"Merrily We Live" is a lesser-known screwball comedy that shares much in common with "My Man Godfrey." Rich society family takes in bum and finds out he's not who they think he is. This one starts out with verve and energy, sags a bit in the middle, and then rebounds at the end with some truly funny physical comedy.
Brian Aherne stars as the "bum" and Constance Bennett as the oldest daughter and love interest, but it's Billie Burke (Oscar nominated as the ditzy matriarch) and Clarence Kolb as the dad who get the lion's share of the film's laughs. Kolb especially is deft at pratfalls.
"Merrily We Live" received a lot of attention from the Academy. In addition to its Best Supporting Actress nomination for Burke, the film scored noms for its art direction, cinematography, sound recording, and its warbly title song, none of which is remarkable. But these were the days of up to a dozen nominees per category and studios were allowed to put forward films for guaranteed nominations, so they're not necessarily indicative of quality.
Grade: B+
Brian Aherne stars as the "bum" and Constance Bennett as the oldest daughter and love interest, but it's Billie Burke (Oscar nominated as the ditzy matriarch) and Clarence Kolb as the dad who get the lion's share of the film's laughs. Kolb especially is deft at pratfalls.
"Merrily We Live" received a lot of attention from the Academy. In addition to its Best Supporting Actress nomination for Burke, the film scored noms for its art direction, cinematography, sound recording, and its warbly title song, none of which is remarkable. But these were the days of up to a dozen nominees per category and studios were allowed to put forward films for guaranteed nominations, so they're not necessarily indicative of quality.
Grade: B+