Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)

A man and his wife decide they can afford to have a house in the country built to their specifications. It's a lot more trouble than they think.

Director:

H.C. Potter

Writers:

Eric Hodgins (novel), Norman Panama (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Melvyn Douglas

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Cary Grant	...	Jim Blandings
Myrna Loy	...	Muriel Blandings
Melvyn Douglas	...	Bill Cole
Reginald Denny	...	Simms
Sharyn Moffett	...	Joan Blandings
Connie Marshall	...	Betsy Blandings
Louise Beavers	...	Gussie
Ian Wolfe	...	Smith
Harry Shannon	...	Tesander
Tito Vuolo	...	Mr. Zucca
Nestor Paiva	...	Joe Apollonio
Jason Robards Sr.	...	John Retch (as Jason Robards)
Lurene Tuttle	...	Mary
Lex Barker	...	Carpenter Foreman
Emory Parnell	...	Mr. PeDelford

Storyline

The Blandings live in New York in a tiny apartment. They decide to move to the country and find that buying and building and living in their own home is easier said than done.

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Plot Keywords:

dilapidated house | house | family relationships | connecticut | remodeling | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 June 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bygg og bli gær'n

Filming Locations:

Administration Building, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Third of three movies starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, following Wings in the Dark (1935) and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947).

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Goofs

When driving out to the house for the first time, Mrs. Blandings' corsage is placed very high on her lapel, nearly on her shoulder. While getting out of the car and taking the initial look at the surroundings, it is placed several inches lower.

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Quotes

Muriel Blandings: I refuse to endanger the lives of my children in a house with less than four bathrooms.
Jim Blandings: For thirteen hundred dollars they can live in a house with three bathrooms and rough it.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits are shown on an architect's blueprints.

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Alternate Versions

Also available in colorized version.

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Connections

Referenced in The Curse of Lizzie Borden 2: Prom Night (2008)

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Soundtracks

Home on the Range
(uncredited)
Written by Brewster M. Higley
Sung by Cary Grant and then Myrna Loy as they shower

User Reviews

Building the American Dream

In Manhattan, the American middle class Jim Blandings (Cary Grant) lives with his wife Muriel (Myrna Loy) and two teenage daughters in a four bedroom and one bathroom only leased apartment. Jim works in an advertising agency raising US$ 15,000.00 a year and feels uncomfortable in his apartment due to the lack of space. When he sees an advertisement of a huge house for sale in the country of Connecticut for an affordable price, he drives with his wife and the real estate agent and decides to buy the old house without any technical advice. His best friend and lawyer Bill Cole (Melvyn Douglas) sends an acquaintance engineer to inspect the house, and the man tells that he should put down the house and build another one. Jim checks the information with other engineers and all of them condemn the place and sooner he finds that he bought a "money pit" instead of a dream house.

"Mr. Blandings Builds his Own House" is an extremely funny comedy, with witty lines and top-notch screenplay. Cary Grant is hilarious in the role of a man moved by the impulse of accomplishing with the American Dream of owning a huge house that finds that made bad choice, while losing his touch in his work and feeling jealous of his friend. In 1986, Tom Hanks worked in a very funny movie visibly inspired in this delightful classic, "The Money Pit". My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Lar, Meu Tormento" ("Home, My Torment")