Three Guys Named Mike
Encyclopedia
Three Guys Named Mike is a 1951 American black-and-white film by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
, directed by Charles Walters
.
Described as a "lighthearted and lightweight story" by Turner Classic Movies
, Three Guys Named Mike chronicles the story of a flight attendant
(known in the 1950s as an "airline hostess" or a "stewardess") and three men.
; she appeared in a bit part in one scene. Since Jane Wyman
, the lead actress, had a high stature, her colleagues consisted of one of MGM's leading actors and two up-and-coming actors. American Airlines provided advertising in the film and allowed the producers of the film to use American Airlines aircraft for no charge; during that time aircraft were considered to be expensive props in films. Some early scenes in the film portrayed the training given at the American Airlines school for flight attendants. Sidney Sheldon
wrote the screenplay.
criticized the film, stating that "for services rendered in the advertising line, that company should award her a gold star (its advertising is all over the film), but if she's still hostessing, it should keep an eye on her. We suspect she spends too much time reading those leather-bound slick magazines rather than attending to the business of serving her real-life passengers" in relation to the glamorized portrayal of airline travel. Turner Classic Movies stated that many "more plebian" critics gave a positive reception to the film while "highbrow critics" such as Crowther gave a negative reception. Turner Classic Movies stated that the film "remains a quaintly entertaining time capsule of an era when "stewardesses" became "kiwi
s" (i.e., non-flying birds) when they got married."
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
, directed by Charles Walters
Charles Walters
Charles Walters was a Hollywood director and choreographer most noted for his work in MGM musicals and comedies in from the 1940s to the 1960s....
.
Described as a "lighthearted and lightweight story" by Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
, Three Guys Named Mike chronicles the story of a flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
(known in the 1950s as an "airline hostess" or a "stewardess") and three men.
Production
The credits state that the film was "based on the story by Ruth Brooks Flippen, from suggestions made by Ethel 'Pug' Smith." Contemporary publicity states that Smith was a flight attendant for American AirlinesAmerican Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
; she appeared in a bit part in one scene. Since Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman was an American singer, dancer, and character actress of film and television. She began her film career in the 1930s, and was a prolific performer for two decades...
, the lead actress, had a high stature, her colleagues consisted of one of MGM's leading actors and two up-and-coming actors. American Airlines provided advertising in the film and allowed the producers of the film to use American Airlines aircraft for no charge; during that time aircraft were considered to be expensive props in films. Some early scenes in the film portrayed the training given at the American Airlines school for flight attendants. Sidney Sheldon
Sidney Sheldon
Sidney Sheldon was an Academy Award-winning American writer. His TV works spanned a 20-year period during which he created The Patty Duke Show , I Dream of Jeannie and Hart to Hart , but he became most famous after he turned 50 and began writing best-selling novels such as Master of the Game ,...
wrote the screenplay.
Cast
- Jane WymanJane WymanJane Wyman was an American singer, dancer, and character actress of film and television. She began her film career in the 1930s, and was a prolific performer for two decades...
- Marcy Lewis - Van JohnsonVan JohnsonVan Johnson was an American film and television actor and dancer who was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios during and after World War II....
- Mike Lawrence - Howard KeelHoward KeelHarold Clifford Keel , known professionally as Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer. He starred in many film musicals of the 1950s...
- Mike Jamison - Barry SullivanBarry Sullivan (actor)Barry Sullivan was an American movie actor who appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s.Born in New York City, Sullivan fell into acting when in college playing semi-pro football...
- Mike Tracy
Reception
Bosley Crowther of The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
criticized the film, stating that "for services rendered in the advertising line, that company should award her a gold star (its advertising is all over the film), but if she's still hostessing, it should keep an eye on her. We suspect she spends too much time reading those leather-bound slick magazines rather than attending to the business of serving her real-life passengers" in relation to the glamorized portrayal of airline travel. Turner Classic Movies stated that many "more plebian" critics gave a positive reception to the film while "highbrow critics" such as Crowther gave a negative reception. Turner Classic Movies stated that the film "remains a quaintly entertaining time capsule of an era when "stewardesses" became "kiwi
Kiwi
Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...
s" (i.e., non-flying birds) when they got married."