The Man Who Came to Dinner vs. George Washington Slept Here

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Two 1942 comedies. Both based on Kaufmann & Hart plays. Both directed by William Keighley. Both featuring Ann Sheridan in a leading or supporting role. First off, I gotta give props to Everett Freeman for crafting a decent screenplay out of "George Washington"; the original play was actually pretty lame, and far from Kaufmann and Hart's best. Both movies preserve noted stage portrayals (Percy Kilbride in Washington, Monty Woolley and Mary Wickes in Man) and surrounds them with real Hollywood talent (Sheridan is great in both films, and Bette Davis displays more warmth in Man than you would have thought her capable of). But The Man Who Came to Dinner's direction is more assured, and it never devolves into slapstick or silliness, as George Washington does; moreover, the strength of the material shines through.