''Merrily We Live'' is a 1938 American

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by Norman Z. McLeod and written by Eddie Moran and

Jack Jevne Jack Jevne (January 25, 1892 – May 25, 1972) was an American screenwriter. He also worked as an actor and served as sergeant first class during World War I. He wrote for 58 films between 1919 and 1956, notably working with Laurel and Hardy ...

. It stars

Constance Bennett Constance Campbell Bennett (October 22, 1904 – July 24, 1965) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actress and producer. She was a major Cinema of the United States, Hollywood star during the 1920s and 1930s; during the early 193 ...

and

Brian Aherne William Brian de Lacy Aherne (2 May 190210 February 1986) was an English actor of stage, screen, radio and television, who enjoyed a long and varied career in Britain and the United States. His first Broadway appearance in '' The Barretts of ...

and features Ann Dvorak,

Bonita Granville Bonita Gloria Granville Wrather (February 2, 1923 – October 11, 1988) was an American actress and producer. The daughter of vaudevillians, Granville began her career on the stage at age three. She initially began as a child actress, making ...

Billie Burke Mary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke (August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an American actress who was famous on Broadway and radio, and in silent and sound films. She is best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of t ...

, Tom Brown,

Alan Mowbray Alan Mowbray MM (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood. Early life Mowbray was born in London, England. He served with distinction in the British Army ...

Clarence Kolb Clarence William Kolb, sometimes given as C. William Kolb, (July 31, 1874 – November 25, 1964) was an American vaudeville performer and actor known for his comedy routines that featured a Dutch dialect. Biography Kolb started out as one hal ...

, and

Patsy Kelly Patsy Kelly (born Bridget Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly; January 12, 1910 – September 24, 1981) was an American actress. She is known for her role as the brash, wisecracking sidekick to Thelma Todd in a series of comedy shorts produced by Ha ...

. The film was produced by

Hal Roach Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr. Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter, ...

for

Hal Roach Studios Hal Roach Studios was an American motion picture and, through its TV production subsidiary, Hal Roach Television Corporation, television production studio. Known as ''The Laugh Factory to the World'', it was founded by producer Hal Roach and busin ...

, and was distributed by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

. The film is based on a reworking of the 1930 movie '' What a Man'' – itself based on the 1924 novel ''The Dark Chapter: A Comedy of Class Distinctions'' by E.J. Rath, and its 1926 Broadway adaptation ''They All Want Something'' by Courtenay Savage. However, some critics found the plot of the film similar to the 1936 movie ''

My Man Godfrey ''My Man Godfrey'' is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava and starring William Powell and Carole Lombard, who had been briefly married years before appearing together in the film. The screenplay for ''My Man Godfr ...

''. ''Merrily We Live'' was extremely successful and garnered five

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

nominations.

Plot

Grosvenor (

), the Kilbournes' butler, discovers at breakfast that the family silver has been stolen by Ambrose, the latest tramp Emily Kilbourne (

) had taken under her wing as the family chauffeur in her obsession to reform fallen and destitute men, much to the exasperation of the rest of the family. A distressed Emily swears off taking in any more tramps, to the delight of the rest of the family. However, later in the morning, Wade Rawlins (

) appears at the Kilbournes' doorstep. His ramshackle car had broken down; when he got out, it rolled off a cliff. He wants to use the telephone, but is instead immediately adopted by Emily Kilbourne and appointed as the replacement chauffeur, despite the rude efforts of Grosvenor and Emily's daughters Geraldine "Jerry" (

) and Marion (

). Further attempts to convince Mrs. Kilbourne to get rid of this latest tramp are blissfully ignored. Rawlins, as the new chauffeur, is housed in the servant's quarters. He is overheard talking to himself while cleaning up by Grosvenor and suspected to be crazy. Jerry and Marion see the spruced up tramp looking the perfect gentleman and Jerry approves when Rawlins later brushes off Jerry's arrogant would-be suitor, Herbert Wheeler (

Phillip Reed Phillip Reed (born Milton LeRoy; March 25, 1908 – December 7, 1996) was an American actor. He played Steve Wilson in a series of four films (1947–1948) based on the '' Big Town'' radio series. Early years Reed was a star athlete at Er ...

