Robert takes a train ride to Washington, DC, on "important business."Robert takes a train ride to Washington, DC, on "important business."Robert takes a train ride to Washington, DC, on "important business."
Morris Ankrum
- Army Officer Who Sits by Doakes
- (uncredited)
John Butler
- Man Who Shaves in Phone Booth
- (uncredited)
Stephen Chase
- Military Man
- (uncredited)
Connie Gilchrist
- Miss Larkin - Secretary
- (uncredited)
Herbert Heyes
- Army Officer #2 on Train
- (uncredited)
Ruth Lee
- Mrs. Doakes
- (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack
- Passenger on Train
- (uncredited)
Sam McDaniel
- Porter on Train
- (uncredited)
Robert Middlemass
- Sen. Manning
- (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse
- Doakes' Friend
- (uncredited)
Larry Steers
- Train Passenger
- (uncredited)
Larry Wheat
- Man in Restaurant
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Robert Benchley
- Rosemary Foster(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSet during World War II, this short hits on several areas familiar to audiences at the time: scarcity of travel and hotel accommodations, the rush and confusion of a quickly-expanding wartime bureaucracy, civilian businessmen going to Washington to help out (the "dollar-a-year" men), and the self-importance of appearing in-the-know about "secret" activities of the government.
- Quotes
Mrs. Doakes: [front door to house opens] Who's there?
Joseph A. Doakes: [comes in front door] Who do ya think? Anybody else got a key?
Mrs. Doakes: Why, Joe, you're back so soon! Did you just get off the sleeper?
Joseph A. Doakes: If it's a sleeper, I'm a pole vaulter!
Featured review
Benchley Comedy....I Think
Important Business (1944)
** (out of 4)
Joe Doakes (Robert Benchley) receives a letter from Washington, D.C. for him to come out and meet a government official so Doakes begins telling everyone that they finally want to learn what he knows. Doakes boards a train for this important business but when he arrives there he realizes he isn't going to be meeting anyone. I've shared my opinion of Benchley during reviews for many of his shorts but here is yet another that I didn't find funny. Once again it really does seem as if there wasn't even an attempt to make this thing funny because nothing funny happens. You'd think once he arrives in Washington D.C. that something would happen but instead he just sits by a phone and waits for someone to call. Nothing funny there, at least to me. Early on he simply sits around telling people that he's going to Washington. Again, I'm guessing this was meant to be funny but I didn't crack a smile. This is far from Benchley's worst short but it's pretty bland from start to finish.
** (out of 4)
Joe Doakes (Robert Benchley) receives a letter from Washington, D.C. for him to come out and meet a government official so Doakes begins telling everyone that they finally want to learn what he knows. Doakes boards a train for this important business but when he arrives there he realizes he isn't going to be meeting anyone. I've shared my opinion of Benchley during reviews for many of his shorts but here is yet another that I didn't find funny. Once again it really does seem as if there wasn't even an attempt to make this thing funny because nothing funny happens. You'd think once he arrives in Washington D.C. that something would happen but instead he just sits by a phone and waits for someone to call. Nothing funny there, at least to me. Early on he simply sits around telling people that he's going to Washington. Again, I'm guessing this was meant to be funny but I didn't crack a smile. This is far from Benchley's worst short but it's pretty bland from start to finish.
helpful•25
- Michael_Elliott
- Sep 4, 2010
Details
- Runtime11 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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