Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942)

66% of users liked it
(957 ratings)

The surrealistic opening sequence, featuring a WW2 calendar as written "by A. Hitler", should be indication enough that Once Upon a Honeymoon is no ordinary lighthearted romantic trifle. Ginger Rogers plays Katie, an American chorus girl who seeks to better herself by marrying titled European Baron… More The surrealistic opening sequence, featuring a WW2 calendar as written "by A. Hitler", should be indication enough that Once Upon a Honeymoon is no ordinary lighthearted romantic trifle. Ginger Rogers plays Katie, an American chorus girl who seeks to better herself by marrying titled European Baron von Luber (Walter Slezak), despite the warnings of reporter Pat (Cary Grant). Katie thinks Pat is just jealous, but both he and the audience are aware that Von Luber is secretly a high-ranking Nazi, whose "unofficial" visits to Czechoslovakia, Poland and France precipitate the German invasions of those countries. When Katie wises up, she agrees to help counterespionage agent LeBlanc (Albert Dekker) in his efforts to stop Von Luber before he can reach New York-and along the way, she falls in love with the ubiquitous Pat. The bizarre ending, in which one of the main characters is casually murdered, is played for laughs, as if WW2 is merely fodder for a screwball comedy. In the film's most unsettling scene, Katie and Pat, mistaken for Jews, are briefly interred in a Polish concentration camp; their outrage over this treatment seems to be founded not on Germany's crimes against humanity, but over the fact that the Gestapo would have the audacity to incarcerate two non-Jewish Americans! A curious and often tasteless misfire from producer-director Leo McCarey, One Upon a Honeymoon is an undeniably fascinating historical artifact. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 56 min.
Directed By: Leo McCarey
Written By: Sheridan Gibney
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Romance, Mystery & Suspense, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1942 Wide
Studio: RKO Radio Pictures Inc.

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Intriguing curio tragi-comedy on wartime Nazis.

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

A good movie, good actors, good story, it's good.
Ken S

Cary Grant vs. The Nazi's and Ginger Roberts, what more do you need?

Cast

            Ginger Rogers as Katie O'Hara

            Cary Grant as Pat O'Toole

            Walter Slezak as Baron Von Luber

            Albert Dekker as Gaston Leblanc

            Albert Basserman as Marshal Borelski

            Ferike Boros as Elsa

            Harry Shannon as Ed Cumberland

            John Banner as Kleinoch

            Fred Aldrich
            
            Frank Alten as Spontaneity

            Felix Basch as Herr Kelman

            Brandon Beach as Civilian

            Walter Byron as Guard

            Gordon B. Clark
            
            Hans Conried as French Fitter

            Boyd Davis as Chamberlain

            Pedro de Cordoba as Cumberland

            Joseph Diskay as Warsaw Desk Clerk

            Carl Ekberg as Adolf Hitler

            Arno Frey
            
            Hans Furberg
            
            Russell Gaige as Guest of Baron

            Frederick Giermann
            
            Henry Guttman as Storm Trooper

            Dell Henderson as American Attache

            George Irving as American Consul

            Manart Kippen
            
            Natasha Lytess as Anna Beckstein

            Alex Melesh as Bar Waiter

            Leda Nicova as Travelers in Warsaw

            Emory Parnell as Quisling

            John Peters as Kleinoch's Driver

            Albert Petit
            
            Otto Reichow as Guard

            Bert Roach as Bartender

            Lionel Royce as German Officer

            Hans Schumm
            
            George Sorel
            
            Walter O. Stahl as Guest of Baron

            Bob Stevenson
            
            William Vaughan as German Colonel

            Henry Victor
            
            William Von Brincken as German Colonel

            Hans Heinrich von Twardowski as German Officer

            Fred Niblo as Ship Captain

            Bill Martin
            
            Walter Bonn
            
            Ernst Hausman as German

            Edgar Licho as French Waiter

            Bob O'Connor as Polish Operator

            Peter Seal as Polish Orderly

            Dina Smirnova as Travelerwarsaw

            Jacques Vanaire as French Radio Announcer

            Alex Davidoff
            
            Jimmie Dime
            
            Joseph Kamaryt as Czech Official

            Oscar Loraine as Ship Steward

            Rudolph Myzet
            
            Major Nichols
            
            Gohr VanVleck
            
            Dr. Martin Jack Rosenblum
            
            Albert Bassermann
            
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