''The Magnificent Dope'' is a 1942 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 ...

released by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

. It is also known as ''Lazy Galahad'', ''Strictly Dynamite'' and ''The Magnificent Jerk''.

Plot

Dwight Dawson runs a hype-driven self-improvement course in the

Dale Carnegie Dale Carnegie (; spelled Carnagey until c. 1922; November 24, 1888 – November 1, 1955) was an American writer and lecturer, and the developer of courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal ...

mode. He and his partner Horace Hunter are seeking new sales ideas as enrollment has declined sharply. Their chief of marketing, Claire Harris, who is also Dwight's fiancée, comes up with an idea to announce a contest seeking the biggest loser in the country. The prize is $500 and Dwight's course in career advancement. The idea is that the contest will create interest to Dwight's teaching system. A winner is chosen: Thadeus Winship Page from the small town of Upper White Eddy in Vermont. He is running a not overly successful business of renting out boats during summer time and is, by his own description, lazy and completely unmotivated. Tad comes to New York City to collect his prize, determined to use the money toward a fire engine needed by the small town. The publicity stunt is jeopardized, though, when happy, contented Tad does not want to take the course. Tad is charmed by Claire during a night out in the city and falls in love with her, all the while expounding his own philosophies on relaxation, enjoying life, and the unimportance of money. After the night out, Tad reluctantly agrees to take the course, just to be close to Claire. Claire comes to realizes that he is not the failure they had thought him to be. After a while, Tad shyly admits to Claire that he is in love, but he doesn't dare tell her she is the subject of his affection, inventing a girl from his hometown named "Hazel". When Dwight hears about this, he tells Tad that the business course will help him in his quest to win his girl. Tad believes Dwight and continues the course until he hears that Claire is in love with someone else. Dwight and Horace have to persuade him once again to stay, telling Tad that the man Claire is in love with is an ugly, fat, and stupid man who can be out-conquered, carefully concealing his own engagement to Claire. The publicity makes the course a success and attendance becomes much higher. Dwight convinces Tad to get a job to prove his success to the various magazines covering the course progress, so he does. He is hired as an insurance salesman, but is soon discouraged when he is unsuccessful. Dwight secretly helps out by making his friend buy an insurance policy from Tad, unaware that his friend, Frank Mitchell, has high blood pressure and would not pass the required physical. Tad commits his anticipated commission to the purchase of the fire engine, and takes Claire to see it. They bond further over Claire's passion for fire engines; she was a fire chief's niece. When Tad finally reveals to Claire that she is his "Hazel", she reveals her engagement to Dwight. Heartbroken and humiliated, Tad feels he has been played for a fool by the couple. The next day, after dodging Claire's many phone calls, Tad uses a special relaxation technique on Frank to help him pass the necessary physical, then proceeds to Dwight's office to vent his anger. Instead, he joins the rest of the office in overhearing a furious Claire in Dwight's office scolding him for the ruse and confessing her love for Tad. When Claire exits the building she finds Tad waiting in the new fire engine. With the siren blaring, they drive off to Vermont together as a couple. Dwight moves on to teach relaxation, using the technique Tad showed him.

Cast

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and ra ...

as Thadeus Winship "Tad" Page *

Lynn Bari Lynn Bari (born Marjorie Schuyler Fisher, December 18, 1919 – November 20, 1989) was a film actress who specialized in playing sultry, statuesque man-killers in roughly 150 films for 20th Century Fox, from the early 1930s through the 1940s. ...

as Claire Harris *

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, stock, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 1930s, which ...

as Dwight Dawson * Edward Everett Horton as Horace Hunter * George Barbier as James Roger Barker *

Frank Orth Frank Orth (February 21, 1880 – March 17, 1962) was an American actor born in Philadelphia. He is probably best remembered for his portrayal of Inspector Faraday in the 1951-1953 television series ''Boston Blackie''. Career By 1897, Orth ...

as Messenger * Roseanne Murray as Dawson's Secretary * Marietta Canty as Jennie *

Hobart Cavanaugh Hobart Cavanaugh (September 22, 1886 – April 26, 1950 ) was an American character actor in films and on stage. Biography He was born in Virginia City, Nevada on September 22, 1886. Cavanaugh attended the University of California. He worked in ...

as Albert Gowdy * Hal K. Dawson as Charlie *

Josephine Whittell Josephine Whittell (born Josephine Cunningham; November 30, 1883 – June 1, 1961) was an American character actress of silent and sound films. Early years Whittell was born on November 30, 1883 in San Francisco, California to Charles and S ...

as Mrs. Hunter *

Arthur Loft Arthur Loft (May 25, 1897 – January 1, 1947) was an American film and stage actor. He appeared in more than 220 films between 1932 and 1947. Biography He was born in Denver, Colorado and died in Los Angeles, California. He is interred ...

as Mr. Morton, Fire Engine Salesman * Paul Stanton as Peters *

Claire Du Brey Claire Du Brey (born Clara Violet Dubreyvich, August 31, 1892 – August 1, 1993) was an American actress. She appeared in more than 200 films between 1916 and 1959. Her name is sometimes rendered as Claire Du Bray or as Claire Dubrey. Ear ...

as Peter's Secretary * William B. Davidson as Mr. J. D. Reindel *

Harry Hayden Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

as Frank Mitchel *

Pierre Watkin Pierre Frank Watkin (December 29, 1887 – February 3, 1960) was an American character actor best known for playing distinguished authority figures throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood. He is best remembered for his roles of Mr. Skinner the ...

as Bill Carson

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Magnificent Dope 1942 films 1942 comedy films 20th Century Fox films American comedy films American black-and-white films Films directed by Walter Lang Films scored by David Raksin Films scored by Emil Newman Films scored by Leigh Harline Films set in New York City Publicity stunts in fiction Films produced by William Perlberg 1940s English-language films 1940s American films