 1884 – February 14, 1967), billed as Sig Ruman and Sig Rumann, was a German-American character actor known for his portrayals of pompous and often stereotypically Teutonic officials or villains i ...

and

Don Castle Don Castle (September 29, 1917 – May 26, 1966) was an American film actor of the 1930s and 1940s. Biography Castle was born in Beaumont, Texas. He started his acting career as a stage actor, then moved to films. The actor, who resembled Clar ...

. The film was released on August 21, 1941, by Paramount Pictures.

Otis Garrett Otis Garrett (1905–1941) was an American film editor, screenwriter and film director.Shelley p.150 Filmography Director * ''The Last Express'' (1938) * '' Danger on the Air'' (1938) * '' The Black Doll'' (1938) * ''Personal Secretary'' (1938) ...

was originally scheduled to direct the film but had to pull out due to undergoing major surgery.* Shelley, Peter. ''Frances Farmer: The Life and Films of a Troubled Star''. McFarland, 2014. p.150

Plot

Hollywood producer Duncan DeGrasse (Barrymore) is preparing for the debut of his anti-Nazi motion picture, 'The Earth is in Flames.' To generate hype, his press agents create elaborate events for the premiere. One of these stunts involves hiring phony spies to make the audience think they're in real danger. However, among the fake spies are German and Italian operatives.

Cast

as Duncan DeGrasse * Frances Farmer as Kitty Carr *

as Gregory Martin *

as Lee Morrisson * Ricardo Cortez as Mark Saunders *

as Franz von Bushmaster *

as Joe Bemis *William Wright as Luther Shinkley *

Fritz Feld Fritz Feld (October 15, 1900 – November 18, 1993) was a German-American film character actor who appeared in over 140 films in 72 years, both silent and sound. His trademark was to slap his mouth with the palm of his hand to create a "pop" s ...

as Field Marshal Muller *

Luis Alberni Luis Alberni (October 4, 1886 – December 23, 1962) was a Spanish-born American character actor of stage and films. Early years Alberni was born in Barcelona, Spain, on October 4, 1886. He acted in stock theater for four years in Marseille ...

as Signor Scaletti * Cliff Nazarro as Peters *

Andrew Tombes Andrew Tombes (29 June 1885 – 17 March 1976) was an American comedian and character actor. Biography The son of a grocer, originally from Ashtabula, Ohio, Tombes was educated at Phillips Exeter Academy. Early in his career, he worked as a v ...

as Nixon

References

External links

* 1941 films 1941 comedy films American comedy films Paramount Pictures films Films directed by Ted Tetzlaff Films produced by Sol C. Siegel American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{1940s-comedy-film-stub