Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

H.C. Potter

Writers:

Eric Hodgins (novel)
Norman Panama (written by) ...

Release Date:

4 June 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

A man and his wife decide they can afford to have a house in the country built to their specifications. It's a lot more trouble than they think.

Plot Keywords:

House | Apartment | Engineer | Lawyer | Advertising

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Cary Grant	...	Jim Blandings
Myrna Loy	...	Muriel Blandings
Melvyn Douglas	...	Bill Cole
Reginald Denny	...	Henry L. Simms
Sharyn Moffett	...	Joan Blandings
Connie Marshall	...	Betsy Blandings
Louise Beavers	...	Gussie
Ian Wolfe	...	Smith - a real estate agent
Harry Shannon	...	W. D. Tesander
Tito Vuolo	...	Mr. Zucca - the steam shovel operator
Nestor Paiva	...	Joe Appollonio
Jason Robards Sr.	...	John W. Retch (as Jason Robards)
Lurene Tuttle	...	Mary
Lex Barker	...	Carpenter Foreman
Emory Parnell	...	Mr. PeDelford

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG (video rating) | Australia:PG | West Germany:12 | France:U | Finland:S | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #12766) | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Administration Building, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Although this film was from the novel of the same name, much of the story is autobiographical. Eric Hodgins and his wife built the actual house in the rural Litchfield County, Connecticut town of New Milford. Located in the bucolic Merryall section of town, the house recently sold for $1.2 million.

Quotes:

Smith: You're buying a piece of American history.
Jim Blandings: You don't say. How's that?
Smith: Why, first year she was built, General Gates stopped right here to water his horses.
Jim Blandings: Old General Gates, huh? Civil War.
Smith: Huh? Revolutionary War.
Jim Blandings: Oh, *that* General Gates.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hollywood Remembers: Myrna Loy - So Nice to Come Home to (1991) (TV)

Some of the greatest comedic dialog and memorable quotes ever!

This film has some of the greatest comedic dialog and memorable quotes ever assembled in one film! The plot is somewhat lacking, but the delightful quips are enough to make up the difference. This is a timeless movie for all ages that is sure to please. As a cinematic art form it is highly entertaining; and with major stars like Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Melvyn Douglas... how could you go wrong?

Comedic dialog and timeing such as this has long been undervalued, and is very difficult to imitate. A good example of this is seen in the 1986 knockoff of this film: The Money Pit, with Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. Despite the talent and physical comedy of these stars, the film dragged and received poor reviews and viewer comments. Achieving true comedic dialog is an art.