The Egg and I (I) (1947)
7/10
If you like chickens, or even if you don't, you'll like this movie
3 August 2012
This film is included on the Colbert Collection, therefore I watched it. It was delightful - or more accurately I thought Colbert delightful and MacMurray even more so - until the 'facts' of their marriage shook me out of my happy viewing reverie.

Colbert and MacMurray are newlyweds. Without telling or asking Colbert beforehand, Bob has bought a chicken farm and intends to spend the rest of his life in the hills raising chickens. Bob deserves a stern talking to on proper husbandly behavior. But his bride is a good sport and pitches in, dealing with the multiple large and small crises. So far, this follows movie formula 34. Then ... in the last reel, he buys a better chicken farm, again without asking or telling Colbert beforehand. This last reel is, believe me, unbelievable. Our much-in-love couple has a tiff, she leaves him, and returns 7 or 8 months later with a surprise in tow. He says, "Oh, Betty." She says, "Oh, Bob" and they fall into each others arms for the happy-ever-after fade out. Is this factual? What does Betty's book say?

And poo on Pa Kettle. I took an immediate dislike to him when he dropped by to welcome his new neighbors and "borrowed" 6 2x4s, nails, and a can of green paint. So do Betty and Bob set boundaries for Pa? No sirree. Bob has Pa build a water tank on stilts which then ... well, see for yourself what happens. I liked Ma though. Who can resist Marjorie Main? And I liked the silky siren down the road who has a hankering for Bob.

In spite of a story that will have the feminist dragons spouting fire, this is a fun 90 minutes. The 2 stars are wonderful to watch and there are lots of laughs.
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