Heh. Poor beleaguered Jean Arthur and her schedules. I love to see her feathers ruffled. And her insufferable fiance and that tiny apartment!

They did a remake of it in the 60's with Cary Grant in the Charles Coburn role and set it during the Tokyo Olympics (it's called Walk, Don't Run I think.) It was quite charming, but not as effortlessly effervescent as The More The Merrier. I wonder whether TMTM is out on DVD? I really should own it.

I'm going to delete my entire Amazon wish list and replace everything with nothing but George Stevens movies.

Walk, Don't Run

The theme was covered for the Ventures first hit.

I love More the Merrier. Definitely one of my top ten screwball comedies.

Top Ten Sixteen Screwball Comedies
The Lady Eve (Babs + Sturges = genius)
Bringing Up Baby (pure giddiness)
Ball of Fire (Cool chicks and stiff guys! It's a formula)
Palm Beach Story (Claudette! Weenie King)
My Man Godfrey (Ahh, Wm. Powell. Carole Lombard)
The More the Merrier (Jean Arthur. Somebody should write a song about her...)
The Awful Truth (Cary and Irene)
My Favorite Wife (practically the same movie as the Awful Truth)
It Happened One Night
Philadelphia Story
Holiday
Vivacious Lady (George Stevens! Plus Ginger and Jimmy)
The Thin Man (which I'm counting as a screwball mystery)
To Be or Not To Be
Nothing Sacred (a Ple favorite)

I found "The More The Merrier" at Netflix!

My brother and his wife's first apartment together was a place that had been split into two places during the WWII housing shortage in Chicago. Or it was two places that were combined? Anyway, it had this weird parallel hall thing with two rooms that were bedrooms and two baths and it was like two single apartments that shared an entry.

I think I must remedy this never seeing of The More the merrier. It sounds lovely.

Also, The Awful Truth and My Favortite Wife, which are practically the same move, are probably two of my favorite movies ever. Which might explain why I also like Sweet Home Alabame, although, frankly, that would be more fun with wacky riding on motorcycle hijinks, a la The Awful Truth.

I don't think I've seen Vivacious Lady, but I've seen all the rest. I think I'd add "I Was A Male Warbride" to the list, too. Who can resist Cary Grant in a skirt?

The More the Merrier is fabulous! McCrea is so sexy and understated and charming. And Jean Arthur is funny and sharp and also charming. Great script, too!

The More the Merrier is fabulous! McCrea is so sexy and understated and charming. And Jean Arthur is funny and sharp and also charming. Great script, too!

All this and more. Exceptionally charming. Watch and see how Lucille Ball copped many of her comic moves from Jean Arthur (something she's acknowledged in many interviews). Charles Coburn - totally cool and deserving of his supporting Oscar. Also, it's just a rare picture set in DC in the 40s that gives a sense of life lived at that time.

Also, for better or worse, I think this is the template for Buffy and Riley. They were really going for a Jean Arthur / Joel McCrea vibe with the tiny, tart, smart blonde and the big, lunk, ethical midwesterner.

Who can resist Cary Grant in a skirt?

We should ask Randolph Scott.

Holiday

Hmmm. This is probably one of my all-time favourite movies, but I don't know if I'd consider it a screwball comedy. Despite the sommersault scene, it's just not madcap enough, plus it's twinged with too much melancholy and fragility (which is the reason why I love it so much, actually.)

I love Sullivan's Travels, but the social commentary probably skewes it out of the screwball territory. But Joel McCrea is so dreeeeamy, even in hobo gears. t /one-track mind

Would Ninotchka and His Girl Friday qualify? They're borderline, I think.