Clifton Webb’s Mr. Belvedere Still ‘Sitting Pretty’ 1948

 

Clifton Webb as Mr. Belvedere teaches his new employers' child an important lesson
 on table manners in 1948's comedy "Sitting Pretty."

Sitting Pretty was the type of good-hearted comedy that 20th Century Fox did so well in the 1940s and '50s. Sitting Pretty was a satire of post-war American suburbia, with the acidic genius Mr. Belvedere providing the comic sting. 

Hummingbird Hill is the suburban setting of Sitting Pretty, which looks innocuous on the outside. A young couple can’t keep a housekeeper to cope with their hectic offspring, much less get a babysitter for date nights. Exasperated, the wife takes out an ad, and gets a response from a Lynn Belvedere. She seems to have all of the qualifications, but the couple is surprised when she turns out to be Mr. Belvedere, and a self-proclaimed genius at that! What follows is a still-funny spoof of post-WW II social mores, all of which is duly noted by the mysterious Belvedere. The prickly “manny”/housekeeper marches to his own drummer, but whips the frazzled family into shape, while working his own mystery project.

Mr. Belvedere is not intimidated in the least by the busybodies of Hummingbird Hill,
 in 1948's suburbia satire, "Sitting Pretty."

Mr. Belvedere is played by Clifton Webb, at his most acerbic. The young couple, Harry and Tacey King, is played by Robert Young and Maureen O’Hara. Though Young seems a bit mature as the junior lawyer, Father Knows Best was just around the corner, and his wry humor works well here as the film’s straight man. O'Hara is lovely and spirited as the young homemaker, who could use a hand on the home front. Their young boys are basically adorable, but rascals.

Maureen O'Hara & Robert Young are the happy but harried couple of 1948's comedy,
 "Sitting Pretty."

The nosy neighbors are an old biddy and her sissy son, a movie and TV staple. The latter is Clarence Appleton, played by Richard Haydn, who made a career of such fusspots, with his clothes pin on the nose voice. Haydn appeared in everything from Ball of Fire to The Sound of Music to Young Frankenstein, an expert comedy actor. Ed Begley, Sr. is the alpha male boss of Young’s lawyer, complete with cigars and barked orders. The bobbysoxer babysitter, Ginger, who reminded me of an amped up Shirley Temple, is played by Betty Lynn. She later found TV fame as Barney Fife’s girlfriend Thelma Lou, on The Andy Griffith Show. John Russell and Louise Allbritton are pleasant as the King’s best friends, Bill and Edna Philby. Russell, who looked like a caricature of Clark Gable, later became a western star.

Clifton Webb as Mr. Belvedere, with John Russell & Robert Young as young lawyers,
in 1948's social satire, "Sitting Pretty."

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Clifton Webb got an Oscar nomination for his performance as Mr. Belvedere. Comedy performances aren't always recognized by the Academy, but Webb’s razor sharp performance is the core of this film. Webb lobs zingers at the reactionary husband and nosy neighbors with comedic precision, but also rations out the right amount of warmth as he grows closer to the family. Webb’s Belvedere is gleeful to watch because he says and does exactly what he thinks. And the last act, when Mr. Belvedere’s project is revealed, wraps everything up in a neat comedic package.

What's fascinating about Clifton Webb is that he became a film star straight away with Laura in 1944. There was great concern at Fox that Webb's flamboyant personality would not go over with mainstream movie audiences. Well, Laura was an instant classic and Webb should have won his first Oscar as Waldo Lydecker. But sentimental fave Barry Fitzgerald won Best Supporting Oscar for Going My Way for that year. Webb scored another nod for The Razor's Edge as socialite Elliot Templeton, another great performance. And his third and final nom was for Sitting Pretty. He scored a huge hit in 1950 as the patriarch in Cheaper by the Dozen and might have scored another nom if the Best Actor category didn’t already have classic comedy performances by James Stewart for Harvey and Spencer Tracy as Father of the Bride. The star character actor also appeared in some big hits through most of the '50s, like Three Coins in a Fountain and Titanic. Like the later Paul Lynde, Webb was hiding in plain sight as a gay performer, but he was so funny and likable, audiences didn't either catch on or seem to mind. And especially rare for the homophobic era, Webb's characters were smart and had the upper hand, and not the butt of jokes. 

Clifton Webb, as Mr. Belvedere, who adds author to his laurels at the finale of 1948's
 "Sitting Pretty." Note the statue on the right, courtesy of O'Hara's character.

