Weekend Watch 4/27-4/28
What I’m watching this weekend: Merrily We Live (1938) - 1 hr 35 mins
The Kilbourne family is sick and tired of their flighty, scatterbrained mother’s (Billie Burke) obsession with hiring tramps as household servants. Her hope is that by providing them with all the advantages for success she will be able to make new men of them. However, this always proves to be misguided. Her most recent “project” has left the family without any of their good silver or any of their every day silverware. She vows never to bring another tramp into the house but abandons that promise as soon as a new "tramp" turns up at their home. This tramp, though, proves very different than any they have met, even going so far as being able to capture the heart of the determined and independent eldest daughter, Jerry (Constance Bennett).
I watched this for the first time not all that long ago and was instantly captivated by the screwball and physical comedy of the film, so reminiscent of films like My Man Godfrey (1936). I found myself laughing more than once during each scene. I left the film feeling as one should after watching a good comedy, smiling. I hope to watch it again this weekend! All this being said, the film does not exactly boast an excellent plot. In fact, the plot doesn’t have much direction, but it does capture the style of the screwball comedies of the '30s quite well!
- Olivia
Availability: Youtube, Amazon video, Googleplay, DVD, and Blu-ray.
Purchase DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Merrily-We-Live-Constance-Bennet/dp/B00E3HUVWI
Purchase Blu-ray: https://www.amazon.com/Merrily-Live-Blu-ray-Constance-Bennett/dp/B07DQ3ZX2M/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=