It's hard to watch this without comparing it to the 1955 musical directed by Richard Quine (who happens to play Frank in this version) and starring Janet Leigh, Betty Garret, Bob Fosse, and Tommy Rall. The stories are fundamentally similar -- two cheerful and ambitious sisters from Columbus, Ohio, the level-headed Ruth (here, Rosalind Russell) and the gorgeous blond Eileen (here, Janet Blair) come to New York to seek careers. They rent a preposterous basement apartment in Greenwich Village where they are constantly finagled with by a sly landlord (here, George Tobias) who is an artist manque. Their days are punctuated by occasional blasts from the subway that is being built beneath the building. There are an abundance of kooky characters. Their upstairs neighbor is a dopey, unemployed football player supported by his wife. All the men fall under the spell of the would-be actress, Eileen. The less flamboyantly sugary Ruth, who is an aspiring writer, is disregarded by men until one of her editors learns to appreciate her.The story (or stories) must have great appeal. They first appeared in The New Yorker, I think. Then they were assembled into the play on which this film is based. Then there appeared the Leonard Bernstein musical, under a different name ("Wonderful Town"), then the 1955 musical. There have been several revivals.Compared to the 1955 musical version, this seems more stage bound, which is not necessarily bad. And without the musical numbers, there's more room for various gags, some funnier than others. This version is so OVERFLOWING with characters that must have seemed colorful to the folks back in Columbus, Ohio, that at times it's crowded with them, all doing and saying kooky things. A hooker or, pardon me, a young woman (June Havoc) who used to "hold séances" and "read fortunes" in the apartment drops in to leave a stack of her new business cards for any former clients who happen to stop by -- and stop, they do. The door lock is broken so people can come and go without warning. There are myriad incidents involving misunderstandings, situationally based wisecracks, mixed identities, drunks, cops, pratfalls, explosions, congas, and dogs chasing cats through the barred window of the basement.This film is amusing in its own right. It's as if the whole insane cast of "You Can't Take It With You" had been shoved into this little basement apartment. With the jokes abounding, they can't all miss.Yet, for a couple of reasons, I prefer the 1955 musical, the only other version of this story that I've seen. For one thing, the 1955 plot is less confused. Bob Fosse and Tommy Rall are both ga-ga over Eileen. (In fact, Janet Leigh looks a lot like Janet Blair.) Both Fosse and Rall get more screen time than the same two characters here -- plus, they performances have more charm. Fosse is not the ridiculous goof that his character is in this earlier version. And Tommy Rall gives a better performance as his rival, Chick Clark. Rall was nobody's idea of a great actor but he's splendid as the fast-talking, underhanded suitor. Here, Allyn Joslin seems fagged out and not particularly interested in Eileen. And that's not to mention the hilarious "Give Me a Band" number or a synapse-fusing, blistering "Competition Ballet" between Fosse and Rall. The 1955 version is also more carefully paced, less forced and frenetic. The romance angle is taken a bit more seriously. One has a chance to breathe between manic episodes.Not that this isn't very amusing, just that it was probably more so in 1942 than it might be today. We're less easily shocked. Odd characters living in Greenwich Village? Oh, yes -- much less easily shocked.

Abner! Abner! yup, that's George Tobias from "Bewitched" behind the wig and over-sized mustache playing the bushy/pushy artist and landlord in this first film version of "My Sister Eileen". Rosalind Russell and Janel Blair are sisters who come from Ohio to the big city to find fame and fortune in New York. There are some clever lines, mostly given to Russell, but it must be the direction of Alexander Hall holding this back. The Three Stooges make an appearance, and a very flat-line Brian Aherne. He keeps stepping out of the woodwork to tell Ruth (Russell) that her stories will or will not be published. Viewers will recognize Donald MacBride as the neighborhood cop, trying to keep things under control. Gordon Jones is the out of work muscle guy from upstairs, married of course, since we're well into the Hays Code by this time. He always seems to play the wrestler, the truck driver, and people named "Tex". The girls have many adventures, but the Portuguese navy is involved, and for some reason, they put Eileen (Blair) in jail, which doesn't really make sense, but you have to buy into it. It probably made more sense before it was all whitewashed for the audience. The basic story must have good footings, since the film has been remade, and it was even turned into a TV show in the 1960s. Janet Blair, who had the least experience in films at the time, turns in the best acting performance. Interesting note- Frank Quine, who had played Lippincott in the 1942 film version, directed the 1955 remake starring Janet Leigh, Jack Lemmon, and Betty Garrett. Haven't seen that one yet, but it must have been pretty good, since that one made it to video. and the 1955 version was a musical! one odd connection - the 42 version has George Tobias, and the 1955 version has Dick York, both would end up on the TV show "Bewitched"

ROSALIND RUSSELL was always at her best in comedies and here she had a role that got her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in 1942--and it's easy to see why. She's downright hilarious as the gal from Ohio with writing ambitions and a pretty blonde sister (JANET BLAIR) with a penchant for attracting men and trouble.All the wacky situations stem from their Greenwich Village basement apartment which seems to have more visitors than Grand Central Station. It's all exaggerated fluff, but it works, thanks to a fine cast and sterling performances.RICHARD QUINE and GORDON JONES do repeats of their Broadway roles, and DONALD MacBRIDE as a policeman who wants quiet on his route is hilarious. JUNE HAVOC makes a brief appearance as a medium who used to live in the girls' apartment. GEORGE TOBIAS, as the opportunistic landlord with the Greek accent, is at his funniest in a colorful supporting role.My favorite moment is the conga sequence with Russell and Blair trying to get rid of sailors who don't speak a word of English, creating a disturbance that lands Blair in jail. Janet Blair is pleasant as the blonde bombshell but it's Russell who milks the most out of her role and gets all the laughs. She's terrific.BRIAN AHERNE does what he can with the role of the talkative editor, but it's not much of a part. Still, he adds a certain debonair charm to the role.Summing up: Notable chiefly as a terrific vehicle for Russell's unique brand of comic talent.

Rosalind Russell received a best actress nomination for playing Ruth Sherwood, a writer from Columbus, Ohio, who comes to the big apple with her sister Eileen.(Janet Blair). Up against the winner (Greer Garson for Mrs. Miniver) or Bette Davis (Now, Voyager),Russell had little chance in winning and she didn't.The film deals with the lunatic situations brought about when the sisters arrive here. Settling in a basement apartment which should have been condemned, the two encounter all sorts of strange people coming in and out of the apartment. We have a crazy landlord, (George Tobias) a publisher (Brian Aherne) who lacked any comic talent here, the former tenant, a seer (June Havoc) in a brief performance, neighbors who want the husband to sleep in the kitchen as her mother is coming, a suspicious policeman and Portuguese merchant marines who cause havoc as well.Luckily, the film ends when The 3 Stooges drill a hole in the floor. By that time, I had it.Rosalind Russell proved that she had excellent comic timing and Janet Blair is good as well, but the written material they were given leaves a lot to be desired.