''Hotel Haywire'' is a 1937 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 ...

written by

Preston Sturges Preston Sturges (; born Edmund Preston Biden; August 29, 1898 – August 6, 1959) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. In 1941, he won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film '' The Great McGinty'' (1940), h ...

with uncredited rewrites by

Lillie Hayward Lillie Hayward (born Lillian Olenda Auen, September 12, 1891 – June 29, 1977) was an American screenwriter whose Hollywood career began during the silent era and continued well into the age of television. She wrote for more than 70 films ...

. It was directed by

George Archainbaud George Archainbaud (May 7, 1890 – February 20, 1959) was a French-American film and television director. Biography In the beginning of his career he worked on stage as an actor and manager. He came to the United States in January 1914, and st ...

and stars

Leo Carrillo Leopoldo Antonio Carrillo (; August 6, 1880 – September 10, 1961), known professionally as Leo Carrillo, was an American actor, vaudevillian, political cartoonist, and conservationist. He was best known for playing Pancho in the television ...

Lynne Overman Lynne may refer to: * Lynne (surname) * Lynne (given name) * Lynne, Florida, an unincorporated community * Lynne, Wisconsin, a town in Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States {{Disambig ...

Spring Byington Spring Dell Byington (October 17, 1886 – September 7, 1971) was an American actress. Her career included a seven-year run on radio and television as the star of '' December Bride''. She was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player who appeared i ...

, Benny Baker and Colette Lyons.

Plot

Dentist Henry Parkhouse (

) and his wife Minerva (

) have a perfect marriage until a practical joke backfires and she finds a lady's chemise in his coat pocket. Wife and husband both consult Dr. Zodiac Z. Zippe (

) about what to do, and vaudevillians-turned-detectives Bertie and Genevieve Sterns (Benny Baker and Collette Lyons) get involved as well. On his lawyer's advice, Henry rents a hotel room to set up a compromising situation, only the Parkhouses' daughter Phyllis (

Mary Carlisle Mary Carlisle (born Gwendolyn Witter; February 3, 1914 – August 1, 2018) was an American actress, singer, and dancer, best known for her roles as a wholesome ingénue in numerous 1930s musical-comedy films. She starred in more than 60 Holly ...

) is in the same hotel to elope with Frank Ketts ( John Patterson), and plans to get married in the room next to Henry's. When Judge Sterling Newhall (

Porter Hall Clifford Porter Hall (September 19, 1888 – October 6, 1953) was an American character actor known for appearing in a number of films in the 1930s and 1940s. Hall typically played villains or comedic incompetent characters. Early years Hall wa ...

) shows up to officiate, he knocks on Henry's door looking for a witness. Eventually, Henry and Minnie make up, Frank and Phyliis get married, and Dr. Zippe is run out of town.Erickson, Ha
Plot synopsis (Allmovie)
/ref>

Cast

as ''Dr. Zodiac Z. Zippe'' *

as ''Phyllis'' *

as ''Dr. Parkhouse'' * George Barbier as ''I. Ketts'' *

as ''Mrs. Parkhouse'' *

Benny Baker Benny Baker (born Benjamin Michael Zifkin; May 5, 1907 – September 20, 1994) was an American film and theater actor and comedian, and appeared in over 50 films between 1934 and 1988. He died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California. Filmog ...

as ''Bertie Sterns'' *

Collette Lyons Collette Lyons (October 3, 1908 – October 5, 1986) was an American stage, film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences ...

as ''Genevieve Stern'' *

John Patterson (actor) John Patterson may refer to: Military *John Patterson (Medal of Honor) (1838–1922), Medal of Honor recipient *John Henry Patterson (Medal of Honor) (1843–1920), Medal of Honor recipient *John Henry Patterson (author) (1867–1947), Anglo-Iris ...

as ''Frank Ketts'' *

as ''Judge Newhall'' *

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. Newhall'' *

Ellen Drew Ellen Drew (born Esther Loretta Ray; November 23, 1914 – December 3, 2003) was an American film actress. Early life Drew, born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1914, was the daughter of an Irish-born barber. She had a younger brother, Arden. Her ...

as ''Switchboard Operator'' ;Cast notes: Leo Carrillo is best remembered today for playing "Pancho" on the TV series ''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in '' Everybody's Magaz ...

''.

Leo Carrillo State Park Leo Carrillo State Park is a state park in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Situated along the Malibu coast, the park is a component of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. With of beach, the parkland stretches into t ...

near

Malibu, California Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malib ...

is named after him.

Franklin Pangborn Franklin Pangborn (January 23, 1889 – July 20, 1958) was an American comedic character actor famous for playing small but memorable roles with comic flair. He appeared in many Preston Sturges movies as well as the W. C. Fields films '' Interna ...

, who would go on to be one of the character actors frequently used by

in the movies he wrote and directed, has a small uncredited part as a Fuller Brush Man.

Production

was paid $17,500 by Paramount to write ''Hotel Haywire'' for

Charlie Ruggles Charles Sherman Ruggles (February 8, 1886 – December 23, 1970) was an American comic character actor. In a career spanning six decades, Ruggles appeared in close to 100 feature films, often in mild-mannered and comic roles. He was also the e ...

Mary Boland Mary Boland (born Marie Anne Boland; January 28, 1882 – June 23, 1965) was an American stage and film actress. Early years Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Boland was the daughter of repertory actor William Augustus Boland, and his wife M ...

George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film and television. His arched eyebr ...

and

Gracie Allen Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen (July 26, 1895 – August 27, 1964) was an American vaudevillian, singer, actress, and comedian who became internationally famous as the zany partner and comic foil of husband George Burns, her straight man, ...

. When Burns and Allen left the studio and the film was recast,

was brought in to do rewrites.TC
Notes
/ref> Some of the scenes in ''Hotel Haywire'' were filmed at the

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from 191,719 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth-larges ...

train station.

Notes

External links

* * * {{Preston Sturges 1937 films 1937 comedy films American black-and-white films Films directed by George Archainbaud Paramount Pictures films Films with screenplays by Preston Sturges American comedy films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films