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44-591: A naïve country boy named Benny Miller, from Cucamonga, California, has been taking correspondence phonograph lessons in salesmanship. Upon completion of the course, he leaves his mother and his girlfriend Martha to pursue a career in Los Angeles. He arranges a meeting with his Uncle Clarence, a bookkeeper with the Hercules Vacuum Cleaner Company. When he arrives to ask for a job, the sales manager, Eddie Morrison, mistakes him for one of

88-491: A cherry tree. Until the late 1980s, corporate businesses generally closed on this day, similar to present corporate practices on Memorial Day or Christmas Day. However, after having been moved to the third Monday, most businesses remain open with many offering sales and other promotions. Federal and state government services close ( U.S. Postal Service , state Departments of Motor Vehicles, federal and state courts). Class schedules at universities and colleges vary depending on

132-502: A cigar. Hazel then gives Benny a sedative, but accidentally takes it herself while he falls asleep from the cigar's ill effects. Morrison arrives home to find the two asleep together and fears the worst. At the awards ceremony that evening, Benny learns of the mind-reading ruse, and overhears Morrison speaking ill of him. Benny returns to his mother and his girlfriend in Cucamonga, where he also encounters Chandler, his coworker Ruby, and

176-553: A letter of commendation from Gen. George Washington that he hopes will persuade Danbury to let them marry. Unfortunately, Horatio has a romantic rival in Danbury's devious butler, Cuthbert Greenway, who tries to prevent Horatio from presenting his letter. Nora, however, rushes off to show the letter to Danbury, but she inadvertently overhears Danbury discussing his part in Benedict Arnold 's plot. Danbury seizes Nora and hides

220-593: A prank played on him by his new coworkers when they convince him that he can read minds. However, the prank gives Benny sufficient confidence to become "Hercules' Salesman of the Year". He is sent back to the Los Angeles branch to receive his award, and while demonstrating his 'abilities' to Morrison, he alludes to the fact that Morrison has a secret bank account. Morrison sends his wife to obtain more information from Benny to determine what he actually knows. Hazel and Benny go to her apartment, where Benny becomes ill after smoking

264-442: A sign that reads, "Closed for Washington's Birthday ". Horatio must wait one more day to get into heaven. The Time of Their Lives was filmed at Universal Studios from March 6 through May 15, 1946. The working title was The Ghost Steps Out . It was the first Abbott and Costello film to be directed by Charles Barton, who would go on to helm eight of their movies, including Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). As in

308-532: Is a 1946 American fantasy comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring the comedic duo Abbott and Costello alongside Marjorie Reynolds , Gale Sondergaard and Binnie Barnes . It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures . In 1780, master tinker Horatio Prim arrives at the Kings Point estate of Tom Danbury. Although Horatio has failed to raise enough money to buy Danbury's housemaid, Nora O'Leary out of indentured servitude, he carries

352-597: Is a separate state holiday celebrated on February 12. In Missouri , Washington's Birthday is a federal holiday, observed on the third Monday in February, and Abraham Lincoln's birthday is observed on the Monday closest to February 12 (always the Monday preceding Washington's Birthday). In New Mexico , Presidents' Day, at least as a state-government paid holiday, is observed on the Friday following Thanksgiving , although

396-722: Is a society dedicated to observing the day. At the George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Westmoreland County, Virginia , visitors are treated to birthday celebrations on the holiday, while at Mount Vernon they last throughout the holiday weekend and through February 22. Since 1862 there has been a tradition in the United States Senate that George Washington's Farewell Address be read on his birthday. Citizens asked that this be done in light of

440-492: Is awarded to soldiers who are injured in battle. Community celebrations often display a lengthy heritage. Laredo, Texas, hosts a monthlong tribute , as does Washington's hometown of Alexandria, Virginia , which includes what is claimed to be the nation's longest-running and largest George Washington Birthday parade. Eustis, Florida , holds an annual " GeorgeFest " celebration that began in 1902, and in Denver, Colorado , there

484-456: The 7x13=28 routine, where Costello attempts to prove to Abbott that 7 times 13 equals 28, 28 divided by 7 equals 13, and seven 13's added together equals 28. This film has been released twice on DVD. The first time, on The Best of Abbott and Costello Volume Two , on May 4, 2004, and again on October 28, 2008 as part of Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection . The Time of Their Lives The Time of Their Lives

