''Government Girl'' is a 1943 American romantic-

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 ...

, produced and directed by

Dudley Nichols Dudley Nichols (April 6, 1895 – January 4, 1960) was an American screenwriter and film director. He was the first person to decline an Academy Award, as part of a boycott to gain recognition for the Screen Writers Guild; he would later accept ...

and starring

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time. ...

and

Sonny Tufts Bowen Charlton "Sonny" Tufts III (July 16, 1911 – June 4, 1970) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He is best known for the films he made as a contract star at Paramount in the 1940s, including ''So Proudly We Hail!''. He a ...

. Based on a story by Adela Rogers St. Johns, and written by Dudley Nichols and

Budd Schulberg Budd Schulberg (born Seymour Wilson Schulberg, March 27, 1914 – August 5, 2009) was an American screenwriter, television producer, novelist and sports writer. He was known for his novels '' What Makes Sammy Run?'' and ''The Harder They Fall;'' ...

, the film is about a secretary working in a factory during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

who helps her boss navigate the complex political machinations of government in an effort to build bomber aircraft for the war effort.

Plot

Automobile engineer Ed Browne (

) comes to Washington to appear in front of the War Construction Board. His mission is to supervise the building of bomber aircraft for the war. But when he arrives at the crowded hotel he is supposed to stay at, there are no rooms available. A friendly clerk at the hotel recognizes him from the paper and offers him room 2A. Ed is unaware that the same room is reserved by Elizabeth "Smokey" Allard (

), for her friend May (

Anne Shirley Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel '' Anne of Green Gables'' by L. M. Montgomery. Shirley is featured throughout the classic book series, which revolve around her life and family in 19th and 20th-century Prince Ed ...

) who will marry an army sergeant, Joe Bates ( James Dunn), that very night. The wedding takes place in the hotel lobby, but the groom has lost his ring, and Smokey borrows one from Ed, which leads him to believe that Smokey is the woman getting married. A series of unfortunate events that night leads to Joe being arrested by M.P.s, and he leaves a borrowed motorcycle behind in the hands of Smokey. Smokey tries to find someone who can return the bike, and Ed happens to pass by on his way to the War Construction Board. When Smokey tells him she works at the board, he agrees to drive her there. It turns out Ed is Smokey's new boss. He learns that she is dating a man named Dana McGuire (

Jess Barker Jess Barker (June 4, 1912 – August 8, 2000) was an American actor who was active between the 1940s and 1970s. He was best known as the first husband of actress Susan Hayward. Early years Barker was born in Greenville, South Carolina. Career ...

), who is an adviser to Senator MacVickers (

Harry Davenport Harry Davenport may refer to: * Harry Davenport (actor) (1866–1949), American film and stage actor * Harry Davenport (footballer) (1900–1984), Australian footballer * Harry J. Davenport (1902–1977), Democratic Party member of the U.S. House ...

). Dana soon proves to be too egoistical and ambitious for Smokey's taste. When Ed announces his plan to make the aircraft factories more effective, producing double the amount of bombers each year, Smokey warns him not to stray too far off government recommendations. He ignores her warning, and goes ahead with his efficiency plan. When six months have passed, Ed has reached his goal, but he has also made enemies. One of them is C. L. Harvester ( Paul Stanton), who has become a thorn in his side because of the way Ed has ignored government procedures, and cutting into Harvester's business earnings. The two men become bitter enemies. Harvester soon teams up with Dana, the senator, and powerful Washington socialite Adele Wright (

Agnes Moorehead Agnes Robertson Moorehead (December 6, 1900April 30, 1974) was an American actress. In a career spanning four decades, her credits included work in radio, stage, film, and television.Obituary ''Variety'', May 8, 1974, page 286. Moorehead was th ...

), threatening Ed with a Senate investigation. Ed has enough trouble with personal issues, realizing that he has fallen for Smokey, while she has already received a proposal from Dana. Smokey, however, by burning the information Harvester has brought to Dana, saves Ed's career. When her friend May sees this, she claims that Smokey has fallen in love with Ed. The two women then are recruited by the government to expose Count Bodinski (George Givot) as a spy. The mission is successful, with the files that Ed was suspected of stealing being returned to Dana the following day by Smokey. She also testifies on Ed's behalf at the hearing. Ed is off the hook, and follows Smokey home to propose to her.