). They now have second thoughts when their father, Henry Kilbourne (

), who has returned from work, tells Emily that he is putting his foot down and orders that they get rid of her latest tramp the next day. A comedy of errors, nighttime interludes with drunken family behavior, the arrogant Herbert making a move on Jerry, follows with the rescue of the damsel in distress who has also somehow misplaced her keys where some delightful flirting ensues, resulting in Jerry falling in love with Wade. Marion also expresses a crush on Wade. The next day, Emily Kilbourne, despite orders to get rid of Wade, trains him to be a footman at the important dinner party that evening for Senator Harlan ( Paul Everton). That evening, through a contrived prank by Marion, Rawlins is accidentally invited to the important dinner party for Senator Harlan, who takes quite a liking to him, as does his daughter Minerva ( Ann Dvorak). The next morning, the family finds Rawlins occupying the guest room. It is impossible to throw him out, as it is discovered that he is now a confidant of Senator Harlan and his daughter's target of affection. Jerry is consumed with jealousy, as she sees Minerva flirting with Rawlins at golf later that morning. After a fudge-making spat with Jerry, Rawlins takes the rest of the day off on an errand. The car he wrecked turns out to be a loan. He goes to pay for it, but the car has been found and the police inform the car's owner that Rawlins is assumed to be dead. The man leaves to identify his car. Thus, when Rawlins arrives, the owner's assistant George (

Willie Best William Best (May 27, 1916 – February 27, 1962), known professionally as Willie Best or Sleep 'n' Eat, was an American television and film actor. Best was one of the first African American film actors and comedians to become well known ...

) thinks he is a ghost. The Kilbournes believe Rawlins has left for good, much to Jerry's dismay after waiting up to reconcile with him. The next morning at breakfast, the newspaper reports the death of E. Wade Rawlins, the "noted novelist", from a car crash, much to the shock and dismay of the family, the cook and the maid. When Rawlins reappears, very much alive, utter pandemonium ensues as much of the family assume they are seeing a ghost. Once the confusion dies down the truth becomes clear and Jerry is immensely relieved.

Cast

Cast notes * This was the fifth of six films that

and

appeared in together. The others were '' Where Sinners Meet'' (1934), ''

Becky Sharp Rebecca "Becky" Sharp, later describing herself as Rebecca, Lady Crawley, is the main protagonist of William Makepeace Thackeray's 1847–48 novel '' Vanity Fair''. She is presented as a cynical social climber who uses her charms to fascinate ...

'' (1935), '' She Couldn't Take It'' (1935), '' Topper'' (1937), and ''

Topper Takes a Trip ''Topper Takes a Trip'' is a 1938 supernatural film directed by Norman Z. McLeod. It is a sequel to the 1937 film '' Topper''. Constance Bennett, Roland Young, Billie Burke, and Alan Mowbray reprised their roles from the earlier film; only Ca ...

'' (1938).

Production

''Merrily We Live'' was in production from October 27, 1937, to January 10, 1938. Some location filming took place at Arrowhead Hot Spring and

Big Bear Lake Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the Western United States, western United States, located in the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino County, California. It is a snow and rain-fed lake, having no other m ...

in the

San Bernardino Mountains The San Bernardino Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in Southern California in the United States. Situated north and northeast of San Bernardino and spanning two California counties, the range tops out at at San Gorgonio Mountain ...

of southern California.TC
Notes
/ref> Titles that were considered for the film included "Take It Easy," "Love Without Reason", and "Dark Chapter", which is the title of the E.J. Rath book the film is in part based on – although neither Rath's novel nor Courtenay Savage's play are credited. Noted Broadway columnist

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television host, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York News ...

provided additional dialogue for the film, his first assignment for Hal Roach Studios.

Awards and honors

''Merrily We Live'' received five

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nominations in total: Best Supporting Actress (

), Best Sound Recording ( Elmer Raguse), Best Song ("Merrily We Live"), Best Art Direction ( Charles D. Hall), and Best Cinematography ( Norbert Brodine). Billie Burke's Best Supporting Actress nomination was the only Oscar nomination of her career.

Adaptations

* On March 3, 1938, parts of ''Merrily We Live'' were recreated for the radio on MGM's ''Good News Radio'' program, featuring the stars of the film. * In 1955, there was a Mexican version of the film under the title ''

Escuela de vagabundos ''School for Tramps'' (Spanish: ''Escuela de vagabundos'') is a 1955 Mexican comedy film. It was produced by Fernando de Fuentes. It's considered one of the finest comedies of Mexican cinema, and is adapted from the screenplay for the MGM movie ...

'' (''School for Vagabonds'') with

Pedro Infante Pedro Infante Cruz (; 18 November 1917 – 15 April 1957) was a Mexican ranchera singer and actor whose career spanned the golden age of Mexican cinema. Infante was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, and raised in nearby Guamúchil. He died on 15 Apri ...

and Miroslava Stern as the lead actors.

References

External links

* * * * {{Norman Z. McLeod 1930s screwball comedy films American black-and-white films American screwball comedy films Films directed by Norman Z. McLeod Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films based on American novels American films based on plays Remakes of American films 1938 comedy films 1930s American films Films scored by Marvin Hatley