August 21, 1941 –
The classic romantic comedy, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, directed by Alexander Hall, and starring Robert Montgomery, Claude Rains, Evelyn Keyes, James Gleason, Edward Everett Horton, Rita Johnson, and John Emery went into general release on this date.
Columbia chief Harry Cohn had serious misgivings about this adaptation of Harry Segall’s minor stage play. He preferred to reserve his more lavish budgets for surefire successes (e.g., anything featuring the studio’s biggest star, Rita Hayworth). However, Sidney Buchman eventually was able to talk Cohn into forking out for costly celestial sets and Farnsworth’s elaborate mansion and also into hiring Robert Montgomery on loan-out from MGM. Buchman was also able to convince Cohn that he had a better appreciation of what the public would pay to see than the Wall Street bankers to whom Cohn answered.
The Haus of Dcaligari 