Life with Father (1947)

Memorable, crazy movie

A different way of telling a story

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Life with Father (1947) *** 1/2 (out of 4) William Powell plays the father, a rather tough man who believes his own reasons on anything are the last answer. This type of attitude pays a tow on his wife (Irene Dunne) as well as his five children but things take a dramatic turn when the wife finds out that he's never been baptized. I'll say right off the bad that this here is a very good movie but I wouldn't come anywhere close to calling it a masterpiece or one of the best of the decade, which seems to be something that a lot say about it. Again, this isn't a bad movie by any stretch of the imagination but I just don't feel it lived up to its reputation. With that said, there's still a lot to enjoy here and I'm somewhat shocked that the film works as well as it did considering there's really not too much to its plot. We basically have a rather stern father making life somewhat tough on everyone around him but slowly by slowly the wife begins to get her way on several things including charge accounts. It's rather funny to think that a film's main selling point is a man needed to get baptized so that he doesn't burn in hell. In fact, there's a rather funny scene where one of the brothers is torturing the other one by saying daddy is going to burn. The performances are certainly what makes the film with Powell turning in one of the greatest pieces of work in his career. I really thought he did a fantastic job becoming this character and not once did you see Powell playing him but instead you feel as if you're watching a real person. Dunne is just as effective, although in a different way as the wife who is made to suffer. The supporting cast includes a lovely Elizabeth Taylor as well as Zasu Pitts in a funny role. For a "comedy" this film really doesn't have many laugh out loud moments but it's more of a laid back comedy that has a few natural laughs here and there. Director Michael Curtiz does a very good job with his work and again, I'm really surprised that the film worked as well as it did considering its slow pacing and slim story. LIFE WITH FATHER isn't a masterpiece but the performance by Powell alone makes it a must see.

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

I am still looking for a decent (DVD) copy of this film. Beware of Madacy copies, as the sound quality is especially terrible. A company called "Digicom" has recently released a "remastered" version which reportedly is better. Even if WB ever released this film, don't expect perfection. It's a 68 year-old movie. It's William Powell's finest performance and also one of Irene Dunne's best as well. When I first saw this film on T.V. it had been edited for "time." Some of the religious content had been cut. (The "church service" scene is overly long but it's appropriate for the story.) I do not agree with the critical comment that the scenes with Elizabeth Taylor slow down the movie's action. She is quite young (only 15), sweet and adorable in this film. Also missing, on my (poor quality) DVD, is a "silent" line of dialog (spoken by Clarence Jr.) about wearing his dad's suit which "having a mind of its own" would not allow a girl to sit on his lap. Also, the words "Damn It" are missing in some copies! It's in the TCM version and I can't see how this could be offensive to anyone. As suggested by other viewers, until a better DVD is released, this film is best enjoyed on TCM, which runs a 3-strip Technicolor copy made from the 1947 Library of Congress archives. Why can't Warner Bros. print this version, have been broadcast on TCM, shown on Father's Day? Even a DVD-R by WB would be fine, if they mistakenly think there is not enough demand. I would love Blu-Ray!

In his third and final Oscar nomination, William Powell was nominated for playing the bellowing and lovable 19th century domestic tyrant Clarence Day, Sr. in Life With Father. If he had to lose I'm sure Powell was glad it was to his very good friend in real life Ronald Colman for A Double Life. Still with that strange flaming red hair on top of his familiar features, Powell imprints his own personality on the leading role of the longest running play on Broadway up to that time.Based on the recollections of Clarence Day, Jr. as played by Jimmy Lydon here, Life With Father ran for eight years on Broadway for 3447 performances. It was brought to the stage by Howard Lindsay and his two partners, writing partner Russell Crouse who adapted Day's work to the stage and life partner Dorothy Stickney who with her husband got their career roles on Broadway. The play ran from 1939 through 1947 taking America right through World War II. The time that it was written and presented to the public may account for its popularity as the public might just have wanted reassurance of American values at that critical point.As Lindsay and Stickney had no kind of movie box office, Warner Brothers decided to acquire William Powell for the lead and cast Irene Dunne as the wise mother who has learned just the right way to handle her husband and inevitably get what she wants. Powell is a man who thinks when all else has failed, he can bellow his way through any situation. My favorite line in the play is when he tries to hire a maid and that title quote is when he's asked for references.Warner paid a lot in loan outs for this film. Irene Dunne was not a contract employee of his studio and Elizabeth Taylor was also borrowed from MGM for the small, decorative part of a cousin that gets Jimmy Lydon and Martin Milner's hormones in an uproar. The part that Taylor plays was originated on Broadway by another future film star, Teresa Wright.Incidentally Martin Milner reminisced many years later about the film and said of all the boys and of course Powell, he was the only natural redhead among the lot.Edmund Gwenn fresh from an Oscar himself for Miracle on 34th Street plays the Episcopalian minister who is trying to get a large contribution from Powell for a new church. Their discussion is also a highlight of the play and the fact that Powell had never been baptized is also a subject of a lot of humor.Father still had life well into the Fifties with a television series adapted from the play that starred Leon Ames as dear old dad.The play, the film still have a lot of character in it.