Yours, Mine and Ours (1968)

As often happens, I heard of the remake first. The original is a bit more popular, so I gave it priority. Only later did I learn that it was based on a true story -- and paved the way for The Brady Bunch.

If you thought the Bradys had it tough, consider that widower Frank Beardsley (Henry Fonda) has ten children and widow Helen North (Lucille Ball) has eight. (Why am I not surprised that at least one goes to a Catholic school?) For most of the story, Frank's two youngest live with his nearby sister to make matters easier, but the separation produces tension with the rest of his kids. Frank and Helen happen to meet several times before dating, and despite hangups about an even bigger family, they go on to marry. In addition to the more predictable difficulties, many of the kids don't want a replacement for their dead biological parent. That won't be an issue for the little one on the way....

You may well wonder how they can afford to meet their needs. Well, Frank is a naval officer overseeing an important project, and Helen is a nurse. Military orderliness does come in handy for directing a large household. Incredibly, Helen encourages Frank to go back to sea for a while, not for money so much as fulfillment. I realize that some of the children are in their late teens, but they're only so responsible. The family's grocery carts are always overstuffed, primarily with cereal for some reason. (Sadly or funnily enough, their grocery bills would not look out of place for one or two people today.) And they move into a mansion not much better than in The Money Pit, tho at least priced more reasonably.

I'm not used to hearing Ball with such a low voice. Did it deepen with age? Had she pitched it upward for I Love Lucy? Or was she trying to ensure we wouldn't see here as Lucy Ricardo anymore? On that last score, it works. She doesn't come across as a schlemiel, even if her drunk scene reminds some viewers of the Vitameatavegamin episode.

In some ways, the movie feels old-fashioned even for 1968. But it's a little too risque, especially in dialog, for the Hays Code era. One of the older daughters, for instance, is under pressure from her boyfriend to do what "everybody" does. He could use more comeuppance than he gets.

Nearly all the kids act obnoxious much of the time, tho I've certainly seen worse in other comedies. At least their woes are understandable, and we don't hear of as many as you might expect from 111 minutes. Eventually, they turn around enough to make the situation heartwarming.

That's the main thing I think YMaO has going for it: sweetness, not humor. It's nice to know that such outnumbered parents can make it all work out. See this when you want reassurance after a hard day.