Life With Father (1947)
Grade: 64
"Life With Father" is a comedy with a theme. Men believe that they are in control of their lives and call the shots, when in fact their wives and girlfriends are running the show. The humor comes from the expressions on the men's faces when they realize that something is going on that wasn't planned, and that they are unable to do anything about it.
The film takes place in New York in the late 1800s. Clarence Day (William Powell) is a successful businessman with a doting wife (Irene Dunne) and four sons. The eldest, Clarence Jr, is trying be an adult a bit too soon. The second son, John, is good natured and interested in science. The third son, Whitney, is trying to pass catechism but is more interested in baseball and tormenting the youngest son Harlan.
A running gag in the film is that the maids keep quitting because Powell is impossible to live with. He is so clueless that he blames his wife for this.
Powell and Dunne are affectionate to each other, but there is an undercurrent of tension in their relationship, about who is in control. They mostly quarrel about money and religion. Powell is too practical for religion, and his comments on the subject terrify his wife, who is afraid she will be alone in heaven. Dunne externally obeys, but subtly manipulates her husband.
There is a visit from Cousin Cora and her daughter Mary (A teen-aged Elizabeth Taylor). Cora is a busy-body sterotype, while Taylor is ever-smiling and says nothing but bland pleasantries. Powell tries to tell his wife that they can't stay, and won't go out to dinner, but is outmaneuvered. Taylor and Clarence Jr connect, and the oldest begins to behave unnaturally, trying to impress Taylor with his dreadful violin playing and contrived "adult" conversations.
Father casually mentions that he has never been baptized. This leads to a lengthy battle of wills between Powell and Dunne. Powell is stubborn in his belief that baptism is not important, while Dunne is devastated.
A curious story line is that Jr is given father's suit to wear, and Jr believes that he can't do anything father wouldn't do while wearing his suit. This means he can't embrace Taylor, which leads to an argument between the two leaving Jr bewildered. Powell sees this and gives his son advice about being "firm", advice that is shown useless when Powell is tricked in a subsequent discussion with his wife over the household budget.
Dunne's health declines from worry over Powell's refusal to be baptized. She becomes more sick after being given patent medicine being peddled by sons John and Jr. She only begins to recover after Powell reluctantly agrees to be baptized, a promise he tries to back out of as her health improves.
Dunne goes shopping and buys an expensive ceramic pugdog. Powell is mortified and has her return it. But instead it is exchanged for a new suit for Jr. The next morning, the gap between Powell's expectations and reality comes clear when he learns that he is still out the money for the pugdog, that Cora and Mary are returning for another visit, that his sons have been selling poisonous medicine, and that he is to be taken in an expensive rented carriage out of town to be baptized. Exasperated, all Powell can say is "Gad!" as he submits to his wife's will.
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