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528-427: The reigning monarch's official birthday is celebrated without regard to the monarch's actual date of birth.) The first attempt to create a Presidents Day occurred in 1951 when the "President's Day National Committee" was formed by Harold Stonebridge Fischer of Compton, California , who became its National Executive Director for the next two decades. The purpose was not to honor any particular president but to honor

572-726: The 1730s, the Julian calendar used by Britain and the Colonies was eleven days behind the Gregorian, because of leap year differences. Furthermore, the British civil year began on March 25 rather than January 1, so that dates in February (such as this one) 'belonged' to the preceding year. (See Dual dating ). In 1752, The British Empire switched to the Gregorian calendar ; since then, Americans born prior to 1752, including Washington, have typically had their birthdays recognized according to

616-581: The 1946 Motion Picture Herald poll of top money making stars after placing 11th overall (and 12th among independent theater owners) in 1945. The film was re-released in 1951, along with Little Giant . The film has been released three times on VHS: 1989, 1991, and 2000. It has also been released twice on DVD: The Best of Abbott and Costello Volume Two on May 4, 2004; and on October 28, 2008 as part of Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection . Washington%27s Birthday Presidents' Day , officially Washington's Birthday at

660-581: The Gregorian calendar ( "New Style" dates ). Since February 11, 1731, on the Julian calendar was February 22, 1732, on the Gregorian, and he was alive at the time the change was made, Washington changed his birth date to February 22, 1732, to match the new calendar. The federal holiday honoring Washington was originally implemented by an Act of Congress in 1879 for government offices in Washington (20  Stat.   277 ) and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices (23  Stat.   516 ). As

704-456: The Hercules company president, Mr. Van Loon. They announce that Morrison has been fired, and has been replaced by Chandler. Benny is now sales manager of the Cucamonga district. Filming took place between November 1 through December 17, 1945. William A. Seiter was paid $ 100,000 and the two leads $ 110,000. In this film, and the next Abbott and Costello film, The Time of Their Lives (1946),

748-542: The United States , Lincoln and Washington are often the top two.) In the following states and territories of the United States , this same day is an official state holiday and known as — Using "President" in the official title: Using "Washington" alone: Using both "Washington" and "Lincoln": Using "Washington" and another person: Using something else: Not a holiday: Several states honor presidents with official state holidays that do not fall on

792-436: The auditioning fashion models and has him remove his clothing. Morrison's secret wife, Hazel Temple, discovers the mistake and suggests that Benny be hired to avoid an accounting scandal, as they have been "cooking the books". Benny is fired from his salesman post after only one day. Clarence transfers Benny to the company's Stockton branch, which is run by Morrison's cousin, Tom Chandler. Benny's misfortunes continue, including

836-497: The clairvoyant maid, Emily, who senses that the grounds are haunted. Ghosts Horatio and Melody have some fun with this idea and scare the guests in various ways — especially Greenway, whom Horatio at first mistakes for Cuthbert. Horatio and Melody also find themselves frightened by modern inventions like the electric light and the radio. These supernatural events prompt the newcomers to hold a séance led by Emily. From clues offered by Horatio, Melody and Tom's repentant spirit, they discern

880-456: The comedians play separate characters instead of their usual partnership. This was due to falling box-office receipts for the team's releases in 1945, and animosity between both men that actually led them to a short split. The film was re-released in 1951 along with The Time of Their Lives , and in 1954 along with their first movie, One Night in the Tropics . Abbott and Costello perform

924-688: The comics' onscreen formula was reportedly due to both disappointing box office receipts for their 1945 films The Naughty Nineties , Here Come the Co-Eds , and Abbott and Costello in Hollywood , and personal tensions that led to a brief break up that year. Advertising materials for the film depicted both Abbott and Costello in modern clothes, and gave no indication that the film was part period piece or fantasy. Bud Abbott, who had epilepsy and had not previously learned to drive, did so for one scene in this film. According to his son, Bud Abbott Jr., this

