Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Jean Arthur | ... | Alice Sycamore | |
Lionel Barrymore | ... | Martin Vanderhof | |
James Stewart | ... | Tony Kirby | |
Edward Arnold | ... | Anthony P. Kirby | |
Mischa Auer | ... | Kolenkhov | |
Ann Miller | ... | Essie Carmichael | |
Spring Byington | ... | Penny Sycamore | |
Samuel S. Hinds | ... | Paul Sycamore | |
Donald Meek | ... | Poppins | |
H.B. Warner | ... | Ramsey | |
Halliwell Hobbes | ... | DePinna | |
Dub Taylor | ... | Ed Carmichael | |
Mary Forbes | ... | Mrs. Anthony Kirby | |
Lillian Yarbo | ... | Rheba | |
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson | ... | Donald (as Eddie Anderson) |
The stenographer Alice Sycamore is in love with her boss Tony Kirby, who is the vice-president of the powerful company owned by his greedy father Anthony P. Kirby. Kirby Sr. is dealing a monopoly in the trade of weapons, and needs to buy one last house in a twelve block area owned by Alice's grandparent Martin Vanderhof. However, Martin is the patriarch of an anarchic and eccentric family where the members do not care for money but for having fun and making friends. When Tony proposes Alice, she states that it would be mandatory to introduce her simple and lunatic family to the snobbish Kirbys, and Tony decides to visit Alice with his parents one day before the scheduled. There is an inevitable clash of classes and lifestyles, the Kirbys spurn the Sycamores and Alice breaks with Tony, changing the lives of the Kirby family. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
For film-goers and movie fans that are from my generation, it is easy for these films to get lost in the shuffle. Ask someone my age, who would now be 25, what the best movie of all time is, they're likely to say Pulp Fiction or Fight Club.
Not to take away from today's movies, but for anyone who has not gone back and viewed classic Capra, such as "You Can't Take it With You," then they are truly missing out.
This movie is pure magic and beauty. Lionel Barrymore gives a performance as relevant in 2005 as it was in 1938. And what can you say about Jimmy Stewart?? This is a rare gem of a film and in true Capra fashion, the climactic final scene brings tear to the eye, much the same way as Harry Bailey's toast in "It's a Wonderful Life."