A GIRL, A GUY, AND A GOB

March 14, 1941

• Directed by Richard Wallace
• Produced by Harold Lloyd for RKO Radio Pictures
• Written by Bert Granet and Frank Ryan, based on a story by Grover Jones

Synopsis ~ A shy, quiet executive for a shipping firm who finds himself with a dilemma: he’s become smitten with his young temporary secretary but she’s the girlfriend of his Navy buddy – and the buddy is scheduled to be discharged in only a few days.

Note: “Gob” is a slang word for a sailor. This term first showed up in regard to sailors around 1909 and may have come from the word gobble. Reportedly, some people thought that sailors gobbled their food. The term also may come from the word gob, which means to spit, something sailors also reportedly do often.

PRINCIPAL CAST

Lucille Ball as (Dorothy ‘Dotty’ Duncan aka ‘The Girl’) is in her 52nd film since coming to Hollywood in 1933. 

George Murphy (Claudius ‘Coffee’ Cup aka ‘The Gob’) was in four films with Lucille Ball between 1934 and 1941. In 1959, Murphy served as guest host of “The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse” when Desi Arnaz took a role in his own anthology series. He was also a performer in “The Desilu Revue” aired in December 1959. As the host of “MGM Parade”, he interviewed Lucy and Desi in February 1956.

Edmond O’Brien (Stephen Herrick aka ‘The Guy’) won an Oscar in 1955 for The Barefoot Contessa. He was nominated a second time in 1965. 

Henry Travers (Abel Martin) was nominated for an Oscar for Mrs. Miniver in 1943. He is best remembered for playing Clarence the Angel in It’s A Wonderful Life (1946). 

Franklin Pangborn (Pet Shop Owner) did four films with Lucille Ball between 1937 and 1946. 

George Cleveland (Pokey Duncan) did four more films with Lucille Ball till 1949. 

Kathleen Howard (Jawme) makes her only appearance with Lucille Ball. 

Marguerite Chapman (Cecilia Grange) makes her only appearance with Lucille Ball.

Lloyd Corrigan (Pigeon) did Two Smart People with Lucille Ball in 1949. He played the minister in “The Milton Berle Lucy-Desi Special” in 1959. He also did three episodes of “The Lucy Show.”

Mady Correll (Cora) makes her only appearance with Lucille Ball.

Frank McGlynn, Sr. (Pankington)

makes his only appearance with Lucille Ball.

Doodles Weaver (Eddie) makes his only appearance with Lucille Ball.

Frank Sully (Salty) did four films with Lucille Ball before playing the man who delivers “The Freezer” on “I Love Lucy.”

Nella Walker (Mrs. Grange) also appeared with Lucille Ball in Fugitive Lady (1934). 

Richard Lane (Recruiting Officer) previously appeared in three films with Lucille Ball in 1937 and 1938. 

Irving Bacon (Mr. Merney) did seven films with Lucille Ball before playing Mr. Willoughby in 

in “The Marriage License” (1952) and Will Potter in “Ethel’s Hometown” (1955).

Rube Demarest (Ivory) makes his only appearance with Lucille Ball.

Charles Smith (Messenger) makes her only appearance with Lucille Ball.

Bob McKenzie (Porter) appeared in three other films with Lucille Ball. 

Nora Cecil (Charwoman)

makes her only appearance with Lucille Ball.

UNCREDITED CAST 

SAILORS 

• James Bush (Sailor Taking Address Book), Charles Flynn (Thin Sailor), Jack Lescoulie, George Ford, Art Rowlands, *Bernard Sell 

HUSTLERS

• Tom Quinn, Cyril Ring, Ralph Brooks 

AT THE OPERA

• Edward Peil Sr. (Assistant Manager), Eddie Arden (Opera Page Boy),

  Warren Ashe (Ticket Taker), 

  Blue Washington (Doorman),

  Jimmy Cleary (Program Boy), Tom Costello (Floor Manager), William A. Boardway (Patron), Walter Byron (Patron), James Carlisle (Patron), Jean Fowler (Patron), Kenneth Gibson (Patron), Carl M. Leviness (Patron), John George (Newsboy Outside Opera House)

AT THE DANCE HALL

• Carolyn Hughes (Girl), Charles Irwin (Emcee), Eddie Borden (Man), 

  Eddie Hart (Ticket Taker #2), Dewey Robinson (Bouncer), Ronald R. Rondell (Ticket Taker)

AT THE MARRIAGE BUREAU & WEDDING CHAPEL

• Wade Boteler (Uniformed Attendant), Homer Dickenson (Wedding Chapel Attendant), Harry “Snub” Pollard (Attendant), Wade Boteler (Uniformed Attendant), Fern Emmett (Middle-Aged Woman at Marriage Bureau), Henry Roquemore (Middle-Aged Man at Marriage Bureau), Effie Anderson (Marriage Bureau Clerk), Hal K. Dawson (Photographer)

IN THE STREETS: PEDESTRIANS, BYSTANDERS, OBSERVERS

• Mary Field (Woman on Street), Vince Barnett (Pedestrian), Leon Belasco (Taxi Driver), George Lloyd (Bystander Smoking Cigar), Joe Bernard (Tattoo Artist), George McKay (Joe – Counterman), Vince Barnett (Bystander with Packages), Victor Potel (Bystander Eating Popcorn), *Leon Belasco (First Taxi Driver), *Mike Lally (Second Taxi Driver), George Chandler (Bystander Betting Five Bucks), Irene Coleman (Bystander Watching Eddie Grow), Tom Coleman (Pedestrian), Andrew Tombes (Bus Conductor), Hal K. Dawson (Photographer), Edgar Dearing (Policeman), Fern Emmett (Middle-Aged Woman), Mary Field (Woman on Street), Bud Jamison (Tall Bystander), Tiny Jones (Passerby), Bert Moorhouse (Pedestrian), Bud Osborne (Bystander), Frank Mills (Laborer in Manhole), Andrew Tombes (Bus Conductor)

OTHERS

• Sally Conlin (Little Girl) 

• Joe Geil (Boy)

• Steve Pendleton (Mr. Adams)
• Earle Hodgins (Sylvester P. Wurple) 
• Lloyd Ingraham (Announcer of Piano Winner)
• Alex Pollard (Butler)
• George Lollier (Grange’s Chauffeur) 
• Alexander Pollard (Grange’s Butler) 

* actors who later did background work on Lucille Ball’s sitcoms. 

3G TRIVIA

The film was dramatized for radio on “The Screen Guild Radio Theatre” on October 9, 1944, also starring Lucille Ball and George Murphy. They rerpised their roles on radio once again for “Old Gold Comedy Theatre” on February 11, 1945. 

Maureen O’Hara was initially slated for the role played by Lucille Ball.  Ball and O’Hara had done the 1940 film Dance, Girl, Dance together. 

This film came towards the end of Lucille Ball’s RKO days. She had already achieved leading lady status and would only make four more films for RKO before moving to MGM. She couldn’t know that she would one day own the studio with her husband, Desi Arnaz. Interestingly, RKO borrowed George Murphy from MGM for this film. 

This film’s earliest documented telecast took place in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on  Sunday June 3, 1956 over TV station WFBG. That same week, Lucille Ball began filming season six of “I Love Lucy” in Hollywood. 

In 1971, “The Carol Burnett Show” spoofed the film with “A Gob, a Girl and Her Galoshes".

The movie was referenced in the Emmy-winning documentary “Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie”.