The words "trifling comedy" seem somewhat cliché and unhelpful, but having watched "The More The Merrier," they also seem to fit this movie to a "t." In the historical context in which this movie was made (at the height of the Second World War) I'm sure this represented a welcome diversion from the standard war movie or patriotic binge that would have been most common. And yet, despite the high regard in which it's held, it really didn't do a lot for me. I watched it right through, and didn't find it difficult to watch at all. I also didn't find anything here that would make me want to watch it again, though.
This movie is cute rather than funny, and sweetly innocent. One shudders to think what Hollywood would do today with this story of two men sharing an apartment with a young woman during a housing shortage! The leads (Jean Arthur as Connie, Joel McCrae as Joe, and Charles Coburn as Mr. Dingle) all give good performances. Coburn himself is quite funny in a few places, and Connie's timetable for keeping order in the apartment is worthy of a few laughs. Aside from that, however, the movie isn't outrageously funny. The story is also quite predictable, and once the lead characters are introduced, there's really never any doubt how this story is going to turn out.
I think this is quite over-rated, although worthy of wasting a couple of hours with. 4/10
This movie is cute rather than funny, and sweetly innocent. One shudders to think what Hollywood would do today with this story of two men sharing an apartment with a young woman during a housing shortage! The leads (Jean Arthur as Connie, Joel McCrae as Joe, and Charles Coburn as Mr. Dingle) all give good performances. Coburn himself is quite funny in a few places, and Connie's timetable for keeping order in the apartment is worthy of a few laughs. Aside from that, however, the movie isn't outrageously funny. The story is also quite predictable, and once the lead characters are introduced, there's really never any doubt how this story is going to turn out.
I think this is quite over-rated, although worthy of wasting a couple of hours with. 4/10