''Playmates'' 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 o ...

directed by David Butler and written by

James V. Kern James V. Kern (September 22, 1909, New York City, New York – November 9, 1966, Encino, California) was an American singer, songwriter, screenwriter, actor, and director. Educated at the Fordham Law School, Kern worked for a while as an attor ...

. The film stars

Kay Kyser James Kern Kyser (June 18, 1905 – July 23, 1985), known as Kay Kyser, was an American bandleader and radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s. Early years James Kern Kyser was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of pharmacists Emily ...

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 ...

(in his final film),

Lupe Vélez María Guadalupe Villalobos Vélez (July 18, 1908 – December 13, 1944), known professionally as Lupe Vélez, was a Mexican actress, singer and dancer during the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Vélez began her career as a performer in Mexican ...

Ginny Simms Virginia Ellen SimmsSleeve notes from ''Ginny Simms – I'd Like To Set You To Music'', Jasmine JASCD 118, 2001. (May 25, 1913 – April 4, 1994) was an American popular singer and film actress. Simms sang with big bands and with Dinah Shore, ...

, May Robson and Patsy Kelly. It was released on December 26, 1941 by

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orph ...

Plot

Lulu Monahan, press agent for John Barrymore, tries to attract a sponsor for Barrymore's radio program. Lulu and bandleader Kay Kyser's agent concoct a story that a great actor will teach Kyser how to play Shakespeare.

Cast

as Kay Kyser *

as John Barrymore *

as Carmen Del Toro *

as Ginny Simms * May Robson as Grandma Kyser * Patsy Kelly as Lulu Monahan *

Peter Lind Hayes Peter Lind Hayes (born Joseph Conrad Lind Jr.; June 25, 1915 – April 21, 1998) was an American vaudeville entertainer, songwriter, and film and television actor. Early life Hayes was born in San Francisco, the son of Joseph Conrad Lind Sr., a ...

as Peter Lindsay * Ish Kabibble as Ish Kabibble * Sully Mason as Sully Mason * Harry Babbitt as Harry Babbitt *

Leon Belasco Leon Belasco (born Leonid Simeonovich Berladsky; 11 October 1902 – 1 June 1988) was a Russian-American actor and musician who had a 60-year career in film and television from the 1920s to the 1980s, appearing in more than 100 films. Musi ...

as Prince Maharoohu *

George Cleveland George Alan Cleveland (September 17, 1885 – July 15, 1957) was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1930 and 1954. Career Cleveland was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. His first appearance on the stage ...

as Mr. Pennypacker (uncredited) *

Alice Fleming Alice Fleming, (August 9, 1882 – December 6, 1952) was a character actress in many films who also enjoyed considerable success on Broadway. She is best remembered as the Duchess, Wild Bill Elliott’s aunt in the Republic Pictures' Red Ryder ...

as Mrs. Pennypacker (uncredited)

References

External links

* * * * 1941 films 1941 comedy films American comedy films American black-and-white films Films scored by Roy Webb Films directed by David Butler RKO Pictures films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{1940s-comedy-film-stub