Sitting Pretty is still pretty darn funny, with the stars at their most charming. The story is so clever that I'm surprised that nobody's done a remake. I could see Jim Parsons, who played Sheldon on the beloved sitcom The Big Bang Theory, as Mr. Belevedere, but I think the original is just fine.

See below for a link to "Sitting Pretty."

Here’s an excellent, free copy of Sitting Pretty on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgcNdOHZW6I

A link to my review of "Laura" below,
which made Clifton Webb a film star.

Here’s my look at the timeless classic film noir, Laura, with Clifton Webb as venomous columnist Waldo Lydecker:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2018/04/laura-1944.html

 

‘The More the Merrier’ is Mostly Marvelous 1943

 

Joel McCrea & Jean Arthur play wartime lovebirds, with matchmaker
Charles Coburn in the middle, in 1943's "The More the Merrier."

A terrific trio of actors—Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, and Charles Coburn—play wonderfully with one another in The More the Merrier, a 1943 wartime comedy capitalizing on the Washington DC housing shortage.

George Stevens was a director of diverse genres before he went off to war: dramas, comedies, action, even an Astaire-Rogers musical. Stevens was a changed man after WWII, directing several documentaries regarding the war’s atrocities. Post-war, Stevens’ film output became sporadic, with subject matter that was always serious. Pre-war, Stevens directed several comedy-dramas, including the previous year's The Talk of the Town, with Arthur, Ronald Colman, and Cary Grant. Stevens' humanistic touch fully blossomed later in I Remember Mama and Shane, was evident even in his comedies, making their romantic aspects especially engaging.

Charles Coburn's Mr. Dingle cuts to the head of the line in Washington DC's
wartime housing shortage, in 1943's "The More the Merrier."

The tale of The More the Merrier is when Connie Milligan (Jean Arthur) feels it’s her patriotic duty to rent out half of her apartment. What she doesn't count on is aging alpha male Benjamin Dingle (Charles Coburn) charging his way in to her home and telling her that he's the new renter. Not even a day in, he then sublets his room to soldier Joe Carter (Joel McCrea), without consulting Connie. Mr. Dingle naturally plays matchmaker to these two young folk, so comedy and romance ensue. As written, I didn’t care for these introductory scenes with the pushy retiree, who wouldn’t have gotten past my front door.

I love old movies when the leading lady is putting on cold cream, all around her fully
 made-up face! Jean Arthur as Connie Milligan, in 1943's "The More the Merrier."

Let me say that I'm not a fan of slapstick, so the first half hour of The More the Merrier was excruciating for me. While it is expertly plotted and performed, the introduction of the three strong-willed characters clashing, complete with door slamming and misunderstandings, is hard to take if you're not fond of such antics.

Jean Arthur's Connie reacts to the sounds of her male roomies "bonding!"
From 1943's "The More the Merrier."

Let me also confess that I'm a bit allergic to the charms of Jean Arthur. Yes, I respect her as a talent, both adept in comedy and drama. Arthur's right up there with Carole Lombard as a supreme practitioner of screwball comedy. Her choice in films was superb and she aged beautifully onscreen. Born in 1900, she was at least a half a dozen years older than most of her contemporaries of the '30s and her career sailed along through the half of the '40s, and only ended by her choice.

Jean Arthur's Connie unwinds by practicing her dance moves to some Latin music.
 From 1943's "The More the Merrier."

That said, I find Jean Arthur hard to take for the reason most people love her, that cartoon voice that goes right through my head. It’s the same reason I can't abide June Allyson, Judy Holliday, and Melanie Griffith. Their voices may be unique, but I find them irritating, especially with their matching personas. When Arthur plays officious types, like here and the post-war A Foreign Affair, she's too good at it, to the point of obnoxiousness. Luckily, the scripts of The More the Merrier and Billy Wilder's A Foreign Affair are three-dimensional enough to give her redeeming qualities. My aversion to Jean Arthur was the main reason that I’ve never watched The More the Merrier until this year. And I can now say that I’m glad I did!

Little does Jean Arthur's Connie know that new tenant Joel McCrea is got the
Latin groove, too! From George Stevens' "The More the Merrier."

I've had the impression that Joel McCrea, while very popular in his time, was considered a poor man's Gary Cooper in the film industry. While I have a soft spot for Coop, I find Joel McCrea's naturalistic, no-nonsense manner very appealing and modern. And he doesn't have that halting way of speaking like Cooper, who sometimes sounded like English wasn't his first language!

Here, Joel's soldier, who's only in DC for a week before being shipped out, is comically deadpan at first, but is soon affable toward Coburn's Mr. Dingle. And natch, it's love at first sight for practical soldier Joe and even more practical Connie, who has her whole life mapped out. 

Joel McCrea is in his prime here and there are several scenes of his showing off his fine tan form, which he wasn’t shy about in his heyday. Arthur is lovingly photographed, stylishly dressed, and looks most appealing. As Connie and Joe let down their mutual guard and fall in love, the movie really comes alive for me. 

Joel McCrea, tan and trim, as soldier Joe Carter, in 1943's "The More the Merrier."

Charles Coburn is at his most irascible as Mr. Dingle and he's wonderful. A top character actor of the era, Coburn could be just as great as a villain, like the incestuous uncle to Bette Davis’ vixen from In This Our Life or the cold doctor who needlessly amputates Ronald Reagan's legs in Kings Row. Or he could be highly amusing, such as the blustering Binky in Gentleman Prefer Blondes or here, as the meddling retiree in The More the Merrier. Coburn won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Mr. Dingle. 

Even Charles Coburn's Mr. Dingle gets in the dance spirit, in 1943's
"The More the Merrier."

After a first half hour of slapstick, it’s the Washington DC atmosphere, the stars’ tender romance, and funny supporting cast that make The More the Merrier truly enjoyable. The breakfast scene, where Connie and Joe not so subtly question each other, with unwanted interjections from Mr. Dingle, is sharply funny. The rooftop scene is my favorite, offering a charming war-time scene of various tenants relaxing and socializing. Connie knits and has her diary with her, while the two guys read a Dick Tracy cartoon strip to each other. Since Connie has a safe fiancee, she and Joe’s romancing is furtive. First, with the scene where they try to go on a non-date date, then their apartment stoop wooing, and ending with pillow talk through a bedroom wall—sweetly funny and genuinely romantic. The climatic cab scene, with all the characters concerned hashing things out is great fun. The only thing that mars the ending is Arthur's comically fake crying that is grating, only topped decades later by Diane Keaton breakup bawling in Something's Gotta Give.

I love this rooftop scene, with Connie, Mr. Dingle, and Joe hanging out with the
other tenants, in 1943's "The More the Merrier."

Yes, Connie has a dork boyfriend. And yes, Joe has to go on military assignment in Africa. By the finale, they marry and will wait for one another. The More the Merrier is a wartime fairytale, with everyone rubbing elbows and more, is great fun and depicted with genuine feeling, thanks to its great stars and director.

Jean Arthur's Connie & Joel McCrea's Joe, married at last, but not without a few
 minor hitches, in 1943's "The More the Merrier."

My look at Jean Arthur in a very similar role, in Billy Wilder’s post-war comedy/drama, A Foreign Affair: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2023/05/billy-wilders-adult-foreign-affair-1948.html

And here’s my take on Joel McCrea, just fine as Alfred Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2025/01/hitchcocks-fine-foreign-correspondent.html

Another lovely scene from 1943's "The More the Merrier." Joe & Connie pour
their hearts out while in single beds, through a bedroom wall.
Joel McCrea & Jean Arthur make a fine romantic team here.

 

 

Charm Over Chuckles in ‘It Happened One Night’ 1934

Clark Gable & Claudette Colbert on the road to romance: "It Happened One Night."

A year after its release, 1934’s It Happened One Night swept the Oscars on February 27, 1935—Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Writer—a feat seldom duplicated. As of January 1, 2025, at age 65, I had never seen this classic, except for clips. I then watched Night twice and these are my takeaways.

The big surprise for me was that I thought It Happened One Night was a straight up comedy, but it's really a humorous but heartfelt slice of life during America’s Depression era. The runaway bride is a screwball comedy staple, for sure. Yet it’s more about the rich girl, Ellie Andrews, rubbing elbows with everyday people, like fired reporter Peter Warne. Night then becomes a romantic “road” movie, as well.

"It Happened One Night" was made on a modest budget but became a popular hit.

There are some famous comedic moments: The society girl jumping off the family yacht, the motel blanket “walls of Jericho,” the girl hitching her skirt to hitch a ride, and the bride bolting from the altar. But there really aren't any hilarious lines and the scenes that I just mentioned brought a smile to my face, but no outright chuckles—and I have a good sense of humor.

