Life with Father (1947)

Nearly a year after my first Michael Curtiz comedy, I've tried a second. I'm afraid the restoration, at least on the DVD sent by Netflix, leaves something to be desired, less for the faded Technicolor than for the audio feedback that makes some dialog hard to understand. This probably has something to do with the movie passing into the public domain in 1975.

Based on a play based on a book based on the life of Clarence Day, Jr., this adaptation focuses more on his stockbroking father (William Powell) and his mother (Irene Dunne), somewhat peculiarly calling each other "Clare" and "Vinnie" respectively. The plot meanders, thanks partly to four sons having their own concerns, but an overarching theme is that Clare was never baptized and keeps rebuffing Vinnie's requests for him to rectify that. More broadly, he wants to run the household like he does the office, with little success. He's not the only stubborn family member.

While I don't share Vinnie's strict Episcopalian convictions, I do think Clare really needs to sort out his priorities. Even if he's right that the rite won't make the difference in what happens to him after death, he should recognize how much it means to the woman he loves. Seems his only reason for refusal is embarrassment to have it done so late in life. Weigh that brief awkwardness against either spousal nagging for the rest of your life or calling the whole thing off -- in a bad era for divorce.

Which era, you ask? Well, an opening shot establishes the setting as New York City in 1883, but IMDb notes a lot of anachronisms from the 1890s. Guess the real Clarence Jr. wasn't consulted on the minor details.

Clare is definitely the standout character, mostly for comically negative traits. His temper, fueled in part by political news, leads to frequent outbursts of "D'oh GAAAD" (censored from the play) and rapid maid turnover. He's ill attuned to the feelings of others. He has a poor understanding of women and perhaps an even worse one of his own professed church. Despite apparent plentiful funds, he's quite stingy and expects faithful documentation of every expenditure. He has little respect for authorities other than himself. He keeps accidentally reading his namesake son's mail.

This is not to say that Clare's the only wrong one, nor that the rest of the cast doesn't deliver. On several occasions, Vinnie either fails at logic or deliberately twists it to fluster her husband -- probably the former, judging from Dunne's annoyance at the role. Clarence Jr. (Jimmy Lydon) finds a ridiculous psychological block when he wears a hand-me-down suit, unable to do anything he considers out of character for his dad. This gets in the way of his relationship with Mary (Elizabeth Taylor), whom I regard as emotionally fragile. He and 13-year-old bro John (Martin Milner) get mixed up in a pre-FDA medical scam.

At 118 minutes, LwF feels a little long for what it is, with a good deal of repetition. I value it less as a comedy than as a period piece and character study. If nothing else, I should have an easier time remembering William Powell from now on.