"Two Sisters from Boston" may be the best tongue-in-cheek yet gentle spoof in filmdom. While Hollywood and its counterparts across the pond turned out a good number of satires over the years, the more tongue-in-cheek spooferies were far fewer. This one surely must be ranked toward the top. The spoofery here is all aimed at the puritanism of the once proper and prudish Boston, U. S. A. Not that other cities and towns - indeed, most of them, didn't also have such folk, especially among the upper crust. And, this isn't about morality and proper behavior - the type that most people had who brought civilization to the New World as well as to Old World countries. But here, we're talking about that rigid morality carried to the extremes of exorcising language of terms that refer to anything unsuitable or distasteful.
The time is the turn of the 20th century. And this movie is a riot with a screenplay, direction, acting and everything about it playing the spoofery and comedy to the hilt. Much of the humor is in the innuendo and misunderstanding of the characters at times. The mix up of the Patterson senior and junior plays for many laughs. The writers did a superb job with this. And, then the humor in the exaggerated actions expressing shock is uproariously funny. When one isn't laughing out loud at one of June Allyson's vaudevillian faints, one is smiling at Peter Lawford's restrained, shy wallflower who misunderstands the goings on. And, in a next scene, one chuckles over Jimmy Durante's stage direction in the Golden Rooster, or in his "I don't know anything" finagling with various characters to get Kathryn Grayson on the stage.
This is a musical comedy par excellence. The music is very good, with some very good and funny tunes in the Bowery. And it has one of the best opera stars for playing in comedy films. Lauritz Melchior contributes nicely to the plot - with song and humor. Some other cast members add to the comedy. Ben Blue is the Chandler's butler, Wrigley. Isobel Elsom is Aunt Jennifer, and Harry Hayden is the penny-pinching, high-minded and very loud Uncle Jonathan who's running for mayor of Boston. The rest of the cast all are very good.
Grayson has the lead as Abigail Chandler, and Jimmy Durante has the male lead as Spike, her show partner. This is one of the very best of Durante's films. Melchior is the opera star, Olstrom, and he and Grayson's Abigail have a couple of very funny encounters in staged opera scenes. But June Allyson's Martha Chandler - the sister of Abigail, and Lawford's Lawrence Patterson, Jr., are the anchors of the comedy plot who carry this film to a hilarious and pleasant success. Allyson's naïve and innocent Martha had me in stitches in her shock at the goings on in the Bowery of New York. Her faints are the absolute funniest ever put on film. One has to see this film to know how different a woman's faint can appear.
This movie is one hilarious romp with some very good singing, great costuming, wonderful sets and first-rate direction and acting by all. Here are some favorite lines from the film.
Spike, "Listen bub, this girl is married, has ten children and I'm the youngest. Do I make myself clear?"
Spike, "This babe, uh, is she a canary with steam? You know - does she chirp, is she a thrush?" Bowery Chorus Girl, "He means is she a warbler?" Martha Chandler, "She sings, if that's what you mean."
Spike, "What're ya doin'?" Abigail, "I'm leaving". Spike, "Leavin'? You can't do that. You'll cook the goose of the Golden Rooster."
Olstrom, "Mr. Patterson, last night I had to suffer a chorus girl and today, a, a, a hippopotamus."
Lawrence Patterson Jr., "Where's my mother, Wrigley?" Wrigley, "Upstairs, sir, dressing. She's going to a meeting of the Society of Society's Society, sir."
Lawrence Patterson Jr., after Martha faints, and he pours some gin on her lips, "Miss! Miss! Please, just open your eyes. One eye? Please!" Martha, moves her head a little, "Mmmm." Lawrence Jr., "She moved. She's alive. She's alive!"
Martha, hiccups, "Oh, I'm sorry. I Must have inherited it from grandpa." Lawrence Jr., "Oh, but of course, it's from the gin. I read somewhere that hiccupping is one of the consequences of drinking." Martha, "Gin?" Lawrence, "Yes." Martha, "What is gin?" Lawrence, "It's a, a form of alcohol. I strengthened you with it - oh, for medicinal purposes only, of course."
Lawrence Jr., "Don't despair now. Don't despair. You know Greek and I know Greek. We'll see this thing through together."
Waiter, "You mean Mr. Wrigley? He's very strange. He's got amnesia." Spike, "Oh, his knees that's gone bad on him huh?" Waiter, "No, his brain. He can't remember anything..."
Golden Rooster waiter, "Bottle of burp for table 19."
Olstrom, "Come. Let us go and let the young lady meet me."
Lawrence Patterson, Jr., "If you don't mind, we'd better have the door shut. All ears are not calloused, Miss Chandler."
Spike, "Are you sure she's from Boston?" Martha, "Oh, yes indeed. Her family's lived there for generations." Spike, "Naw, this kid ain't that old. That ain't her."
Martha Chandler, "I'm not upset. I'm just annoyed, that's all."
Lawrence Patterson Jr., "If you don't mind, we'd better have the door shut. All ears are not calloused, Miss Chandler."
