Merrily We Live

Merrily We Live
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Norman Z. McLeod
Produced by	Hal Roach (uncredited)
Written by	E.J. Rath (novel) Courtenay Savage (play) Eddie Moran Jack Jevne Ed Sullivan (add'l dial.)
Starring	Constance Bennett Brian Aherne
Music by	Marvin Hatley (unc.)
Cinematography	Norbert Brodine
Editing by	William H. Terhune
Studio	Hal Roach Studios
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s)	March 4, 1938
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Merrily We Live is a 1938 comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod. It stars Constance Bennett and Brian Aherne and features Ann Dvorak, Bonita Granville, Billie Burke, Tom Brown, Alan Mowbray, Clarence Kolb and Patsy Kelly. The film was produced by Hal Roach for Hal Roach Studios, and was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay is by Eddie Moran and Jack Jevne.

The film is considered to have set the standard for later family comedy films and TV sitcoms. A number of critics have erroneously claimed that the film is based on the 1936 film My Man Godfrey when in fact it is a reworking of the 1930 movie What A Man, based on the 1924 novel The Dark Chapter; a Comedy of Class Distinctions by E. J. Rath^[1][2] and its 1926 Broadway adaptation They All Want Something by Courtenay Savage.^[3] In the movie, the lines "What a family!" said twice seems to indicate the screenwriters acknowledgment of the earlier 1930 movie What A Man.

Merrily We Live was extremely successful and garnered five Academy Award nominations.

Plot

Butler Grosvenor (Alan Mowbray) discovers at breakfast that the family silver has been stolen by the latest tramp, Ambrose, whom Emily Kilbourne (Billie Burke) had taken under her wing as the chauffeur, in her latest attempt to reform fallen and destitute men, much to the exasperation of the rest of the family. A distressed Emily swears off taking in any more tramps to the delight of the rest of the family. However, later in the morning, a new dusty tramp Wade Rawlins (Brian Aherne) appears at the doorstep and is immediately adopted by Emily Kilbourne, despite the rude efforts of Grosvenor and Emily's daughters Geraldine "Jerry" (Constance Bennett) and Marion (Bonita Granville). Further attempts to convince Mrs. Kilborne to get rid of this latest tramp are blissfully ignored.

The tramp, Rawlins (Brian Aherne), appointed as the new replacement chauffeur is set up in the servant's quarters. He is overheard talking to himself while cleaning up by the butler and suspected to be crazy. Jerry and Marion see the spruced up tramp looking the perfect gentleman and Jerry likes his later putting in place Jerry's arrogant wannabee boyfriend, Herbert Wheeler (Philip Reed). They now have second thoughts when their father, Henry Kilbourne (Clarence Kolb), who has returned from work tells Emily that he is putting his foot down and orders getting rid of the new tramp the next day.

A comedy of errors, nighttime interludes with drunken family behavior, the arrogant boyfriend making a move at Jerry, follows with the rescue of the damsel in distress who has also somehow misplaced her keys where some delightful flirting ensues, resulting in Jerry falling in love with Wade. Marion also expresses a crush on Wade. The next day, Emily Kilbourne, despite orders to get rid of Wade, trains him to be a footman at the important dinner party that evening for Senator Harlan (Paul Everton). That evening through a contrived prank by Marion, the new chauffeur and now footman is accidentally invited to the important dinner party for Senator Harlan, who takes quite a liking to him, as does his daughter Minerva (Ann Dvorak). The next morning, the family finds Wade occupying the guest room. It is impossible to throw him out, as it is discovered that he is now a confidante of Senator Harlan and his daughter's target of affection. Jerry is consumed with jealousy, as she sees Minerva flirting with Wade at golf later that morning. After a fudge-making spat with Jerry, Wade takes the rest of the day off to settle his affairs. He has a strange interlude at a general store where the assistant George (Willie Best) thinks he is a ghost. Wade is nowhere to be found late in the evening when everyone has gone to bed, much to Jerry's dismay after waiting up to reconcile with him.

The next morning at breakfast, the newspaper reports his death from a car crash, much to the shock and dismay of the family, the cook and the maid. After an epidemic of fainting seeing ghosts and pratfalls, Wade reappears, very much alive, to Jerry's immense relief.

Cast

• Constance Bennett as Geraldine "Jerry" Kilbourne
• Brian Aherne as E. Wade Rawlins, the tramp
• Alan Mowbray as Grosvenor, the butler
• Billie Burke as Emily Kilbourne
• Patsy Kelly as Etta, the cook
• Ann Dvorak as Minerva Harlan
• Tom Brown as Kane Kilbourne
• Clarence Kolb as Henry Kilbourne
• Bonita Granville as Marion Kilbourne
• Marjorie Rambeau as Mrs. Harlan
• Phillip Reed as Herbert Wheeler
• Willie Best as George W. Jones, the store assistant
• Sidney Bracey as hired Second Butler/Footman
• Paul Everton as Senator Willie Harlan
• Marjorie Kane as Rosa, the maid
• Wilma Cox as Mrs. Remington (uncredited)

Production

Merrily We Live was in production from October 27, 1937 to January 10, 1938.^[4] Some location filming took place at Arrowhead Hot Spring and Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California.^[5][6]

Titles that were considered for the film included "Take It Easy," "Love Without Reason" and "Dark Chapter", which is the title of the E.J. Rath book the film is in part based on – although neither Rath's novel nor Courtenay Savage's play are credited.^[5]

Noted Broadway columnist Ed Sullivan provided additional dialogue for the film, his first assignment for Hal Roach Studios.^[5]

Awards and honors

Merrily We Live received five Academy Award nominations in total: Supporting Actress, Sound (Elmer A. Raguse), Song, Art Direction and Cinematography.^[7][8] Billie Burke's nomination was the only Best Actress Oscar nomination of her career.

Adaptations

On March 3, 1938, parts of Merrily We Live were recreated for the radio on MGM's Good News Radio program, featuring the stars of the film.^[5] In 1955, there was a Mexican version of the film under the title "Escuela de Vagabundos", with Pedro Infante and Miroslava as the leads

References

External links

• Merrily We Live at the Internet Movie Database
• What a Man at the Internet Movie Database
• Merrily We Live at AllRovi
• Merrily We Live at the TCM Movie Database