Pillow to Post

Director: Vincent Sherman Vincent Sherman

Overview

Yes, even Ida Lupino occasionally starred in screwball comedies during the 1930s and 1940s. Pillow to Post casts Lupino as free-spirited travelling saleswoman Jane Howard, who has trouble finding suitable lodgings during the wartime housing shortage. In order to secure a room at a motor camp catering exclusively to married servicemen, Jane pretends to be the wife of hapless young lieutenant Don Mallory (William Prince). Misunderstanding piles upon misunderstanding, and before long poor Mallory is facing a general court-martial. While Lupino pushes the envelope a bit in the leading role, the film's comedy content is also in the capable hands of Sidney Greenstreet, Stu Erwin and Willie Best. Pillow to Post is adapted from a stage play by Rose Simon Kohn.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/01/2015
UPC:	0888574354008
Original Release:	1945
Source:	Warner Archives
Language:	English
Time:	1:32:00
Sales rank:	40,694

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ida Lupino	Jean Howard
William Prince	Lt. Don Mallory
Sydney Greenstreet	Col. Michael Otley
Stuart Erwin	Capt. Jack Ross
Johnny Mitchell	Slim Clark
Ruth Donnelly	Mrs. Wingate
Barbara Brown	Mrs. Kate Otley
Frank Orth	Taxi Driver
Regina Wallace	Mrs. Mallory
Willie Best	Lucille
Paul Harvey	J.R. Howard
Carol Hughes	Loolie Fisher,Loolie Fisher
Robert Blake	Wilbur,Wilbur's Mother
Anne O'Neal	Mrs. Bromley
Victoria Horne	Charlotte Mills
Lelah Tyler	Jerry Martin
Sue Moore	Doris Wilson
Don McGuire	Archie, Sailor on Bus
Grady Sutton	Alex
Leah Baird	Sailor's Mother
Joyce Compton	Gertrude Wilson
Bob Crosby	Clarence Wilson
Charles Jordan	Cpl. Corliss
Anne Loos	Pudge Corliss
Louis Armstrong	Himself
Bunny Sunshine	Celeste Corliss
Ferdinand Munier	Traveling Salesman
Diane Dorsey	Young Girl
Dorothy Dandridge	Herself
John Miles	Marine

Technical Credits

Vincent Sherman	Director
Alex Gottlieb	Producer
Warren Lynch	Special Effects
Charles Lang	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Pillow to Post would hardly be at the top of anyone's list of screwball comedies, but it is nonetheless a moderately effective little flic. For those who are used to Ida Lupino as a serious actress, it also provides the rare opportunity to see the underappreciated star handle comedy, and she pulls off the assignment with flair. True, she occasionally pushes a little hard, but for the most part her comic instincts are true and on target. The whole affair would have been even better if her co-star, William Prince, had any real screen presence. His acting is fine, though not world shaking, but he just doesn't have a great deal of charisma -- and films like these demand personalities that pop off the screen. Sydney Greenstreet, on the other hand, is a delight, enjoying this light change of pace. The most impressive moment in the film, however, belongs to Dorothy Dandridge, who basically comes on to sing a number with the engaging Louis Armstrong and is such a vibrant and fascinating performer that she threatens to steal the film away in those 3 or 4 minutes. The screenplay and direction are only so-so, and clearly keep Pillow from being a better film, but it's a nice change-of-pace for those looking for an alternative to Bringing Up Baby or My Man Godfrey.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler