The Happiest Millionaire (1967)

Walt Disney's The Happiest Millionaire, like other road show musicals of the time, is a victim of the tumultuous 1960's. What separates The Happiest Millionaire from the others is that Millionaire is an excellent piece of musical entertainment that holds up today. It's a shame. Had this film come out 5, 10 years earlier it would surly be regarded with the likes of Meet Me in St Louie, and Singing in the Rain. This film is a nostalgic gem. The visuals are stunning, the acting is pure musical theater and the songs memorable and snappy. Speaking of the songs. This is sadly also one of the most underrated and overlooked score of all time. The songs are perfectly placed (well it is a Disney film!) beautifully written and executed. This was the Sherman Brothers in their prime. Fortuosity will come to those who stumble upon this musical classic. A film sadly in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Live Disney musicals that were made after Mary Poppins had an almost impossible standard to meet. Even with a lot of the same talent that brought us Mary Poppins, The Happiest Millionaire falls well short of the accolades that Mary Poppins won.Not that it's a bad film by any means, just not an outstanding one. Uncle Walt once again made use of the Sherman Brothers to write the score. Their best number is right at the beginning of the film and sung by Tommy Steele, Fortuosity.The film is based originally on a book of memoirs that Cordelia Biddle Duke wrote about growing up in Philadelphia with her eccentric father. The book was co-authored with Kyle Crichton who also authored a Broadway play The Happiest Millionaire which ran a respectable 271 performances in 1956-57 and starred Walter Pidgeon.Taking Pidgeon's place for the screen is Disney's favorite star Fred MacMurray. The story takes place 1916-17 in Philadelphia where we meet Anthony Drexel Biddle a man who keeps pet alligators he captured in the Everglades and believes that Christianity should walk hand in hand with pugilism. He gives both Bible and boxing classes in the stately Biddle manor.Although she did television through the next decade occasionally The Happiest Millionaire marked the farewell big screen appearance of Greer Garson. Greer's fine in the part as the ever patient wife, but I see traces of that other perfect wife of the big screen, Myrna Loy in the part.Although daughter Cordelia wrote the book, the film is really seen through the eyes of the newly hired butler, who himself is newly arrived from Ireland. My favorite in this film is Tommy Steele as John Lawless the butler who just fits right into the general zaniness of things. And Steele has the best song.Lesley Ann Warren and John Davidson make an appealing pair of young lovers as Davidson is quite intimidated by the eccentric MacMurray. Others in the cast are Geraldine Page as Davidson's grand dame of a mother, Gladys Cooper as an even grander dame as MacMurray's aunt and Hermione Baddely as a maid who lets nothing faze her.The Happiest Millionaire is not Mary Poppins, but it's still contains it share of magic from the Magic Kingdom.

This movie has been in my top ten of all time since I was a little girl. The music and the storyline are engaging, romantic, and family friendly. It is one that the whole family can enjoy together. It will make you and yours fall in love with musicals, theater, and the like again and again. For young girls, it is one of those movies that whisks you into an enchanted dream of the romance that awaits and the exciting possibilities of things to come. All the actors are amazing, but Lesley Ann Warren is astounding. Anyone who remembers the long and sadly forgotten age of musicals should gladly add this movie to their DVD collection as it is a classic.

I just bought the DVD roadshow version of this film, as I had seen it as a teenager and thoroughly enjoyed it....this is the complete 3 hour version with prologue, intermission, and exit music; although it has been panned through the years, I have always thought highly of it...it is based on the memoirs of Cordie Biddle, who is the daughter of Anthony Biddle the highly conservative and inventive head of the Biddle household..there are some wonderful actors including Fred MacMurray as the patriarch, Greer Garson as his wife, Gladys Cooper (in I believe one of her last roles) as Cordie's grandmother, and of course Leslie Ann Warren, and John Davidson as the younger romantic interest....If there is a complaint, I would have to say there is too much time spent on the romance of the two younger players, and whatever happened to Paul Petersen, and Eddie Hodges, who are only in ONE scene as the brothers of Cordie....their scenes must have been left on the cutting room floor if they indeed had anymore!!! This is an early 20th century piece, with wonderful costumes, decor, and settings of the period, and lilting music for the most part...and as others have said Tommy Steele as the butler STEALS the show with his singing, dancing, and commentary on the goings on throughout the story. I have on order the movie "Half a Sixpence" which Tommy originated on the stage in London; am looking forward to this film also...I think we all miss the family oriented musicals, and movies of this time period; they are so easy to view and so enjoyable...One final comment; what a wonderful way to end the movie with Fred MacMurray and Greer Garson doing a duet on "Let them Go" a poignant ballad on their feelings of dealing with the empty nest syndrome...this was added for the roadshow version I believe, I don't recall it in the original version....Does anyone know whether Greer Garson's voice was used in this; I wasn't sure if she was a singer or not....at any rate I would recommend this film to any one...