The Great Gildersleeve (1942)

Throckmorton Gildersleeve (Harold Peary) is late for an appearance in Judge Hooker's court. Hooker's sister Amelia is giving voice lessons to Gildy's nephew, Leroy. Amelia is stalling because she is sweet on Gildy. Finally Gildy sneaks into the courtroom. Hooker (Charles Arnt) calls him into account for his guardianship of the trust fund for Leroy and Marjorie (Nancy Gates). Gildy sends for Aunt Emma to be a mother to the children. They have a wreck on the way home and her watch is broken, so Gildy takes her to a jewelry store to get a new one. Some local busybodies see him in the store and assume he is buying a ring for Amelia. She and Hooker jump to the conclusion that a proposal is imminent. Because Aunt Emma is there, Gildy has to sleep in the basement. Amelia send him a love telegram. The next morning she and Hooker greet him as a fiancee, and Hooker tells him he has ten days to get a wife or give up his custody of the children. The kids realize that the judge is the biggest men in town, and start a publicity campaign to make Uncle Throckmorton bigger. Leroy puts him on an exercise program. (Peary could use it!) Hooker challenges Throcky to a race. He gives him half the distance start, but Gildy has to run backward. He devises a rear view mirror for the race. Watching the portly Peary running backwards is hilarious. Gildersleeve trips on a child's skate at the last moment and loses the race.

Time is running out, and Gildy still does not have a wife. The governor (Thurston Hall) comes to town incognito. He has a cold, and Leroy says Aunt Emma can cure it. He takes Hall home and she fixes him a tonic and makes him lie down. Marjorie flirts with the governor's chauffeur and finds out who he is. But Gildy does not know who he is and makes a lot of boasts to him. Then Marjorie tells Gildy. He goes to Hooker and makes his boast about his house guest. They peer through the window at him. The judge begins to feel better and Hooker invites him to lunch. However, Hooker and pals have called the state capitol and talked to the Governor, so they think he is there, not realizing that they forwarded the call on to him locally. At the lunch the locals play a bunch of practical jokes on the Governor, and then the mayor identifies him. Hooker decides to leave town in shame. However, things get patched up and all ends well.

 

Gates

Peary