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968-530: The dawn of the A. and C. era. The audience present at the previewing of The Time of Their Lives at the Forum Theater in Los Angeles all but rolled in the aisles with merriment, exactly as in the good old days." The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "By long odds, it is the best A&C show to date." Trade critic sentiment did not translate into box-office, however. Abbott and Costello slipped to 20th place overall (but 12th among independent theater owners) in

1012-409: The duo's preceding film, Little Giant , Abbott and Costello do not play friends or partners, but are individual characters. Also as in the previous movie, Costello's character is largely the hero, while Abbott plays a somewhat unsympathetic dual role. The team's trademark burlesque routines are absent, and they speak directly to each other only in one scene at the beginning of the film. This change in

1056-421: The estate until their innocence can be proved. For the next 166 years the ghosts of Horatio and Melody roam the grounds of the estate. In 1946, after the estate has been rebuilt and restored with much of its original furnishings, playwright Sheldon Gage invites his fiancée, June Prescott, her Aunt Millie, and his psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenway, a descendant of Cuthbert, to spend the weekend. They are greeted by

1100-419: The estate where the state police are waiting for him. They arrest Greenway, but are prevented from taking him off the estate by the curse that binds Horatio and Melody to it. When the clock is finally opened and the letter is revealed, Melody and Horatio's innocence is proven and they are freed. Each is called to heaven by a loved one; Melody by Tom, and Horatio by Nora, who meets him at heaven's gate but points to

1144-654: The federal governmental level, is a holiday in the United States celebrated on the third Monday of February. It is often celebrated to honor all those who served as presidents of the United States and, since 1879, has been the federal holiday honoring Founding Father George Washington , who led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolutionary War , presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and

1188-667: The first federal holiday to honor an American president, the holiday was celebrated on Washington's birthday under the Gregorian calendar, February 22. On January 1, 1971, the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act . This places it between February 15 and 21, which makes "Washington's Birthday" something of a misnomer, since it never occurs on Washington's actual birthday, February 22. (A rough analogue of this phenomenon can be seen in Commonwealth realms , where

1232-404: The governors of a majority of the states issued proclamations declaring March 4 Presidents' Day in their respective jurisdictions. An early draft of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act would have renamed the holiday "Presidents' Day" to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln, which would explain why the chosen date falls between the two, but this proposal failed in committee, and the bill

1276-522: The holiday due to inclement weather, the most recent of which was the 2024 edition . Because "Presidents' Day" is not the official name of the federal holiday, there is variation in how it is rendered, both colloquially and in the name of official state holidays. When used with the intention of celebrating more than one individual, the form "Presidents' Day" was usual in the past. This is celebrating President Washington Day, President Fillmore Day, up to President Biden Day, individually. In recent years, as

1320-399: The identities of the ghosts and the existence of the letter which can free them. The group searches for Horatio's letter, but the original mantel clock containing the letter is in a New York museum. Greenway, to atone for the misdeeds of his ancestor, goes to the museum to retrieve the letter. But when museum officials refuse to let him examine the clock, Greenway steals it. He arrives back at

1364-491: The legal public holiday remains the third Monday in February. In Georgia , Washington's Birthday is not a state-government paid holiday, although until 2018 it was officially observed on Christmas Eve . Similarly, in Indiana , Washington's Birthday is observed on Christmas Eve, or the day preceding the weekend if Christmas falls on Saturday or Sunday, while Lincoln's Birthday is the day after Thanksgiving. George Washington

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1408-438: The letter in a secret compartment in the mantel clock. Danbury's fiancée, Melody Allen, standing outside the window, witnesses this betrayal and enlists Horatio's help to ride off and warn Washington's army. But American troops on their way to arrest Tom overrun the estate, loot it and set it ablaze. Melody and Horatio are mistakenly shot as traitors, and their bodies are cast into a well. Their souls are condemned to remain bound to

1452-490: The office of the presidency. It was first thought that March 4, the original inauguration day, should be deemed Presidents Day, but the bill recognizing March 4 stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee (which had authority over federal holidays). The committee felt that, given its proximity to Lincoln's and Washington's Birthdays, three holidays so close together would be unduly burdensome. But meanwhile

