NipkowDisc Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Father's Day and tcm once again favors us with this delightful film. That immortal struggle of Vinnie to get Clare baptized...."Oh, GAD!!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Father's Day and tcm once again favors us with this delightful film. That immortal struggle of Vinnie to get Clare baptized...."Oh, GAD!!!" Powell's best, although I don't understand the big deal about getting Baptized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Powell's best, although I don't understand the big deal about getting Baptized. I take it your Bar Mitzvah didn't turn out like you had hoped, eh finance?!!! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laffite Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Powell's best, although I don't understand the big deal about getting Baptized. Well, no, we probably wouldn't, most of us that is, living as we do in our current age...but of course being movie mavens, most of us at least to some degree, understand that many of these old movies take place during eras where things were much different and that the present example was set in a time when such things as baptism might be very important indeed to traditional families. I am not religious but I, for one, got a kick out of the baptisim thing (knowing full well that, say, to brag about being baptised in our current era might well get me laughed at). I am certainly no fan of Family Films, per se, but I really liked this one when I first saw it about six months ago. William Powell has some disturbing qualities but framed as they were in this ultimately feel-good comedy succeeded in making him come across (I hope) as a likeable (if not lovable) rascal. A young Miss Elizabeth Taylor was sensational IMO. I didn't even know she was in this movie so imagine my surprise in seeing her. That first maid was a riot. When she had had enough and was running down the street in absolute terror of Father, I groaned and yelled at the TV, "Come back, come back." This was right near the beginning of the film and I enjoyed her character so much I could hardly bear the thought that she was out of the story. But there was much more to come. My recollections of this movie are no longer immediately fresh in mind but I do remember being thoroughly entertained all the way through. A real nice surprise coming from a genre that I don't usually don't take to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drednm Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 After a phenomenal run on Broadway and the film was finally to be made, William Powell lad locked up the role of Father. Dorothy Stickney had originated the mother's role on stage and wouldn't get hired for the film. There was a flurry of interest from a lot of top stars. Even Mary Pickford considered coming out of her 15-year retirement, but the producers went with the populat Irene Dunne. Pickford might have been terrific, but Dunne is just about perfect. Great film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Well, no, we probably wouldn't, most of us that is, living as we do in our current age...but of course being movie mavens, most of us at least to some degree, understand that many of these old movies take place during eras where things were much different and that the present example was set in a time when such things as baptism might be very important indeed to traditional families. I am not religious but I, for one, got a kick out of the baptisim thing (knowing full well that, say, to brag about being baptised in our current era might well get me laughed at). I am certainly no fan of Family Films, per se, but I really liked this one when I first saw it about six months ago. William Powell has some disturbing qualities but framed as they were in this ultimately feel-good comedy succeeded in making him come across (I hope) as a likeable (if not lovable) rascal. A young Miss Elizabeth Taylor was sensational IMO. I didn't even know she was in this movie so imagine my surprise in seeing her. That first maid was a riot. When she had had enough and was running down the street in absolute terror of Father, I groaned and yelled at the TV, "Come back, come back." This was right near the beginning of the film and I enjoyed her character so much I could hardly bear the thought that she was out of the story. But there was much more to come. My recollections of this movie are no longer immediately fresh in mind but I do remember being thoroughly entertained all the way through. A real nice surprise coming from a genre that I don't usually don't take to. ..and what genre would that be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yogiboo Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 This movie always serves as a reminder to me of just how long Martin Milner's acting career was. Back when I watched Adam 12 I had no idea he was a movie actor. I also wish that TCM had shown Cheaper By the Dozen on Father's Day. Would have been nice seeing it back to back with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 ..and what genre would that be? The post says family film so I assume that is the genre they are refering to. To me that is a sub-genre but trying to define the genre categories is folly. Doris Day made a career out of this genre during the late 50s and 60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 My favorite scenes in this movie have always ben when Dunne tries to explain how SHE figues she got the pug dog for free. The look on Powell's face is priceless. Sepiatone 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 The post says family film so I assume that is the genre they are refering to. To me that is a sub-genre but trying to define the genre categories is folly. Doris Day made a career out of this genre during the late 50s and 60s. LOVER COME BACK was a family film? I wouldn't have taken the kids to see that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 LOVER COME BACK was a family film? I wouldn't have taken the kids to see that. LOL. Today maybe...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Yeah, well, I DIDN'T know that finance even HAD kids! I just thought he tried to DATE 'em!!! (..."kids" of course as in "25 year old young ladies" that he meets in that gym of his!) LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 LOVER COME BACK was a family film? I wouldn't have taken the kids to see that. The movie being discussed was Life with Father. My comment about Day didn't say that she ONLY made family type films during the late 50s and early 60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swithin Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 For me, the genre of Life with Father is the "New York City at the turn of the 20th century" genre, which I like very much. My family has lived in NYC since the late 19th century, and I like to think of them hobnobbing with the Day family; but of course they weren't -- they were more likely busy with Mae West and her friends in Every Day's a Holiday and other Mae West films of the period, which are set in New York. But it's all part of depictions of our NYC history, when the theme song was the romantic "Sidewalks of New York" instead of the crass "New York New York." (I mean the Kander/Ebb "Start spreading the news..." song, not the Bernstein/Comden/Green song, which I like). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Yeah, well, I DIDN'T know that finance even HAD kids! I just thought he tried to DATE 'em!!! (..."kids" of course as in "25 year old young ladies" that he meets in that gym of his!) LOL I should have said-----I wouldn't take the theoretical kids to see that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I should have said-----I wouldn't take the theoretical kids to see that. I know, ol' buddy. I was just kiddin' ya about your occasional talk of dating much younger women, that's all. (...you know me...can't let a set-up like THAT go by without SOME remark, RIGHT?!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NipkowDisc Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 Here's a good 'un for ya all. How many times in Life With Father does Vinnie say "What's the matter, Clare? What's wrong?" Usually it is preceeded by "Oh, Gad!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 You know the exact number? How many times have you watched this film??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NipkowDisc Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 You know the exact number? How many times have you watched this film??? No, I don't know the exact number...but it was a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 No, I don't know the exact number...but it was a lot. LOL. I was starting to worry about you....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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