Life with Father 1947

     This film is based on the longest-running Broadway non-musical play.  It played for eight years with 3224 performances from 1939-47.  The setting is the late nineteenth century in New York.  Clarence Day is Father and he is also a Wall Street broker.  He likes his house to run as a business and he does a lot of complaining about how it is really run!!  His wife Vinnie Day does most of the household management, supervision of the household help and the five children.  Clarence likes his coffee very hot, his breakfasts right on time and he wants to know where his money goes.  Many complications arise when two of the boys sell a patent medicine, Vinnie spends too much, maids quit and the eldest boy is beginning to be interested in girls!!

     This movie is funny!!  Clarence wants everything his way but he is usually the one causing the upsets!!  When he goes to the office, the home runs smoothly and it is quiet again.  Clarence likes to challenge and argue about everything!!  The maids don’t want to stay because he yells at them over small errors!!  3 ½* (I liked this movie)     

118 min, Comedy directed by Michael Curtiz with William Powell, Irene Dunne, Elizabeth Taylor, Edmund Gwenn, Zasu Pitts, Jimmy Lydon, Emma Dunn, Moroni Olsen, Elisabeth Risdon, Derek Scott, Johnny Calkins, Martin Milner, Heather Wilde, Monte Blue, Mary Field.

Note:  Imdb 7.3 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 91% critic 75% audience, Amazon 4.2* out of 5* with 685 reviews, Letterboxd average rating 3.2* out of 5*, Three Movie Buffs average 3 ½* out of 4*. 

Special Note:  Filmed in Warner Brothers Burbank Studios, Burbank, California.  Before filming began, the Day family actors were taken to Perc Westmore’s salon on a Sunday morning to have their hair dyed red!!  Unfortunately, the water was shut off for the entire block because of street repairs.  The dye was very strong in this time period and the actors could not be left with dye on their scalps because they would lose their hair!!  It was suggested to dilute the dye with cold cream and the process was able to continue safely.