Cast

As appearing in ''Government Girl'', (main roles and screen credits identified):"Credits: Government Girl (1943)."
''Turner Classic Movies.'' Retrieved: August 27, 2013. *

as Elizabeth "Smokey" Allard *

as E.H. "Ed" Browne *

as May Harness Blake *

as Dana McGuire * James Dunn as Sergeant Joe Bates * Paul Stewart as Branch Owens *

as Adele, Mrs. Delancey Wright *

as Senator MacVickers * Una O'Connor as Mrs. Harris *

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 ...

as Ambassador * Paul Stanton as C.L. Harvester *

George Givot George David Givot (February 18, 1903 – June 7, 1984) was a Russian Empire-born American comedian and actor on Broadway and in vaudeville, movies, television and radio. He was known for speaking in a comedic fake Greek dialect and was styled th ...

as Count Bodinsky

Production

While in pre-production, ''Government Girl'' went through numerous changes in casting and production personnel.

Joseph Cotten Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr. (May 15, 1905 – February 6, 1994) was an American film, stage, radio and television actor. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original stage productions of '' The Philadelphia Story'' and '' Sab ...

was originally slated for the male lead, with

Gladys George Gladys George (born Gladys Clare Evans; September 13, 1904 – December 8, 1954) was an American actress of stage and screen. Though nominated for an Academy Award for her leading role in '' Valiant Is the Word for Carrie'' (1936), she spent most ...

to play "Mrs. Wright." Both Barbara Stanwyck and

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

turned down the role of Elizabeth, and

was cast. David Hempstead was initially scheduled to produce the film, but when he had to bow out because of scheduling conflicts, Dudley Nichols stepped in, in his first film where he was both director and producer."Notes: Government Girl (1944)."
''Turner Classic Movies.'' Retrieved: August 27, 2013. Sonny Tufts, borrowed from Paramount to star, was paired with Olivia de Havilland, who had run into studio politics at

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

on her last feature, '' Princess O'Rourke'' (1943) that had resulted in first, her suspension, and subsequent "assignment" by studio boss Jack L. Warner to producer David O. Selznick in return for Ingrid Bergman, whom Warner cast in '' Casablanca'' (1942). Selznick, in turn, loaned de Havilland to RKO. Considering her ongoing lawsuit against her studio was the reason for her being punished with her assignment to ''Government Girl'', she was vociferous that she did not enjoy the experience.DeWelles, Orson
"Princess O’Rourke (1943)."
''Classic Film Freak,'' October 4, 2012. Retrieved: August 27, 2013. Principal photography on ''Government Girl'' took place between mid-June to August 4, 1943, with retakes on August 11–18.
''Turner Classic Movies.'' Retrieved: August 27, 2013. Although the film was basically a studio production, second unit director Russell Metty filmed backgrounds in Washington, D.C.

Reception

Despite reservations by de Havilland, ''Government Girl'' was a moderate success, making a profit of $700,000.Jewell and Harbin 1982, p. 189.Jewell 2016 Critical reviews, however, were quick to point out that other wartime Washington-themed films were better.

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' praised Nichols as a "first-class screen-writer" but as a director, "In some spots, his film is amusing. In long stretches, it is hopelessly dull." He also found, "the plot takes such sudden twists and sideslips, the pace is so uneven, the styles are so jumbled and the story, by and large, is so topically stale that the film has the look of an effort of a directorial amateur."Crowther, Bosley
"Movie Review: Government Girl."
''The New York Times'', January 7, 1944.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* Bubbeo, Daniel. ''The Women of Warner Brothers: The Lives and Careers of 15 Leading Ladies.'' Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. Inc. Publishers, 2001. . * Jewell, Richard B. ''Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures''. Oakland, California: University of California Press, 2016. . * Jewell, Richard and Vernon Harbin. ''The RKO Story.'' New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. . * Koppes, Clayton R. and Gregory D. Black. ''Hollywood Goes to War: How Politics, Profits and Propaganda Shaped World War II Movies.'' New York: The Free Press, 1987. . * Maltin, Leonard. ''Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia''. New York: Dutton, 1994. . * Sperling, Cass Warner, Cork Millner and Jack Warner.'' Hollywood be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story''. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 1998. .

External links

* * * * {{Dudley Nichols 1943 films 1943 directorial debut films 1943 romantic comedy films American aviation films American black-and-white films American romantic comedy films Films based on short fiction Films based on works by Adela Rogers St. Johns Films directed by Dudley Nichols Films set in Washington, D.C. Films set on the home front during World War II Films with screenplays by Dudley Nichols RKO Pictures films World War II films made in wartime Films scored by Leigh Harline 1940s English-language films