I’m writing this late which is par for the course…lol. Since this past Sunday was Father’s Day, I thought, why not carry this to films….
1. LIFE WITH FATHER-1947
William Powell plays the dad who believes he is the one in charge…hahahaaaa. Actually, it’s his wife, of course, played by the ever elegant Irene Dunne, who handles the house and all their kids 2 of which are played by Jeanne Crain and Elizabeth Taylor. When it is found out that dad was never baptized, you’d think Hell is knocking on their door. The wife is not happy and will do all she can to get her husband baptized so he can enter the gates of heaven. It’s actually based on a true story….just like my next film choice…
2. CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN-1950
I love Clifton Webb who plays the patriarch to 12 children and husband to Myrna Loy, while he tries to maintain order and control in a very hectic household. I love Steve Martin and he is funny but I love Clifton who always added an acerbic charm to his roles. This is based on another true story but the father died of a heart attack when only in his early 50s with his wife living another 40+ years. It’s in this film..oops, spoiler alert but knowing this doesn’t diminish the charm.
3. TAKE HER, SHE’S MINE-1963
This is a sweet picture with James Stewart as an over anxious father who has sent his daughter to Paris. Funnily, no matter where he goes, people think he looks like this tall, lanky actor where they can’t recall the ctor’s name. It’s a running gag that made me laugh along when he ends up on a Parisian tourist boat here he starts losing his clothes..I can’t remember why but it’s funny. This film was done when Stewart played a typical dad in a few 60s films and this is a fun movie even if it is not the best but nothing is truly bad when Jimmy is in it ( well, maybe the FBI story..ughh).
Which film makes you think about dad?
Hi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteHow's that rascal Harley today? Hope you are feeling well these days, dear friend.
I have seen the Life With father and Cheaper, but neither in recent decades. I noticed that Jeanne Crain had a role in both films. Another familiar face, Jimmy Lydon, appeared in that trailer for Life With Father. As a boy in the 1950s, I watched and enjoyed Jimmy in the title role of Henry Aldrich in his well known 1940s B movie series that aired on TV. I read the piece of trivia that Jimmy gave 15 year old Elizabeth Taylor her first screen kiss in Cynthia (1947), the only other picture the two appeared in together.
I don't know why I never got around to watching Take Her She's Mine. It looks like my kind of entertainment. As I have stated numerous times, I love Jimmy Stewart, and I noticed that Bob ("Maynard G. Krebs" "Gilligan") Denver is also in the comedy film.
I admired actor Clifton Webb. He was especially good in one of my favorite disaster films Titanic (1953), keeping a stiff upper lip as he went down with the ship as his wife, played by Barbara Stanwyck, watched in horror from a lifeboat.
For a daddy movie, I recommend The Glass Castle (2017). Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts are both brilliant in this true story about an alcoholic father, a mother who is more focused on her art paintings than on caring for her children and their resulting dysfunctional family.
I wish you and my buddy Harley a happy Thankful Thursday and a pleasant weekend, and invite you to swing by and see me at Shady's Place where I will unveil a new post on Saturday. Take care, dear friend BB!
Birgit here…finally. I’m glad you like seeing Harley and glad you saw the first 2 films but am surprised you have not seen the 3rd movie with James Stewart and Sandra Dee. It’s not bad and I really enjoyed it. Have a great month ahead!
DeleteI've seen all three but long ago and don't remember much, so thanks for the reviews. Those 60s movies of Jimmy's were all fun! ☺ Three movies about fathers that come to mind: The Godfather, On Golden Pond, Mrs. Doubtfire.
ReplyDeleteThese are all good choices even though I’m not sure I want Vito as a dad.
DeleteHi Birgit!
ReplyDeleteThree good choices!!
Life with Father is far from my favorite Bill Powell film but he nails the pompous, fastidious but somehow endearing blowhard father expertly making him much more tolerable than in the book.
I also love Clifton Webb! He was such an unlikely movie star. A perfect supporting actor but seemingly not someone who could carry a film alone on his name, but fortunately he landed at 20th Century Fox who knew how to cast him and assigned writers who understood his unique appeal and how to tailor scripts to suit him. I think the key was his fortuitously being assigned to "Sitting Pretty" where the part fit him like a glove and they were able to use that character as a blueprint for all his future roles. There are definitely elements of Lynn Belvedere in the father in "Cheaper by the Dozen" just refined into a (slightly) less acerbic but just as exacting personality. I like Steve Martin too but his remake of this did little (without Myrna Loy you're working at a terrible disadvantage).
