History Film / Turnabout

One day their mutual carping reaches a climax during which they wish they could trade places; Tim wishes he could relax at home instead of working his stressful advertising job, and Sally wishes she could escape the tedium that is the life of a pampered society wife. They are then surprised to discover that their Indian statue Mr. Ram is actually a magic – and sentient – being, who promptly grants their wish.

One day their mutual carping reaches a climax during which they wish they could trade places; Tim wishes he could relax at home instead of working his stressful advertising job, and Sally wishes she could escape the tedium that is the life of a pampered society wife. They are surprised to discover that Mr. Ram the Indian idol is actually a magic, and sentient, Indian idol, who grants their wish.

* GenderBender: Unlike most examples of the FreakyFridayFlip, Tim and Sally swap bodies. This could lead to all kinds of weird fetish stuff but since this is a 1940 movie it results in gags like Tim in a nightie and Sally in Tim's baggy pajamas, as well as MarsAndVenusGenderContrast humor such as Sally's decidedly different approach to Tim's job.

* TheAlcoholic: Phil Manning (Creator/AdolpheMenjou) is routinely searched for alcohol flasks by his secretary in the morning, which is why he has the elevator attendant hide his flasks. The attendant also hides stashes of liquor for Phil in the trash can by the water fountain. Marion calls her husband "rum-soaked".

* VoicesAreMental: Tim and Sally's voices go with their minds, which produces an unsettling effect when each speaks with the other's voice. This was a feature of the original 1931 novel, and not an addition by Hal Roach.

The film was [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on]] Thorne Smith's 1931 novel ''Literature/{{Turnabout}}''. It was [[RecycledTheSeries later revived]] as an Creator/{{NBC}} sitcom in early 1979 starring Creator/JohnSchuck and Creator/SharonGless, but flopped and was canceled after [[ShortRunners seven episodes]].

''Turnabout'' is a 1940 comedy film directed by Hal Roach.

Creator/MaryAstor has an oddly small role, billed sixth as Marion Manning, wife of David's partner Phil Manning.

The film was based on Thorne Smith's 1931 novel ''Literature/{{Turnabout}}''. The film was [[RecycledTheSeries later revived]] as an Creator/{{NBC}} sitcom in early 1979 starring Creator/JohnSchuck and Creator/SharonGless, but flopped and was canceled after [[ShortRunners seven episodes]].

''Turnabout'' is a 1940 comedy directed by Creator/HalRoach.

The film was based on Thorne Smith's 1931 novel ''Literature/{{Turnabout}}''. The film was [[RecycledTheSeries later revived]] as an Creator/{{NBC}} sitcom in early 1979 starring John Schuck and a pre-''Series/CagneyAndLacey'' Sharon Gless, but flopped and was canceled after [[ShortRunners seven episodes]].

* VoicesAreMental: Tim and Sally's voices go with their minds, which produces an unsettling effect when each speaks with the other's voice.

The film was [[RecycledTheSeries later revived]] as an Creator/{{NBC}} sitcom in early 1979 starring John Schuck and a pre-''Series/CagneyAndLacey'' Sharon Gless, but flopped and was canceled after [[ShortRunners seven episodes]].

* SlowPacedBeginning: Compared to most later body and/or gender swap films the transformation happens very late in the story, just before the midpoint of the movie. The first thirty five minutes (out of a total runtime of eighty two minutes) are building up Tim and Sally's normal life and their bickering.

* SwappedRoles: Sally gets a new appreciation for how difficult Tim's job can be, while Tim freaks out when he discovers that Sally is pregnant.

* MrSeahorse: The film ends with a gag revealing that while Sally and Tim have both switched back into their real bodies, ''Tim is still pregnant''.

* TheAlcoholic: Phil Manning (Creator/AdolpheMenjou) is routinely searched for alcohol flasks by his secretary in the morning, which is why he has the elevator attendant hide his flasks. The attendant also hides stashes of liquor for Phil in the trash can by the water fountain. Marion calls her husband "rum-soaked".

* GenderBender: Unlike most examples of the FreakyFridayFlip, Tim and Sally swap bodies. This could lead to all kinds of weird fetish stuff but since this is a 1940 movie it results in gags like Tim in a nightie and Sally in Tim's baggy pajamas, as well as MarsAndVenusGenderContrast humor such as Sally's decidedly different approach to Tim's job.

* SleepingSingle: Tim and Sally sleep in separate beds.

Tim and Sally Willows (John Hubbard and Carole Landis) are a young married couple. They are stuck in endless, pointless bickering over trivial subjects like Tim's gigantic, overly friendly Great Dane dog Dopey, and their great big ugly Indian idol, Mr. Ram, who looms over their bedroom staring at them.

One day their mutual carping reaches a climax during which they wish they could trade places; Tim wishes he could relax at home instead of working his stressful advertising job, and Sally wishes she could escape the tedium that is the life of a pampered society wife. They are surprised to discover that Mr. Ram the Indian idol is actually a magic, and sentient, Indian idol, who grants their wish.

One FreakyFridayFlip later, Sally is in Tim's body, wrestling with problems at the advertising firm of Manning, Willows, and Clare. Tim is in Sally's body, causing upset with the domestic staff and getting into fights with her society friends, the wives of Manning and Clare.

* FreakyFridayFlip: Thirty-six years before the TropeCodifier movie [[Film/FreakyFriday1976 from 1976]] (the TropeMaker is an 1882 novel called ''Vice Versa''). Tim and Sally get switched into each other's bodies after an ill-considered wish. The voices going along with their souls, much to the consternation of their friends. This film is a relatively rare example of the trope in which the two people who switch are opposite genders.