Life with Father (1947)

I suppose "Life with Father" had two things going for it in 1947: it probably appealed to a war-weary public who responded to a film set in a simpler and saner time, and its gender dynamics might have resonated with a generation of husbands and wives having to deal with men reasserting themselves after relinquishing their duties to women for a period of time. But from the perspective of 2016, this film -- and it pains me to say this given my admiration for William Powell and Irene Dunne -- has virtually nothing to recommend it."Life with Father" is one of the dullest films I've ever seen. It's a one-joke, one-note premise extended over nearly two hours: father is stubborn and clueless, mother pretends to let father have his way while all the time running the house. Over and over and over. Each scene feels interminable. I swear there's a fifteen-minute conversation about buying a new coffee maker. And the mystery is that Powell and Dunne, two of the best comedians of their time, make none of this funny. It is inexplicable to me, on the basis of this film adaptation, that this thing ran on Broadway for so many years.I don't think it's just a matter of this film being made in a different time. I think it's just not good. "Meet Me in St. Louis," which came out three years earlier, is very similar in many ways, a colorful film that evokes an earlier, happier time. It even has a gruff father who everyone tiptoes around in order to get what they want. But that film is tremendously entertaining and heartfelt, whereas "Life with Father" feels like a desultory slog.Powell undeservedly received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, while the film also garnered nominations for its color art direction and cinematography and its Max Steiner score. It won no awards, and didn't deserve to.Grade: D

The Day residence on Madison Avenue in the 1880s was dominated by the larger than life figure of Clarence Day, a man with strong opinions, likes and dislikes. However, it was Vinnie, his intelligent wife, the one that kept everything under control. One of the problems the family faced was the constant turnover of maids, mostly Irish girls, that kept arriving and departing at a rapid speed for Mr. Day to remember their names.The visit of Vinnie's cousin Cora, and her young companion, Mary Skinner, on their way to see relatives in Ohio, marks an important milestone in the Day household. It is Mary Skinner, the beautiful girl, that gets a confession from the senior Clarence to admit he was never baptized, something that creates a stir in Vinnie's mind. She goes on a crusade to bring her husband to be finally christened."Life with Father" was a theatrical hit written by Lindsay Crouse and Howard Lindsay, when it ran on Broadway. The screen adaptation was by Donald Ogden Stewart, a fine writer himself, who transferred the play into an enjoyable film. Thanks to the keen eye of Michael Curtiz, a genial director, the life of the Day family was captured forever for audiences that will delight when watching this glimpse of New York life in those days.William Powell made a perfect Clarence Day. His take on this pompous and prissy man were what the character needed. Mr. Powell was one of the best comedy actors of his generation as he proves it in this movie. Irene Dunn's Vinnie was a perfect approach to a no nonsense woman who had to run a large household and deal with the somewhat demanding husband she was married to. Vinnie had her own ways to soften her husband using her extreme common sense.The supporting cast was excellent. The radiantly beautiful Elizabeth Taylor appears as Mary Skinner, the visitor that falls for the oldest son, Clarence Jr., and manages to set things in motion. Zazu Pitts is seen as cousin Cora. Edmund Gwenn is the family's Episcopalian minister. Jimmy Lidon played Clarence Jr. A delightful comedy that still pleases audiences looking for a wholesome time with a movie.

In 1883 New York, bombastic Madison Avenue patriarch William Powell (as Clarence "Clare" Day) scares off a succession of servants chosen by his sweet-natured wife, Irene Dunne (as Vinnie). Mr. Powell directs Ms. Dunne to run the house like a business, but his bark is worse than his bite. The couple is raising four red-haired sons - violinist Jimmy Lydon (as Clarence Jr.) is getting ready for Yale, girl-conscious Martin Milner (as John) dabbles with electricity, baseball fan Johnny Calkins (as Whitney) is practicing for his confirmation, and youngest Derek Scott (as Harlan) is confused about his dog's gender.Dunne gets the home ready for a visit from favorite cousin Zasu Pitts (as Cora Cartwright) and her beautiful teenage ward, Elizabeth Taylor (as Mary Skinner). Ms. Taylor becomes a romantic interest for Mr. Lydon, who wasn't sure he liked girls before her arrival. But, the cute young couple may be compromised by religion - Lydon is Episcopalian while Taylor is Methodist.Additionally, Powell, who dislikes house-guests, reveals a family secret - he was never baptized. Dunne wants the situation remedied, fearing God may deny her husband entry to Heaven. But, Powell believes God would make an exception in his case.The above cast, including Edmund Gwenn (as Reverend Lloyd), play their Christian manners and customs beautifully, under expert direction from Michael Curtiz. Powell was "Oscar" nominated for "Best Actor" of the year and won the "New York Film Critics" award (with his then current "The Senator Was Indiscreet" mentioned as a secondary concern). In the "Film Daily" poll, Mr. Curtiz' direction was the year's sixth best. Producer Robert Buckner, Dunne, Lyndon, debuting Milner, musician Max Steiner, and the set decoration are also award-worthy. Writer Donald Ogden Stewart adapted the long-running stage play well."Life with Father" was once more highly regarded, and may yet come back into favor. Its datedness, often stated as a deterrent, is entirely appropriate. And, it does seem to go on just a little too long, but it's still a classic period piece.Unfortunately, (Powell as) Day's famous line, "I'm going to be baptized, damn it!" was bastardized to simply "I'm going to be baptized." With modern technology being what it is, the stinging "…damn it!" should be digitally reinstated.********* Life with Father (8/14/47) Michael Curtiz ~ William Powell, Irene Dunne, Jimmy Lydon, Elizabeth Taylor

Life with Father (1947)A strained, loud, stiff, but rich, snappy affair...an acquired taste!I think this movie might be very funny to some people, but at first I could barely watch it. It has one of my favorite comic actors of the 1930s, William Powell, but makes him so pompous and loud and ill at ease, he has lost all of his wry charm and genuine humor. Not that he jokes or even tries to be comic here, but his role (as the "father" in question) is offputting.The sons are frankly bad actors in bad roles, too, cardboard, smiling clichés. The visiting girlfriend is none other than a young and fresh Liz Taylor (she's fifteen here), and she brings life to some scenes just as often as she overacts others. The upper crust New York household with its rules and with its whole family about to burst from all the restrictions (poverty not one of them, for sure) is not really funny. The filming is static, the camera stable, the light garish, and the color (Technicolor) egregious (everyone has red hair, it seems). Even after an hour I was still wondering what exactly the whole point of it was. Can we really just be waiting for the girl to hook up with one of the sons, as the father rants in strident tones about the price of a coffee pot?No, we can't. What makes the movie work is the building of familiarity with the characters, so their humor, their occasional warmth, and the real, unfunny events later on have their effect.The lead character's wife, played by Irene Dunne, is a relief, though she can't save every scene any more than Taylor can. Director Michael Curtiz is known for making scores of reasonable but not especially memorable movies, but hey, he made one of the best, Casablanca, and one of my favorites, Mildred Pierce. This is more typical, sadly. The story is based on the true childhood memories of the American writer Clarence Day (of no fame other than this material, which was a huge Broadway hit before the movie was made). So I go back to where I started--this really might be funny if you have a different take on it all, or you don't find Powell grating in his role. It clips along with lots of yelling, so maybe if you like Carol Burnett you'll be okay. Ha. Seriously, relax and accept the characters for something very different than we expect 130 years later, and everyone will grow on you.