6/10
That This Group Would Somehow Form A Family, That's The Way They Became The Beardsley-North Bunch
24 August 2008
Originally when Lucille Ball wanted to film this story, she had that noted television father Fred MacMurray in mind for the role of the Navy widower with 10 kids. That would have been an interesting project had that team come about. Lucy and Fred worked, but one time on the Lucy/Desi Comedy hour, but never on the big screen. When Fred proved unavailable, Lucy went and got Henry Fonda her co-star years ago in The Big Street.

I'm told that in The Films of Henry Fonda, he welcomed the idea of doing Your's, Mine and Our's. He had done a bunch of westerns around this time of varying kind and looked for a change of pace. The last family type film Fonda had done was Spencer's Mountain which got less than overwhelming reviews.

But with television's number one comedy star both starring and producing there was certainly guaranteed box office. To Lucy's credit she did not hog the whole film and allowed Fonda his comedy moments.

You also won't be seeing any outrageous Lucy type moments either in the film. Partially that was a bow towards her age and, but more it was a realization that such things as the chocolate factory or stomping the grapes just didn't go in this film.

The film was based on a true story although it was set and written in the early Sixties of the Kennedy years. I'm sure in producer Lucille Ball's mind a few years wouldn't really make a difference. But in point of fact in America of the Sixties it was a night and day type difference. I'm sure many in the audience were asking whether this really was reflective of 1968.

Van Johnson as Fonda's naval buddy and Tom Bosley as an overworked doctor contribute their bits in her. It's not a bad film over all, but isn't a great effort for either of its stars.
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