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'''''Life with Father''''' is a 1947 [[Technicolor]] American comedy film.<ref>''[[Variety Film Reviews|Variety]]'' film review; August 20, 1947, page 16.</ref><ref>''[[Harrison's Reports and Film Reviews|Harrison's Reports]]'' film review; August 16, 1947, page 131.</ref> It tells the true story of Clarence Day, a [[stockbroker]] who wants to be master of his house, but finds his wife and his children ignoring him, until they start making demands for him to change his own life. The story draws largely on the insistence by his family that Clarence be baptized to avoid going to Hell and Clarence's stubborn, sometimes ill-tempered nature. In keeping with the [[Life with Father|autobiography]], all the children in the family (all boys) are [[Red hair|redheads]]. It stars [[William Powell]] and [[Irene Dunne]] as Clarence and his wife, supported by [[Elizabeth Taylor]] as a beautiful teenage girl with whom Clarence's oldest son becomes infatuated, along with [[Edmund Gwenn]], [[ZaSu Pitts]], [[Jimmy Lydon]] and [[Martin Milner]].<ref>[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=24789 Turner Classic Movie synopsis and production information]</ref> The film and its audio entered the public domain in 1975.<ref>New York Times, Life With Father</ref>
'''''Life with Father''''' is a 1947 [[Technicolor]] American comedy film.<ref>''[[Variety Film Reviews|Variety]]'' film review; August 20, 1947, page 16.</ref><ref>''[[Harrison's Reports and Film Reviews|Harrison's Reports]]'' film review; August 16, 1947, page 131.</ref> It tells the true story of Clarence Day, a [[stockbroker]] who wants to be master of his house, but finds his wife and his children ignoring him, until they start making demands for him to change his own life. The story draws largely on the insistence by his wife that Clarence be baptized and Clarence's stubborn, sometimes ill-tempered nature. In keeping with the [[Life with Father|autobiography]], all the children in the family (all boys) are [[Red hair|redheads]]. It stars [[William Powell]] and [[Irene Dunne]] as Clarence and his wife, supported by [[Elizabeth Taylor]] as a beautiful teenage girl with whom Clarence's oldest son becomes infatuated, along with [[Edmund Gwenn]], [[ZaSu Pitts]], [[Jimmy Lydon]] and [[Martin Milner]].<ref>[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=24789 Turner Classic Movie synopsis and production information]</ref> The film and its audio entered the public domain in 1975.<ref>New York Times, Life With Father</ref>


==Plot summary==
==Plot summary==

Revision as of 10:59, 25 November 2016

Life with Father
Theatrical Film Poster
Directed byMichael Curtiz
Screenplay byDonald Ogden Stewart
Produced byRobert Buckner
StarringWilliam Powell
Irene Dunne
CinematographyWilliam V. Skall
J. Peverell Marley
Edited byGeorge Amy
Music byMax Steiner
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • August 14, 1947 (1947-08-14) (U.S.)
Running time
118 min.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4.7 million[1]
Box office$6.455 million[1]

Life with Father is a 1947 Technicolor American comedy film.[2][3] It tells the true story of Clarence Day, a stockbroker who wants to be master of his house, but finds his wife and his children ignoring him, until they start making demands for him to change his own life. The story draws largely on the insistence by his wife that Clarence be baptized and Clarence's stubborn, sometimes ill-tempered nature. In keeping with the autobiography, all the children in the family (all boys) are redheads. It stars William Powell and Irene Dunne as Clarence and his wife, supported by Elizabeth Taylor as a beautiful teenage girl with whom Clarence's oldest son becomes infatuated, along with Edmund Gwenn, ZaSu Pitts, Jimmy Lydon and Martin Milner.[4] The film and its audio entered the public domain in 1975.[5]

Plot summary

Irene Dunne and William Powell in Life with Father

Stockbroker Clarence Day (William Powell), is a benevolent despot of his 1890s New York City household, striving to make it function as efficiently as his Wall Street office but usually failing. His wife Vinnie (Irene Dunne) is the real head of the household. The anecdotal story encompasses such details as Clarence's attempts to find a new maid; a romance between his oldest son Clarence Jr. (Jimmy Lydon) and pretty out-of-towner Mary Skinner (Elizabeth Taylor); a plan by Clarence Jr. and his younger brother John (Martin Milner) to make easy money selling patent medicines; Clarence's general contempt for the era's political corruption and the trappings of organized religion; and Vinnie's push to get him baptized so he can enter the kingdom of God.[6]

Cast

Production

Due to the Motion Picture Production Code standards of the day, the play's last line (in response to a policeman asking Mr. Day where he is going), "I'm going to be baptized, dammit!" had to be rewritten for the film.

The movie was adapted by Donald Ogden Stewart from the play by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, which was based on the book by Clarence Day, Jr. It was directed by Michael Curtiz.

Memorable quotations

  • Employment agent: "Sir, before I can let any girl go from this establishment, I must know the character of the home in which she will be employed." Mr. Day: "Madam, I am the character of my home!"
  • Clarence Day, Jr: "...outside green is the best color." Mary Skinner: "That's right. I never thought of it that way. But when you do think of it - it's quite a thought."
  • Upon leaving Clarence Day, Jr. and Mary Skinner alone in the parlor, Mrs. Day turns and says: "Remember, it's Sunday."
  • Mary Skinner announces through tears after sitting on Clarence Day, Jr's lap - (he tells her to "Get up! Get up!"): "Now you just think I am some bold and forward girl."
  • Mr. Day states "I am not a guide to Chinatown and The Bowery."

Awards

It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (William Powell), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color (Robert M. Haas, George Hopkins), Best Cinematography, Color and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture.[7]

Reception

The film earned $5.9 million in rentals in North America.[8][9]

Through a clerical error, the film was not renewed for copyright and has fallen into the public domain. There is a digitally remastered version in the Archive Movie Collection through Digicom.tv with a copyright date of 2009.

References

  1. ^ a b H. Mark Glancy, “MGM Film Grosses, 1924-1948: The Eddie Mannix Ledger,” Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television , 12, no. 2 (1992), pp. 127-43
  2. ^ Variety film review; August 20, 1947, page 16.
  3. ^ Harrison's Reports film review; August 16, 1947, page 131.
  4. ^ Turner Classic Movie synopsis and production information
  5. ^ New York Times, Life With Father
  6. ^ http://www.allmovie.com/movie/life-with-father-v29266
  7. ^ "Life with Father". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  8. ^ "All Time Domestic Champs", Variety, 6 January 1960 p 34
  9. ^ "Top Grossers of 1947", Variety, 7 January 1948 p 63
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