Life with Father

Life with Father is the title of a humorous autobiographical book of stories written in 1936 by Clarence Day, Jr., which was adapted into a 1939 Broadway play by Lindsay and Crouse, which was, in turn, made into a 1947 movie and a television series.

The book

Clarence Day wrote humorously about his family and life. The stories of his father, Clarence "Clare" Day senior are taken from the New Yorker magazine. They portray a rambunctious, overburdened Wall Street broker who demands that everything from his family should be just so. The more he rails against his staff, his cook, his wife, his horse, salesman, holidays, his children and the inability of the world to live up to his impossible standards, the more comical and lovable he becomes to his own family who love him despite it all. First published in 1936, Day's book is picture of New York middle class family life in the 1890s. The stories are filled with affectionate irony. Day's understated, matter of fact style underlines the comedy in everyday situations.

Broadway Play

The 1939 Broadway play ran for over seven years to become the longest-running non-musical play on Broadway, a record that it still holds. It opened at the Empire Theatre on November 8 1939 and remained there until September 8, 1945. It continued to be performed on Broadway until July 12 1947 and closed after 3,224 performances. It starred Lindsay, his wife Dorothy Stickney, and Teresa Wright.

1947 film

The 1947 comedy movie tells the true story of a stockbroker, Clarence Day, who wants to be master of his house, but finds his wife and his children ignoring him, until they start making demands for him to change his own life. In keeping with the autobiography, all the children in the family (all boys) are redheads. It stars William Powell, Irene Dunne, Elizabeth Taylor, Edmund Gwenn, Zasu Pitts, Jimmy Lydon and Martin Milner. A beautiful house guest with whom the character of Clarence Jr. becomes infatuated is portrayed by the teenage Taylor.

Due to the standards of the day, the play's last line (in response to a policeman asking Mr. Day where he is going), "I'm going to be baptized, dammit!" had to be rewritten for the film.

The movie was adapted by Donald Ogden Stewart from the play by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, which was based on the book by Clarence Day, Jr.. It was directed by Michael Curtiz. It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (William Powell), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color, Best Cinematography, Color and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture.

Television series

Life With Father was made into a television series in 1953, starring Leon Ames and Lurene Tuttle.

References

C. Otis Skinner, Life With Lindsay and Crouse (Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1976).

Bugs Bunny in the episode "What's Up Doc?" tells his life story to Disassociated Press over the phone. He describes how offers came pouring in. He picks up a script titled, "Life with Father", glances at it, then tosses it over his shoulder saying, "eehhh, it'll never be a hit."

External links

• Life with Father at the Internet Movie Database (motion picture)
• Life with Father at the Internet Movie Database (television series)
• Information about the Broadway production

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