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poster of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
Rating: 7/10 by 176 users

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)

An advertising executive dreams of getting out of the city and building a perfect home in the country, only to find the transition fraught with problems.

Directing:
  • H. C. Potter
  • Kay Phillips
  • Joel Freeman
  • James Lane
Writing:
  • Norman Panama
  • Eric Hodgins
  • Melvin Frank
Stars:
Release Date: Thu, Mar 25, 1948

Rating: 7/10 by 176 users

Alternative Title:
Los Blandings ya tienen casa - ES
Un million clefs en main - FR

Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 34 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0

Plot Keyword: home ownership, advertising executive, building a house
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Cary Grant
Jim Blandings
Myrna Loy
Muriel Blandings
Reginald Denny
Henry L. Simms
Sharyn Moffett
Joan Blandings
Connie Marshall
Betsy Blandings
Tito Vuolo
Mr. Zucca
Nestor Paiva
Joe Appollonio
Lex Barker
Carpenter Foreman
Emory Parnell
Mr. PeDelford
Stanley Andrews
Mr. Murphy (uncredited)
Robert Bray
Workman (uncredited)
Don Brodie
Charlie - Painter (uncredited)
Cliff Clark
Jones (uncredited)
Kernan Cripps
Policeman (uncredited)
Frank Darien
Judge Quarles (uncredited)
Hal K. Dawson
Harry Selby (uncredited)
Mike Lally
Hurried Diner (uncredited)
Gene Leslie
Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Charles Middleton
Wrecker (uncredited)
Franklin Parker
Simpson (uncredited)
Ralph Stein
Proprietor (uncredited)
Dan Tobin
Bunny Funkhauser (uncredited)
Friedrich von Ledebur
Workman (uncredited)
Bud Wiser
Customer (uncredited)
Will Wright
Eph Hackett (uncredited)

Peter McGinn

If you really like black and white comedies from the 30s and 40s — well, you have probably seen this one! I know I did many (many) years ago, but I recently had a chance to watch it again. It was worth the time. It features Cary Grant and Myrna Loy doing what they do best. He is a wisecracking husband and father who seems smart at times, but slightly daft at other times. He loves his wife and kids, but gives them a hard time when things go the wrong way. But not in a modern hurtful way. Myrna I remember easily from the Thin Man films and she is a natural at this. She deadpans a lot of her lines, but check out her facial expressions. She accomplishes a lot without seeming to try. Some of the situations are predictable, but often I found myself laughing even when I had a good idea what was coming. It is very well-written. This is no blockbuster, but it is sweet, harmless fun, and sometimes that is just what I need.

CinemaSerf

This is a simple comedy about a family living in downtown Manhattan who decide to relocate to a delightful old house in loads of acres in rural Maine. Problem is, they buy a house that the wind could blow down and soon enough are on a roller-coaster ride building a new home whilst being simultaneously fleeced by just about everyone. Cary Grant is great; his dialogue is frequently pithy and the on-screen rapport between him and Myrna Loy is effective and understated - even when he starts to believe that she might be up to some shenanigans with their lawyer - Melvyn Douglas - who delivers his role in a magnificently aloof "what are you all doing?" sort of fashion. Add to the mix, the pressure Grant is under to come up with a new slogan for his 1940's equivalent of "Spam" and we have a gentle mixture of screwball fun and games that cannot fail to raise a smile...


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