Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The More the Merrier (4 stars)

The More the Merrier is a delightful romantic comedy from 1943.  It stars Charles Coburn, Joel McCrea, and the always fabulous Jean Arthur.  Charles Coburn won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Benjamin Dingle.

Arriving in Washington DC during a period of housing shortage,  grandfatherly Mr. Dingle convinces working girl Constance (Connie) Milligan (Jean Arthur) to let him lease half of her apartment.  Although she had really hoped to share her apartment with a woman, Connie eventually agrees to let Mr. Dingle move in.  And not long after his arrival, Mr. Dingle, unbeknownst to Connie, leases half of his half of the apartment to Joe Carter (Joel McCrea), mostly because he sees Joe as the perfect marriage partner for Connie, so having them in close proximity to one another is an absolute must.  Now Connie, who didn't want even ONE male roommate, suddenly finds herself with TWO.

Much to Mr. Dingle's dismay, he discovers that Connie already has a fiance, one Charles Pendergast.  However, given that Ben thinks Charles is a stick in the mud, he is more determined than ever to play Cupid for Connie and Joe.  And how that plays out is the bulk of the movie.

There are some totally hilarious scenes.  Connie's morning schedule is a scream.  And the way Joe and Ben play off one another is like two little boys.  Truly, there was fabulous chemistry between all three stars of this movie, but I mostly loved the interaction between Coburn and McCrea. 

This movie is totally predictable, but it's alot of fun getting there.  If you are looking for a sweet romantic comedy, The More the Merrier will definitely fit the bill.  It's out on DVD, so it should be readily available and fairly easy to track down.

Happy viewing!!