''Three Guys Named Mike'' is a 1951 American

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

film directed by

Charles Walters Charles Powell Walters (November 17, 1911 – August 13, 1982) was an American Cinema of the United States, Hollywood director and choreographer most noted for his work in MGM musicals and comedies from the 1940s to the 1960s. Early years Char ...

and starring

Jane Wyman Jane Wyman ( ; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007). was an American actress. A star of both movies and television, she received an Academy Award for Best Actress, four Golden Globe Awards and nominations for two Pr ...

, Van Johnson,

Howard Keel Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), professionally Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s, including ''Show Boat'' (195 ...

, and Barry Sullivan."Articles: 'Three Guys Named Mike'."
'

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...

''. Retrieved: December 22, 2008. It was released by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

. Described as a "lighthearted and lightweight story" by

, ''Three Guys Named Mike'' chronicles the story of an airline stewardess (the term at that time) and her three suitors.

Plot

Marcy Lewis is a young woman from Indiana with an ambition to become an airline stewardess and see the world. She takes an

American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...

training course and passes. Her first flight is nearly her last when, after inadvertently offending the pilot, Mike Jamison, she forgets the passengers' food. Unknown to Marcy, Mike's intervention with her boss earns her a second chance. Marcy's home base is moved to Los Angeles and she finds an apartment with one friend from stewardess school. She meets a passenger, Mike Lawrence, who is a graduate research student in biology, then also nearly loses her job again by permitting a young passenger to keep her dog in the cabin, against the airline's rules. Marcy is suspended for a week. While she's house-hunting, the battery in Marcy's car dies and a man named Mike Tracy helps

push start Push starting, also known as bump starting, roll starting, clutch starting, popping the clutch or crash starting, is a method of starting a motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine that has a manual transmission, a mechanical fuel pump, a ...

it. Only later does she learn that he works for a Chicago advertising agency. An idea of hers, to let stewardesses endorse soap, pleases Tracy's client, and soon Marcy is invited by a photographer to pose for magazine ads herself. When all three show up to help Marcy move into the new bungalow she is now sharing with three of her friends from stewardess training, she struggles to keep the Mikes straight. Marcy names her male companions, Mike for Mike Lawrence, Mickey for Mike Tracy and Michael for Mike Jamison. All of them are jealous of Marcy and vie for her attention. During a party later at her bungalow, Marcy is called away when ad agency's photographer requests one more picture to send out with the rest of the ad campaign for approval. Marcy finds herself dressed in a very short sarong, totally unlike the regulation company uniform in which all the other pictures were taken. The photographer is clearly inebriated and flirts aggressively with her. She objects strenuously, but he ignores her objections. The three Mikes arrive in time to thwart the photographer, but then wind up brawling with each other, which makes the newspapers and gets both Marcy and her pilot friend suspended from their jobs, as well as costing Mickey his account and jeopardizing Mike's job as a graduate research student and consideration for a special fellowship award for an outstanding scientist. The latter would earn Mike a teaching position at the college. Marcy goes to the superiors of all three men personally to plead for their reinstatement. After she succeeds, each of the three Mikes proposes marriage to her as she is about to board a plane. Uncertain what to do, Marcy finally reacts favorably to Mike Lawrence's simple "I love you," and the other two Mikes concede that he is the guy for her.

Cast

Anne Sargent and Jane Wyman in Three Guys Named Mike

as Marcy Lewis * Van Johnson as Michael Lawrence, "Mike" the scientist *

as Mike Jamison, "Michael" the pilot * Barry Sullivan as Mike Tracy, "Mickey" the ad man *

Phyllis Kirk Phyllis Kirk (born Phyllis Kirkgaard or Kirkegaard; September 18, 1927 October 19, 2006) was an American actress. Early life Kirk was born in Syracuse, New York, although some sources state her birthplace as Plainfield, New Jersey. She contra ...

as Kathy Hunter * Anne Sargent as Jan Baker * Jeff Donnell as Alice Reymend * Herbert Heyes as Scott Bellamy * Robert Sherwood as Benson * Don McGuire as MacWade Parker * Barbara Billingsley as Ann White * Hugh Sanders as Mr. Williams * John Maxwell as Dr. Matthew Hardy * Lewis Martin as C.R. Smith * Ethel "Pug" Wells as Herself * Sydney Mason as Osgood

Production

Sidney Sheldon Sidney Sheldon (February 11, 1917 – January 30, 2007) was an American writer. He was prominent in the 1930s, first working on Broadway plays, and then in motion pictures, notably writing the successful comedy '' The Bachelor and the Bobby-Sox ...

wrote the screenplay. ''Three Guys Named Mike'' was "based on the story by

Ruth Brooks Flippen Ruth Brooks Flippen (born Ruth Albertina Brooks; September 14, 1921 – July 9, 1981) was an American screenwriter and television writer. The story editor for one season and later a script consultant on the popular American situation comedy seri ...

, from suggestions made by Ethel 'Pug' Wells", according to the screen credits. Wells was a flight attendant for

from Mississippi who was discovered by director

William Wellman William Augustus Wellman (February 29, 1896 – December 9, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and military pilot. He was known for his work in Crime film, crime, Adventure film, adventure, and Action film, a ...

when she encountered him on a flight and told him stories of her adventures in the air. She appears in a bit part in one scene, playing herself, and is credited as " Technical Advisor". Jane Wyman was a major star at that time and her co-stars were equally notable, with Van Johnson being one of MGM's leading actors and Howard Keel having recently achieved stardom in '' Annie Get Your Gun''.

assisted in the production of the film and allowed the use of its aircraft for no charge. Specific airliners featured are the

Douglas DC-6 The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, Douglas reworked it after the war to compete ...

and

Convair 240 The Convair CV-240 is an American airliner that Convair manufactured from 1947 to 1954, initially as a possible replacement for the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. Featuring a more modern design with cabin pressurization, the 240 series made some inroa ...

. Many scenes were shot on location at airports and some scenes portray the training given at the American Airlines school for flight attendants. The film entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.

Reception

''Three Guys Named Mike'' earned an estimated $1,707,000 at the US/Canadian box office and $523,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit to MGM of $577,000. Reviewer

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 some ...

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 ...

'' criticized ''Three Guys Named Mike'', stating that "for services rendered in the advertising line, that company merican Airlinesshould award her arcya gold star (its name is all over the film). But if she's still hostessing, it should keep an eye on her. We suspect she spends too much time reading those leather-bound slick magazines rather than attending to the business of serving her real-life passengers" in relation to the glamorized portrayal of airline travel. Turner Classic Movies points out that many other critics gave a positive reception to the film.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Morella, Joe and Edward Z. Epstein. ''Jane Wyman: A Biography''. New York: Delacorte Press, 1985. .

External links

* * * {{Charles Walters 1951 films 1951 romantic comedy films American Airlines American aviation films American black-and-white films American romantic comedy films 1950s English-language films Films directed by Charles Walters Films scored by Bronisław Kaper Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films with screenplays by Sidney Sheldon Films about flight attendants 1950s American films English-language romantic comedy films