From Jimmy Stewart's laconic Dad phase I prefer "Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation" and especially "Dear Brigitte" to "Take Her, She's Mine" but it is still a cute, affable movie with peak period Sandra Dee and a wonderful supporting cast, I ADORE John McGiver!
The first one that occurred to me is on the more serious side, "Kramer vs. Kramer". Dustin Hoffman does such a great job taking us on the journey Ted Kramer goes on from disengaged workaholic to deeply involved and caring father. Meryl of course is wonderful but I've always been curious what Kate Jackson could have done with Joanna if the network had granted her the time off from "Charlie's Angels" to take the role as was originally planned. She's a terrific actress so I think she would have been memorable as well.
Then slightly lighter but still with a melancholy tone-"Sleepless in Seattle". The main thrust is the unexpected connection that Annie feels for Sam though they've never met but Sam's relationship with Jonah is wonderful because it feels so real, loving but still thorny.
And finally going back to the comic side-the delightful "Mr. Mom" which despite at times feeling very 80's also has many timeless elements along with Michael Keaton's pitch perfect performance aided by Teri Garr.
I’m finally here…I love Clifton Webb and am so glad they knew how to use him. I think, nowadays, he would be thrust into being gay and lose his intelligent and dignified airs like in Titanic. I spoke about Hobbs more than once and it’s my favourite of his 3 but this is still fun. I too, love John McGiver.
DeleteI almost went with Kramer Vs Kramer which is a great movie about a dad. I would rather have seen Kate Jackson in the role because Streep really annoyed me in this movie. I still don’t get why she won the Oscar.
Sleepless in Seattle is a very good movie, romantic especially when you hear how Tom Hanks speaks about his wife. …sigh.
I need to rewatch Mr. Mom that made Michael Keaton a star. It is very funny.
Oh just one more thing I wanted to mention. You pointed out Jimmy's "The FBI Story" as a bad Stewart picture, I didn't love it but I found it more deadly dull than bad. If you want to see a real stinker you have to go back to right when he was starting out at MGM and they hadn't figured out his appeal yet. They cast him as a Parisian sewer worker named Chico (!!!!) in an ill-advised remake of the classic "Seventh Heaven" as a vehicle for Simone Simon (who was at least actually French). The picture overall is a miss but poor All-American hopelessly miscast Jimmy sticks out like a sore thumb over and above everything else wrong with the film.
ReplyDeleteAhh yes…when I read he was playing Chico, I started to laugh. It’s a movie I do want to see but I still roll my eyes at the FBi Story…lol
DeleteCheaper by the Dozen was a family favourite.
ReplyDeleteIt is good..I enjoyed it.
DeleteI've only seen Cheaper by the Dozen.
ReplyDeleteProbably the remake which is ok but I prefer the original.
Delete"Cheaper By The Dozen" is about Frank Gilbreath, who pretty much invented motion and time study and is one of the key figures in Industrial Engineering along with his wife. I took a course in time study for my degree in Operations Management. Sounds boring, and it is...
ReplyDeleteYes, it is based on a true story and yes, it does sound rather boring…lol
DeleteI don't think I've seen the third film, but I have seen the other two (and the Cheaper by the Dozen sequel). No films immediately come to mind for the topic, though. When I think of my dad, I definitely think of some films, but mostly those are movies I saw with him.
ReplyDeleteI can think of many films I watched with my dad and have fond memories.
DeleteI haven't seen any of these- but I did read Cheaper by the Dozen. :)
ReplyDeleteI bets the book was good and probably better than the movie. They almost always are.
DeleteBIRGIT ~
ReplyDeleteAs much as I love William Powell, I was unable to get into 'Life With Father'. I felt it was too yakky.
Although the movie is not primarily concerned with the father, I'll always think of 'Heaven Can Wait' (1943) when the subject of movie fathers comes up. There were several funny scenes with Louis Calhern playing the patriarch, Randolph Van Cleve. And that's always been amongst my very favorite old films!
~ D-FensDogG
It is yakking but I liked that part of it. You make a good point regarding Heaven Can Wait because father figures are often better than many fathers.
DeleteI didn't see this version of Cheaper, but thoroughly enjoyed the Henry Fonda version. Hope today is a pain free day.
ReplyDeleteSandra sandracox.blogspot.com
Yes, is that the one with Lucille Ball? It is good. Pin is not great but par for the course:)
DeleteAtticus Finch is my favorite father character in either film or literature so To Kill a Mockingbird would have to go on the list for me.
ReplyDeleteI also have a soft spot for a particular scene in The Sound of Music, the one where the Captain discovers his children singing to the Baroness. Paternal pride has never been more beautifully captured. It's the turning point of the story to boot.