The Boys from Syracuse
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
A. Edward Sutherland
Allan Jones
Martha Raye
Joe Penner
Rosemary Lane
Charles Butterworth
Photos & Videos
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In ancient Greece, Ephesus has just defeated Syracuse at war, and Antipholus of Ephesus or "Eph," a Grecian general, has persuaded the Duke of Ephesus to pass a law that any Syracusean found in Ephesus shall be beheaded. Eph is married to the beautiful Adriana, and his slave Dromio or "Dro" is married to Luce, Adriana's slave. The first Syracusean to be sentenced to death is Aegon, a father of twin sons who in turn had twin slaves. Both sets of twins had become separated during a storm years before, and since then, Aegon has been searching for his lost sons. His search has brought him to Ephesus, where the Duke pleads that Aegon's life should be spared, while Eph insists that the law be upheld. While Eph and Dro visit their tailors' shop, Antipholus of Syracuse or "Sy," who unknowingly is the twin brother of Eph, and Dromio or "Mio" of Syracuse, the twin brother of Dro, arrive in Ephesus searching for Aegon. A mix-up of the two sets of twins, who do not meet, is highly confusing to the tailors, Pinch and Angelo. Sy goes to seek lodging and he sees Phyllis, Adriana's beautiful sister, and begins to flirt with her. Believing that Sy is her brother-in-law, Phyllis becomes outraged and leaves. Sy then rejoins Mio on the street, where Adriana and Luce drive up in their chariot and Adriana mistakes Sy for Eph, while Luce believes Mio to be Dro. The amazed Syracuseans are taken to Adriana's home, and there they are wined and dined. Sy discovers the answer to the situation when he visits Eph's room and learns that he is in the home of his twin brother. Sy then tells Phyllis the whole story and swears his love for her. In response, she declares her love for him and warns him that his father Aegon is to be executed. Together they devise a plan to save the old man. On the day of the execution, which is the same day as the Festival of Athena, Sy poses as Eph and releases Aegon. As a result, the bewildered Eph and Dro are imprisoned by the Duke, but they overpower their jailers and escape. Meanwhile, Sy, Mio, Phyllis and Aegon try to escape by chariot, but are overtaken and returned to the festival, where the twins meet for the first time. As a result of the mix-up, the populace of Ephesus decides to set aside the laws dictating the execution of Syracuseans, thus freeing Sy to marry Phyllis.
Director
A. Edward Sutherland
Cast
Allan Jones
Martha Raye
Joe Penner
Rosemary Lane
Charles Butterworth
Irene Hervey
Alan Mowbray
Eric Blore
Samuel S. Hinds
Matt Mchugh
Eddie Acuff
Tom Dugan
Spencer Charters
Malcolm Waite
William Desmond
Doris Lloyd
Dave Oliver
Larry Blake
Cyril Ring
Alaine Brandes
June Wilkins
Joe Cunningham
Charles Sullivan
Charles Sherlock
Gerald Pierce
Julie Carter
Bess Flowers
Crew
Bernard B. Brown
Milton Carruth
John P. Fulton
R. A. Gausman
Dave Gould
Charles Grayson
Lorenz Hart
Joe Lapis
Jules Levy
Joseph A. Mcdonough
Martin Obzina
Jack Otterson
Charles Previn
Richard Rodgers
Frank Skinner
Paul Gerard Smith
Leonard Spigelgass
Helen Stoeffler
George Thomas Jr.
Joseph Valentine
Vera West
Photo Collections
Film Details
Technical Specs
Award Nominations
Best Art Direction
Best Special Effects
Best Visual Effects
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The play The Boys from Syracuse was adapted from William Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors (1592-93). In adapting the stage production to film, three songs were dropped: "Oh Diogenes," "Longest Day of the Year Has the Shortest Night of the Year" and "You Have Cast Your Shadow on the Sea." To take their place, Rogers and Hart wrote two new songs for the film: "Who Are You" and "The Greeks Have No Word for It." This was the first production of former film sales manager Jules Levey's Mayfair Productions. This Mayfair is not the same production company as Mayfair Pictures Corp., which was active in the early 1930s. Irene Hervey and Allan Jones were married when they appeared together in the film. According to a news item in Hollywood Reporter, the Ritz Brothers walked out on the production because they felt that their roles were not large enough. The picture received Academy Award nominations in the Art Direction (Black-and-White) and Special Effects (Photographic Effects, John P. Fulton, and Sound Effects, Bernard B. Brown and Joe Lapis) categories.
