''Ladies' Man'' is a 1947 American

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by William D. Russell and starring

Eddie Bracken Edward Vincent Bracken (February 7, 1915 – November 14, 2002) was an American actor. Bracken came to Hollywood prominence for his comedic lead performances in the films '' Hail the Conquering Hero'' and '' The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' b ...

Cass Daley Cass Daley (born Catherine Dailey; July 17, 1915 – March 22, 1975) was an American actress, comedian and singer. Career The daughter of an Irish streetcar conductor, Daley began singing as a child in front of neighborhood storefronts. No ...

, Virginia Welles and

Virginia Field Virginia Field (born Margaret St. John Field (sometimes mis-transcribed Margaret Cynthia Field); 4 November 1917 – 2 January 1992) was a British-born film actress. Early years Virginia was an only child, born in London. Her father was Sir J ...

. The screenplay was written by

Edmund Beloin Edmund Beloin (April 1, 1910 – May 26, 1992) was an American writer of radio, film, and television. Biography Beloin was a medical student at New York University when he changed career paths and became a writer in 1931. William Morrow (screenw ...

, Jack Rose and

Lewis Meltzer Lewis Meltzer (January 28, 1911 – February 23, 1995) was an American screenwriter and brother of actor Sid Melton. He died in 1995. Select filmography * '' Golden Boy'' (1939) * '' Those High Grey Walls'' (1939) * '' The Lady in Question'' ...

. The film was released on February 7, 1947, by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

Plot

Henry Haskell, the owner of a small

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

in rural

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

becomes, an overnight

millionaire A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. Depending on the currency, a certain level of prestige is associated with being a millionaire. Many national currencies have, or ...

when

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

is discovered on his property. He heads to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

to fulfil a long-held ambition to see the sights. The wealthy and unworldly Henry soon attracts the attention of female fortune hunters. This only increases when his wealth and unmarried status are broadcast on a

radio programme A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production, or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode. Radio netw ...

Cast

as Henry Haskell *

as Geraldine Ryan * Virginia Welles as Jean Mitchell *

Spike Jones Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was an American musician, bandleader and conductor specializing in spoof arrangements and satire of popular songs and classical music. Ballads receiving the Jones treatment wer ...

as Spike Jones * Johnny Coy as Johnny O'Connor *

as Gladys Hayden * Lewis Russell as David Harmon *

Georges Renavent Georges Renavent (born Georges DeChaux, April 23, 1892 – January 2, 1969) was a French-American actor in film, Broadway plays and operator of American Grand Guignol. He was born in Paris, France. In 1914, he immigrated to the United Sta ...

as Mr. Jones * Roberta Jonay as Miss Miller * Gordon Richards as Mr. Bolton * The City Slickers as Spike Jones' Band

Reception

A. W. of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' said, "Whatever may be one's opinion about ''Ladies Man'', it cannot be said that Eddie Bracken, its star, is miscast. For this singularly simple little item from Paramount, which began a stand at the Gotham on Saturday, makes full use of Mr. Bracken's cherubic appearance. As a bumpkin from Badger, Okla., who suddenly becomes an oil millionaire and comes to New York for the inevitable fling, Mr. Bracken is to the manner born. He is a reluctant Romeo—shy, gullible and frustrated. But the ensuing yarn about his involvements with a radio program and several predatory females, is corn from the bottom of the crib. The chuckles in this comedy are widely spaced and hardly keep pace with its tedium."

References

External links

* * * 1947 films 1947 comedy films American black-and-white films American comedy films Films directed by William D. Russell Paramount Pictures films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films Films set in Oklahoma Films set in New York City {{1940s-US-comedy-film-stub