The More the Merrier (1943)

During the World War II housing shortage in Washington, two men and a woman share a single apartment and the older man plays Cupid to the other two.

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

Robert Russell (screen play), Frank Ross (screen play)

Stars:

Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, Charles Coburn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jean Arthur	...	Connie Milligan
Joel McCrea	...	Joe Carter
Charles Coburn	...	Benjamin Dingle
Richard Gaines	...	Charles J. Pendergast
Bruce Bennett	...	FBI Agent Evans
Frank Sully	...	FBI Agent Pike
Donald Douglas	...	FBI Agent Harding (as Don Douglas)
Clyde Fillmore	...	Senator Noonan
Stanley Clements	...	Morton Rodakiewicz

Storyline

It's World War II and there is a severe housing shortage everywhere - especially in Washington, D.C. where Connie Milligan rents an apartment. Believing it to be her patriotic duty, Connie offers to sublet half of her apartment, fully expecting a suitable female tenent. What she gets instead is mischievous, middle-aged Benjamin Dingle. Dingle talks her into subletting to him and then promptly sublets half of his half to young, irreverent Joe Carter - creating a situation tailor-made for comedy and romance.

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Plot Keywords:

screwball comedy | apartment | housing shortage | washington d.c. | elderly | 

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Taglines:

She saw her patriotic duty - and she dood it! (original 11x14 Title Card)

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

Merry-Go-Round

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The flower that Joe is wearing on his lapel after getting married is a sprig of the lily of the valley, a traditional wedding flower.

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Goofs

Connie mentions to Dingle that she can provide him a ride downtown, stating her regular routine being that she is the first person to be picked up by her ride, and after her there are three other passengers to be picked up. However when her ride arrives, there are already two passengers in the car (in addition to the driver) and the car is only a four-seater.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: Our vagabond camera takes us to beautiful Washington, D.C., the national capital of our United States, situated on the broad banks of the Potomac River. Living is pleasant and leisurely... for it is a city of formality and custom. Manners and courtesy are responsible for the well-ordered conduct of its daily affairs. The many fine restaurants of Washington are the delight of the epicurean and the gourmet, where one may enjoy to the full the rare dishes of the old south. ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (1984)

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Soundtracks

The Torpedo Song
(1943)
(Published as "Damn the Torpedos-Full Speed Ahead")
Music by Jay Gorney
Lyrics by Henry Myers & Edward Eliscu
Recited often by Charles Coburn (uncredited)
Sung by Coburn and other members of the Committee at the end

User Reviews

As zany as it gets

This movie, set in Washington, DC during the early years of the US' involvement in WWII, when DC was still a relatively small city, is sociologically fascinating: the back story is the housing shortage that occurred when everyone descended on the nation's capital in order to organize the country in preparation for war. But the real story is the incredible script, directing (George Stevens) and, most of all comedic acting by Joel McCrea (always the tall, handsome, slightly cynical straight man (whose straightness itself can be hilarious)), Jean Arthur (whose voice I could listen to forever), and, WOW, Charles Coburn as a flustered wealthy tycoon who plays cupid while trying to help solve the country's pressing problems. The comedy is relentless, absolute hilaritas, and it gets zanier by the minute. Very few weak spots in this relatively unknown comedy. Seeing this recently, and a couple of other McCrea comedies directed by Preston Sturges, you have to wonder why Cooper got all the glory while McCrea was frequently relegated to the second tier (despite major box office draws for more serious wartime work).