Overview
Pardon My English is a farce satirizing the Prohibition era, set in prewar Dresden. To promote consumption of beer and wine, the German government bans the sale of all non-alcoholic beverages. In protest, the thuggish Golo Schmidt opens a speakeasy serving forbidden drinks like cream soda and ginger ale. The Police Commissioner is determined to shut down the illegal operation. After Golo is knocked unconscious in a car accident, he awakens to believe he is Michael Bramleigh, a wealthy Englishman — Golo's polar opposite. As he is recognized by friends variously as himself or his English alter ego, comedic misadventures follow. The tuneful score by George and Ira Gershwin includes "Isn't It A Pity?," "Luckiest Man in the World," and the title song.