Pillow To Post(1945)

D: Vincent Sherman. Ida Lupino, Sydney Greenstreet, William Prince, Stuart Erwin, Ruth Donnelly, Barbara Brown, Willie Best, Louis Armstrong, Dorothy Dandridge, Bobby (Robert) Blake and William Conrad.

After hearing a call over the radio asking women to join the work force, because all the men are now in the army, Jean Howard begs her father, an oil supplies manufacturer, to hire her to represent his company. With no other choice, he gives her the job, but.. after she loses several sales, he sends her a telegram ordering her to come home. Jean, not wanting to give up hope, travels to see Slim Clark, who runs an oil field close to an army town. 


Soon after she arrives, she finds the town over run with wives visiting their husbands and Jean has a hard time finding a room. She is offered a bungalow that is available only to a married couple with no children. Jean, explains to the land lady that her husband is on a bivouac, but will be home before 6:00 p.m.

Jean, goes to see Slim at the oil field, but he refuses to close the deal until she accepts his dinner invitation.


Just before her 6:00 p.m. deadline, she gets a ride from Lieutenant Don Mallory, who she gets to agree to sign the register before leaving for camp. As luck would have it, he meets his commanding officer, Colonel Michael Otley, and has to pretend that he and Jean were married that morning. Otley then cancels his plans so that he can spend the night with his new "bride." 

Later, when Slim arrives for his date with Jean, Don insists that he must come along to avoid the gossiping neighbors. Slim, is not happy about the arrangement and does not close the deal. Don, spends the night camping outside, while Jean sleeps inside the bungalow.

The next morning, Don comes up with a plan to tell Otley, that they had a fight and  that Jean has returned home, but.. the plan backfires when Otley, overhears their fake fight and he insists that they make up.


Slim then invites Jean, to discuss business during a trip to Fresno. Don, can not believe it when Jean returns, with her lipstick smeared and leaves the bungalow in a huff.. 

To complicate matters even more, Don's mother arrives unexpectedly. While Jean is packing her suitcase, planning on heading back home.  Then Otley, drops by to  invite them to dinner, telling her that he is demoting a lieutenant on his staff who pretended to be married. Jean decides to stay to keep Don from getting into trouble.

At the Otleys', Jean, who has had too much to drink, tells Don her plan just before the Otleys are called away to help deliver a baby in a neighboring bungalow.

When Slim comes to take Jean to the train, he finds Don's mother in the cabin, and the two of them confront Don and Jean.  It is not long before Jean's father arrives to find out what is going on. Otley, who has returned from the delivery, is about to court-martial Don when  the handyman Lucille, informs them that Don spent the night outside alone. You have to watch to see who "gets the girl"?

This story, is very charming and a  young Ida Lupino, is wonderful in this movie!

 

Ruth Donnelly (May 17, 1896 – November 17, 1982), began her stage career at the age of 17 in 1913, in The Quaker Girl. Her Broadway debut brought her to the attention of George M. Cohan, who proceeded to cast her in numerous comic-relief roles in such musicals as Going Up (1917). Though she made her first film appearance in 1913, her Hollywood career began in earnest in 1931 and lasted until 1957.

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt(1939).

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt(1939). Cast: Warren William, Ida Lupino, Rita Hayworth and Virginia Weidler. Directed by Peter Godfrey.

Ex-jewel thief Michael Lanyard, AKA The Lone Wolf, is taken by force to see Spiro, the leader of an espionage ring, who offers to pay him $10,000 to steal the plans for the new anti-aircraft gun. Lanyard, turns down the job and quickly leaves, but not before Spiro steals his cigarettes.

The following day, the War Department safe is robbed and Lanyard's half-smoked cigarettes are found at the scene of the crime. Inspector Thomas, suspects the former jewel thief of the crime and goes looking for him. After talking with the inspector, Lanyard leaves for a cocktail party with Val Carson, the senator's daughter.

Soon after arriving at the bar, Lanyard is lured to Spiro's house, where he is informed that the spies made off with only half of the plans and that they want him to get the remaining plans. Lanyard goes to the inventors house, where he finds the real plans in the safe.

Lanyard, turns the real plans over to Val's father and goes to Spiro's house to get the rest of the plans. Karen, tries to buy the secret plans from Lanyard. Lanyard's daughter Patricia, playing detective, hides in her car. While trailing Spiro, Lanyard is recaptured, but is saved by Patricia, who creates a diversion by stealing the plans. Will the police arrive in time to arrest the spies.

This is the first film I've seen of The Lone Wolf series. Ida Lupino, is very charming who plays a woman who keeps hoping the Wolf will marry her.. Rita Hayworth, as always makes a wonderful femme fatale.

Warren William (December 2, 1894 – September 24, 1948), was nicknamed the "king of Pre-Code". After moving from Broadway to Hollywood in 1931, he reached his peak as a leading man in early 1930s pre-Production Code films. He was a contract player at the Warner Bros. studio and was known for playing heartless types, including the Sam Spade character in the second filming of, The Maltese Falcon, called Satan Met a Lady (1936).

He also played roles, such as, Imitation of Life, in which he played Claudette Colbert's love interest. He also performed as her love interest in the film, Cleopatra. And he was the swashbuckle in, The Man in the Iron Mask(1939).

William was the first to play Erle Stanley a fictional defense attorney Perry Mason on the big screen and starred in four, Perry Mason mysteries. He also played Raffles-like reformed jewel thief in the, The Lone Wolf, beginning with, The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt (1939) with Ida Lupino and Rita Hayworth and he starred as detective Philo Vance in two films in that series, 1934's The Dragon Murder Case and 1939's The Gracie Allen Murder Case.