The Happiest Millionaire (1967)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Norman Tokar

Writers:

AJ Carothers (screenplay)
Kyle Crichton (play)

Release Date:

7 December 1967 (Australia)

Genre:

Family | Romance | Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

So Big!... So Romantic!... So Full of Life!

Plot:

A happy and unbelievably lucky young Irish immigrant, John Lawless, lands a job as the butler of an unconventional millionaire...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Kids And Family | Based On Book | Based On Play

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Fred MacMurray	...	Father
Tommy Steele	...	John Lawless
Greer Garson	...	Mother
Geraldine Page	...	Mrs. Duke
Gladys Cooper	...	Aunt Mary Drexel
Hermione Baddeley	...	Mrs. Worth
Lesley Ann Warren	...	Cordy
John Davidson	...	Angie Duke
Paul Petersen	...	Tony Biddle
Eddie Hodges	...	Livingston Biddle
Joyce Bulifant	...	Rosemary
Sean McClory	...	Police Sgt.
Jim McMullan	...	Lt. Powell
William Wellman Jr.	...	Lt. Grayson
Aron Kincaid	...	Walter Blakely

Runtime:

141 min | Sweden:118 min | USA:159 min (re-release) | USA:164 min (original version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

The real Anthony Drexel Biddle, Sr. (1874 - 1948), was a banking magnate and died-in-the-wool eccentric whose independent wealth allowed him to pursue such diverse ventures as physical culture (he boxed with Jack Johnson and taught boxing to Gene Tunney), theatricals, and religion. He served as a Colonel in the U.S. Marines in both World Wars. Neither was Cordelia Biddle Duke's marriage to Angier Buchannan Duke to result in the happy ending the movie implies. Although they had two sons, both of whom became prominent in business and diplomatic circles, the marriage ran into trouble, they were divorced within a few years, and Angier Duke died young, not long after that, in a boating accident.

Goofs:

Continuity: When John and Angie are at the bar, the amounts of Stout in the two glasses change between frames.

Quotes:

[first lines]
John Lawless: [singing] Well now, ain't this an elegant neighborhood, all the residents dressed so fine! One day off the boat am I, with a job that's near, an' mine! 'Tis a job with an elegant millionaire, and his elegant family! Today I move from immigrant - to high society!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

ARE WE DANCING?

The last true example of Disney brilliance

The Happiest Millionaire has stayed with me since the first time I saw it when I was a child of four. Since then I have watched this brilliant blend of brilliant writing, music and even better acting dozens, perhaps a hundred times. Why should my comments weigh a little heavier than other posted? Because I am only 21 years old. This movie came out twenty five years before I did and my love for it speaks of its timeless charm. I won't give away one single hint of the plot for those who are checking this having never seen the film. Do yourself a favor and let the picture remind us of a time ( a time some of us have never known) of great innocence and beauty. I speak not only of 1916, when the film took place but also of 1967 when shortly before his death Walt Disney himself oversaw the making of this movie. It has been said in reviews that this film was supposed to compete with the earlier success of Mary Poppins and while the box office or revenue reports will show that the masses did not experience it, it does not show that they would not have appreciated it. I am your run of the mill 21 year old college student who likes all sorts of movies but I treasure this and several other films of the era with many of the same actors, DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!!!!!