A Girl, a Guy and A Gob

Plot

The girl is stenographer Dot Duncan (Lucille Ball); the guy is her boss, stuffy young shipping magnate Stephen Herrick (Edmond O'Brien); and the gob is a brash sailor known as Coffee Cup (George Murphy). Not surprisingly, the plot involves the efforts by the self-effacing Stephen and the self-confident Coffee Cup to woo and win the lovely Dot. And that's about all the "story" there is; the rest of the picture is jam-packed with round-robin comic misunderstandings and wild slapstick setpieces. A Girl, a Guy and a Gob was one of two RKO Radio films produced by silent-screen great Harold Lloyd, who reportedly dropped in on the set from time to time to offer a bit of sage comedy advice (note the "handkerchief" bit utlized by Edmond O'Brien; it had previously done service in Lloyd's own Welcome Danger). Not as big a moneymaker as Harold's starring features of the 1920s, the RKO film nonetheless turned a tidy profit for the studio. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Review

While there's nothing in A Girl, A Guy and A Gob that makes it one for the ages, it is still a thoroughly enjoyable little comedy. Make no mistake: this is no classic. But it is the kind of film that one stumbles across and decides to watch for a few minutes, ultimately staying with it for the duration because it's such an amiable way to pass a little time. Presumably, a great deal of credit goes to producer Harold Lloyd, for the film has a touch of comedic professionalism from start to finish. It's not genius, except in the sense that Lloyd knows how to handle average, run-of-the-mill material and make it percolate peppily, but it's skillful. The story, which takes a little from You Can't Tale It With You and a lot from numerous other films, is so much nonsense. But the characters are likeable and fun to be with, which is important. Lucille Ball is operating in a semi-restrained mode, which may disappoint some, but she's doing exactly what the part calls for. George Murphy is excellent as the Gob in question, and Edmond O'Brien is fine as the Guy. The supporting cast, including Doodles Weaver and Henry Travers, also adds to the enjoyment factor. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast

• George Murphy - Claudis, "Coffee" Cup
• Edmond O'Brien - Stephen Herrick
• Henry Travers - Abel Martin
• Franklin Pangborn - Pet Shop Owner

George Cleveland - Pokey Duncan; Kathleen Howard - Jawme; Marguerite Chapman - Cecilia Grange; Lloyd Corrigan - Pigeon; Mady Correll - Cora; Frank McGlynn, Sr. - Pankington; Doodles Weaver - Eddie; Frank Sully - Salty; Nella Walker - Mrs. Grange; Richard Lane - Recruiting Officer; Irving Bacon - Mr. Merney; Warren Ashe - Opera Ticket Taker; Lucille Ball - Dot Duncan; Vince Barnett - Pedestrian; Leon Belasco - Taxi Driver; Joe Bernard - Tattoo Artist; Wade Boteler - Uniformed Attendant; Ralph Brooks; James Bush; Nora Cecil - Charwoman; Hal K. Dawson - Photographer; Fern Emmett - Middle-Aged Woman; Charles Irwin - Dance Hall Emcee; George Lloyd; Bob McKenzie - Porter; Alex Pollard - Butler; Harry "Snub" Pollard - Attendant; Victor Potel - Bits; Cyril Ring; Dewey Robinson - Bouncer; Charles Smith - Messenger; Andrew Tombes - Bus Conductor; Mary Field - Woman on Street; Carolyn Hughes - Dance Hall Girl; Tom Quinn - Hustler; Jack Lescoulie - Sailor

Credit

Richard Wallace - Director, George Crone - Editor, Russell Metty - Cinematographer, Harold Lloyd - Producer, Vernon Walker - Special Effects, Grover Jones - Screen Story, Bert Granet - Screenwriter, Frank Ryan - Screenwriter

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