1496-598: The ongoing Civil War. Since the mid-2000s, the National Basketball Association has held their annual All-Star festivities during the holiday weekend. As a result, no games are played on the holiday itself, and the season resumes the following Thursday. The day before Presidents Day is the traditional running of the Daytona 500 NASCAR race; there have been occasions when the race was cut short, or either finished on or postponed entirely to

1540-435: The patrons with any unfamiliar novelties ... Direction is well-aimed at the belly-laugh level, and the trick photography is handled with flawless technique." Motion Picture Daily wrote, "Any resemblance between this and the last half dozen Abbott and Costello pictures is so slight and incidental as to be written off completely by the showmen whose customers used to raise the rafters with shouts and screams of laughter in

1584-462: The school. Public elementary and secondary schools are generally closed, but some school districts, such as New York City, may close for an entire week as a "mid-winter recess". The holiday is also a tribute to the general who created the first military badge of merit for the common soldier. Revived on Washington's 200th birthday in 1932, the Purple Heart medal (which bears Washington's image)

1628-556: The third Monday of February. In Massachusetts , the state officially celebrates "Washington's Birthday" on the same day as the federal holiday. State law also directs the governor to issue an annual "Presidents Day" proclamation on May 29 ( John F. Kennedy 's birthday), honoring the presidents with Massachusetts roots: Kennedy, John Adams , John Quincy Adams , and Calvin Coolidge . In California , Connecticut , Florida , Illinois , Michigan , and New Jersey , Lincoln's Birthday

1672-586: The two into Presidents Day. Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War , preserved the Union , abolished slavery , bolstered the federal government , and modernized the U.S. economy . Lincoln's Birthday , February 12, was never a federal holiday, but nearly half the state governments have officially renamed their observances "Presidents' Day", "Washington and Lincoln Day", or other such designations. (In historical rankings of presidents of

1716-498: The use of attributive nouns (nouns acting as modifiers) has become more widespread, the form "Presidents Day" has become more common (It would mean celebrating Presidents Washington through Biden Day collectively); the Associated Press Stylebook , most newspapers and some magazines use this form. "President's Day" as an alternate rendering of any one particular president, or for the purpose of commemorating

1760-638: Was born on February 11, 1731 ( O.S. ), at his parents' Pope's Creek Estate near Colonial Beach in Westmoreland County, Virginia , now the George Washington Birthplace National Monument . At the time, the entire British Empire, including its North American possessions, was on the Julian calendar ; the Empire, not being bound to the Catholic Church , had not yet adopted the modern Gregorian calendar that Catholic countries had adopted in 1582. Consequently, by

1804-616: Was celebrated on this date from 1879 until 1970. To give federal employees a three-day weekend, in 1968 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved it to the third Monday in February, which can occur from February 15 to the 21st. The day soon became known as Presidents(') Day (the presence and placement of the apostrophe varies) and provides an occasion to remember all the U.S. presidents, to honor Abraham Lincoln 's and Washington's birthdays together, or any single president of choice. As many states and cities followed suit, some states that had been celebrating Lincoln's birthday on February 12 combined

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1848-504: Was from 1789 to 1797 the first U.S. president . The day is an official state holiday in most states under various names. Depending upon the specific law, the state holiday may officially celebrate Washington alone, Washington and Abraham Lincoln , or some other combination of U.S. presidents (such as Washington and Thomas Jefferson , who was born in April). George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 ( N.S. ). Washington's Birthday

1892-468: Was the only time in his life he ever drove an automobile. A few weeks into filming, Costello wanted to switch roles with Abbott. He refused to report to work, but director Charles Barton waited him out. Costello eventually returned, said nothing more about it, and continued in the same role. Although the film was a departure from the usual Abbott and Costello formula, Variety magazine called it "a picnic for Abbott and Costello fans" that "won't shock

1936-436: Was voted on and signed into law on June 28, 1968, keeping the name "Washington's Birthday". By the mid-1980s, with a push from advertisers, the term "Presidents' Day" began its public appearance. In Washington's adopted hometown of Alexandria, Virginia , celebrations are held throughout February. A food traditionally associated with the holiday is cherry pie , based on the legend of Washington in his youth chopping down

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