Thanks for the memories!

Expected more

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

I think that people make too much out of the supposed resemblance to "My Man Godfrey", in claiming that it is merely a "copy". "Godfrey" was not original itself. The basic idea was used many times before in books and plays, not to mention other movies. It is virtually impossible to come up with an idea that someone has not used before, nor is that really important. It is what you DO with a basic idea, how well you use it, that is more important.NOthing wrong with a "fresh variant" of an old idea. All of the actors are superbly cast, and succeed very well in making the best of their roles. As a COMEDY, I think that this is actually better than "Godfrey", which is often praised mainly because of its "social comment" aspects, how it looks at victims of the depression. But as pure comedy, I think that "Merrily" works better, non stop laughs. Clarence Kolb was an inspired choice, and is great in every scene, and Brian Aherne plays deftly off of Constance Bennet. And of course Bonita Granville and Billie Burke and Alan Mowbry and Patsy Kelly each contribute their own choice bits. All in all, a really funny movie, and after all, isn't that what you want from a comedy?

Breakfast at a spectacular mansion is disrupted by the disappearance of a tramp, along with the family's silverware. Gesturing wildly, blonde daughter Constance Bennett (as Geraldine "Jerry" Kilbourne) tries to calm everyone down. Meanwhile, a new "tramp" is nearby. After accidentally losing his rickety automobile, seemingly homeless hobo Brian Aherne (as E. Wade Rawlins) arrives to use the phone and is mistaken for a job applicant. Frazzled butler Alan Mowbray (as Grosvenor) try to get rid of Mr. Aherne, but ditsy matriarch Billie Burke (as Emily) insists he stay on as chauffeur. She has a habit of taking in tramps. Aherne cleans up well and attracts romantic attention, most notably from Ms. Bennett. "Merrily We Live" is fast-paced, nicely cast and well produced. It provided Ms. Burke with a well-deserved "Academy Award" nomination for a variation of the fluttery supporting character she often played.****** Merrily We Live (3/4/38) Norman Z. McLeod ~ Brian Aherne, Constance Bennett, Billie Burke, Alan Mowbray

Although uncredited, "Merrily We Live" was based upon Courtenay Savage's play "They All Want Something" (by way of E. J. Rath's book "The Dark Chapter") and it has been directed as such, with stage-left to stage-right action, swinging doors and pratfalls, and kooky behavior designed to reach the back rows. Billie Burke plays a wealthy wife and mother of three who has a history of taking in hobos in order to reform them. She mistakes novelist Brian Aherne for a homeless tramp and hires him to be the family's chauffeur; he's happy to do it since that means flirting with Burke's eldest daughter, Constance Bennett. Subtle moments in this household, such as a heart-to-heart chat between father and daughter, get trampled by the frenetic screwball, though there's a funny butler who keeps threatening to quit, a sassy kid sis, and some amusing lines (mostly between the staff). The plot is just a throwaway--it seems written around the wisecracks--however Aherne and Bennett have good chemistry (he leans heavily on his slick charm, while her blithe performance helps disguise the fact her character never makes much sense). There's no narrative flow at work, and the scenes are designed as set-pieces--each with its own sight-gag. It's certainly fast-paced...and it slides right out of the memory just as quickly. ** from ****

Considering the obscurity of this film, it's a big surprise to see how well made, visually rich and entertaining it is, despite, as others have noted, its unoriginal premise. The dialogue is frequently funny but not up to the standard of MY MAN GODFREY - too much of the eccentricity seems to be forced and a bit cutesy but the cast overcomes all. Clarence Kolb steals the film with his masterful slapstick but he's first rate whether playing stern-and- sober, falling-down drunk or warmly empathetic. Though Billie Burke was Oscar nominated as the ditzy society matron mother, her performance here is no better than it was the year before in TOPPER or five years before in DINNER AT EIGHT (now THAT was an award-worthy turn!). Perhaps because this particular role was as over-the-top ditzy as such roles get, Hollywood decided it was time to honor it. What a splendid cast: Constance Bennett in fine form; Brian Aherne at his best - called upon to be elegant, dashing and charming, he accomplishes all three. Cary Grant would have given the character more oomph, but Aherne's reserve works here. Then we have the inimitable Patsy Kelly as a kitchen maid, the underused Ann Dvorak as a predatory Senator's daughter who lusts after Aherne, Bonita Granville as a wild, irrepresible teenage daughter, and last but not least Alan Mobray as the snooty butler being undermined by one indignity after another; his double takes are hilarious. Near the beginning there is an accomplished scene in which Aherne's wheezing jalopy rolls for what seems like a mile down a mountainside until it's totalled: no editing tricks here. Being a Hal Roach film there are of course generous helpings of slapstick, but they're brilliantly staged and expertly carried out by actors who are also capable of delivering deft overall performances. Every actor has at least one extended scene of well staged physical comedy. The opening credits are fun and welcoming: the whole cast is walking through the gates of the property with arms linked, singing the swingy title song. So, even though the concept of this film is derivative, its execution is fresh and alive.