Spike, "Are you sure she's from Boston?" Martha, "Oh, yes indeed. Her family's lived there for generations." Spike, "Naw, this kid ain't that old. That ain't her."
Spike, "Come on, whaddaya say? You don't have to speak - just nod your head."
Lawrence Patterson Jr., "Why, you fainted - that's a sign of good blood."
The time is the turn of the 20th century. And this movie is a riot with a screenplay, direction, acting and everything about it playing the spoofery and comedy to the hilt. Much of the humor is in the innuendo and misunderstanding of the characters at times. The mix up of the Patterson senior and junior plays for many laughs. The writers did a superb job with this. And, then the humor in the exaggerated actions expressing shock is uproariously funny. When one isn't laughing out loud at one of June Allyson's vaudevillian faints, one is smiling at Peter Lawford's restrained, shy wallflower who misunderstands the goings on. And, in a next scene, one chuckles over Jimmy Durante's stage direction in the Golden Rooster, or in his "I don't know anything" finagling with various characters to get Kathryn Grayson on the stage.
This is a musical comedy par excellence. The music is very good, with some very good and funny tunes in the Bowery. And it has one of the best opera stars for playing in comedy films. Lauritz Melchior contributes nicely to the plot - with song and humor. Some other cast members add to the comedy. Ben Blue is the Chandler's butler, Wrigley. Isobel Elsom is Aunt Jennifer, and Harry Hayden is the penny-pinching, high-minded and very loud Uncle Jonathan who's running for mayor of Boston. The rest of the cast all are very good.
Grayson has the lead as Abigail Chandler, and Jimmy Durante has the male lead as Spike, her show partner. This is one of the very best of Durante's films. Melchior is the opera star, Olstrom, and he and Grayson's Abigail have a couple of very funny encounters in staged opera scenes. But June Allyson's Martha Chandler - the sister of Abigail, and Lawford's Lawrence Patterson, Jr., are the anchors of the comedy plot who carry this film to a hilarious and pleasant success. Allyson's naïve and innocent Martha had me in stitches in her shock at the goings on in the Bowery of New York. Her faints are the absolute funniest ever put on film. One has to see this film to know how different a woman's faint can appear.
This movie is one hilarious romp with some very good singing, great costuming, wonderful sets and first-rate direction and acting by all. Here are some favorite lines from the film.
Spike, "Listen bub, this girl is married, has ten children and I'm the youngest. Do I make myself clear?"
Spike, "This babe, uh, is she a canary with steam? You know - does she chirp, is she a thrush?" Bowery Chorus Girl, "He means is she a warbler?" Martha Chandler, "She sings, if that's what you mean."
Spike, "What're ya doin'?" Abigail, "I'm leaving". Spike, "Leavin'? You can't do that. You'll cook the goose of the Golden Rooster."
Olstrom, "Mr. Patterson, last night I had to suffer a chorus girl and today, a, a, a hippopotamus."
Lawrence Patterson Jr., "Where's my mother, Wrigley?" Wrigley, "Upstairs, sir, dressing. She's going to a meeting of the Society of Society's Society, sir."
Lawrence Patterson Jr., after Martha faints, and he pours some gin on her lips, "Miss! Miss! Please, just open your eyes. One eye? Please!" Martha, moves her head a little, "Mmmm." Lawrence Jr., "She moved. She's alive. She's alive!"
Martha, hiccups, "Oh, I'm sorry. I Must have inherited it from grandpa." Lawrence Jr., "Oh, but of course, it's from the gin. I read somewhere that hiccupping is one of the consequences of drinking." Martha, "Gin?" Lawrence, "Yes." Martha, "What is gin?" Lawrence, "It's a, a form of alcohol. I strengthened you with it - oh, for medicinal purposes only, of course."
Lawrence Jr., "Don't despair now. Don't despair. You know Greek and I know Greek. We'll see this thing through together."
Waiter, "You mean Mr. Wrigley? He's very strange. He's got amnesia." Spike, "Oh, his knees that's gone bad on him huh?" Waiter, "No, his brain. He can't remember anything..."
Golden Rooster waiter, "Bottle of burp for table 19."
Olstrom, "Come. Let us go and let the young lady meet me."
Lawrence Patterson, Jr., "If you don't mind, we'd better have the door shut. All ears are not calloused, Miss Chandler."
Spike, "Are you sure she's from Boston?" Martha, "Oh, yes indeed. Her family's lived there for generations." Spike, "Naw, this kid ain't that old. That ain't her."
Martha Chandler, "I'm not upset. I'm just annoyed, that's all."
Lawrence Patterson Jr., "If you don't mind, we'd better have the door shut. All ears are not calloused, Miss Chandler."
Spike, "Are you sure she's from Boston?" Martha, "Oh, yes indeed. Her family's lived there for generations." Spike, "Naw, this kid ain't that old. That ain't her."
Spike, "Come on, whaddaya say? You don't have to speak - just nod your head."
Lawrence Patterson Jr., "Why, you fainted - that's a sign of good blood."