You Can't Take It with You (1938)

A man from a family of rich snobs becomes engaged to a woman from a good-natured but decidedly eccentric family.

Director:

Frank Capra

Writers:

Robert Riskin (screen play), George S. Kaufman (based upon the play by)

Stars:

Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore

Won 2 Oscars. Another 7 nominations.

Cast

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)

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

unconventional family | eccentric family | eccentricity | patchwork family | pulitzer prize source | 

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Taglines:

The Great Pulitzr Prize Play Now the Screen's Outstanding Picture!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

29 September 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Vive como quieras

Filming Locations:

Columbia/Sunset Gower Studios - 1438 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,644,736 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor High Fidelity Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A 1938 feature film usually ran to 8,000 feet of film. Frank Capra shot 329,000 feet for this one.

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Goofs

Harmonica disappears and reappears on conference table.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Doorman: [opening the car door for Kirby] Good morning, Mr. Kirby.
Anthony P. Kirby: Good morning.

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Connections

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008)

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Soundtracks

Hungarian Dance
(1869) (uncredited)
Music by Johannes Brahms
Played on an xylophone by Dub Taylor and danced by Ann Miller

User Reviews

Edward Arnold

Among all the enthusiastic reviews for this movie, it is hard to find a sufficiency of praise for the work of Edward Arnold. A familiar face on the screen in the thirties and forties, with his round face, solid body, and trademark pince-nez, Arnold surpasses himself in this film

Too often type-cast as a plutocrat, Arnold nevertheless demonstrates nuance and sensitivity as a man who, despite many flaws and faults, is redeemed by his love for his son. Arnold is seldom credited with the subtlety and poignancy of his characterizations, probably because he generally played greedy capitalists in a time when greedy capitalists were even more frightening than they are (and properly so) now, but this is an omission that should be corrected. His characterization in this comedy is a powerful performance, and grossly under-appreciated. He was one of the masters of American cinematic acting, with never a false note on his performances, and it is shameful that he is not so acknowledged.