The walls of Jericho provide a blanket of privacy in 1934's "It Happened One Night."

Considered one of the big screwball comedies, It Happened One Night was directed by Frank Capra, who directed a few, like You Can’t Take It with You and Arsenic and Old Lace. Frankly, I don’t find It Happened One Night a “screwball” type comedy—not like the antic My Man Godfrey or Bringing Up Baby. There are elements, but they’re pretty mild, not wild. Also, for a comedy of this era, it’s a bit leisurely at an hour and forty five minutes. Twentieth Century, My Man Godfrey, and Nothing Sacred all clocked in at around 90 minutes.

Many have noted that It Happened One Night may be the first rom-com, where the leads are at odds, while also attracted to one another. What’s typical is that nearly a century later it’s still almost always the woman who’s the flake or a spoiled brat who needs to be taken down a notch or two, and the strong man who just softens up with love. One of the few times that the roles were reversed was Cher and Nicolas Cage in Moonstruck—though I’m sure there have been others.

Director Frank Capra with stars Clark Gable & Claudette Colbert.

Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert were in their first flush of stardom by 1934. Both proved adept at comedic acting here, and already played romantic and serious roles. It Happened One Night was by turns a comedy, a romance, and with some dramatic moments. Clark and Claudette were triple threats in this classic.

Claudette Colbert as the bride about to bolt, with father Walter Connolly,
in 1934's "It Happened One Night."

Claudette Colbert, with her crescent moon eyebrows and Betty Boop makeup, is the perfect comedic doll, balanced by her natural intelligence and class. Colbert’s large, expressive eyes, especially when she realizes she’s in love with the hard-nosed reporter, are well-utilized by the star. Clark Gable was still a lean young movie star in Night. While Gable’s not so skilled in his comic drunk scenes, he’s naturalistic in his dramatic as well as comedic scenes. The two stars play in a modern style that still makes this movie watchable today.

Clark Gable at his youthful peak, in 1934's "It Happened One Night."

This is really a two character film, Gable’s reporter and Colbert’s rich girl. There are some great character actors who show up for one scene—Alan Hale, Sr., Ward Bond, etc. Colbert has her irascible millionaire father (Walter Connolly), Gable has his ornery editor (Charles C. Wilson). But they are all window dressing for the two leads on the road to romance.

Audiences made this movie a hit with word of mouth, perhaps because they saw themselves and their lives depicted realistically on the screen. Also, It Happened One Night was considered risqué back in the day, and was released before the July 1934 clamp down of the enforced censorship code for films.

Claudette Colbert's rich girl shows know-it-all reporter Clark Gable how to get a lift,
in 1934's "It Happened One Night."

I think this movie was a refreshing change of pace for its time and it’s why It Happened One Night swept the Oscars that year. It's interesting that Gable beat William Powell's first time as Nick Charles in The Thin Man, which led to a long-running movie series. Or that Myrna Loy wasn't even nominated as Nora Charles! And that Bette Davis was a write-in for her career changer, Of Human Bondage. 

How was it that Claudette Colbert thought she wouldn’t win the Oscar? Her only official competition was MGM’s perennial nominee Norma Shearer and opera singer Grace Moore. It Happened One Night was released with little fanfare in February 1934, to mixed-to-good notices. But by Oscar night a year later, the sleeper comedy had become a huge hit with the public. Colbert still departed by train for a long-overdue vacation only to be brought back when she won, accepting her Oscar in a Travis Banton traveling suit.

Shirley Temple gives Claudette Colbert her Best Actress Oscar.

The cinematography by Joseph Walker is beautiful, this artist worked on nearly all of Capra's films. The outdoor night scenes or the rain sparkling on the bus and motel windows, are just exquisite. The script by Robert Riskin is bright and clever, depicting people of all variety. And Frank Capra’s direction is warm and character-driven, Capra at his best.

It Happened One Night has a lasting charm, with characters that feel quite real, quite an accomplishment for a movie that happened nearly one century ago!

The walls of Jericho, about to come down, in 1934's "It Happened One Night."

Here’s Clark Gable, a quarter of a century later, playing another rough around the edges reporter, out to get a story and the leading lady, this time Doris Day, in Teacher’s Pet. My take here: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2022/04/teachers-pet-1958.html

 

Here's Clark Gable a quarter of a century later, in 1958's "Teacher's Pet."