The Happiest Millionaire

G

Released Nov 30, 1967

2h 44m

Kids & Family

Musical

List

50%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

80%

Audience Score

2,500+ Ratings

Clever yet hapless new butler John Lawless (Tommy Steele) manages a Philadelphia household for quirky and joyful millionaire Anthony Drexel Biddle (Fred MacMurray), his unflappable wife, Cordelia (Greer Garson), and their spitfire daughter, Cordy (Lesley Ann Warren). When Cordy goes to boarding school and becomes engaged to handsome heir Angier Duke (John Davidson), it's up to John the butler to help mesh the two families and keep the nuptials on track.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

It tries so desperately hard to please us that, in the end, we almost want to grab Steele and John Davidson, bang their heads together, and snarl: Will you please stop smiling and get on with the movie!

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 23, 2004

Full Review

Brian Costello

Common Sense Media

Some drinking in long, corny Disney musical.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 26, 2018

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Aug 7, 2005

Full Review

Carol Cling

Las Vegas Review-Journal

Rated: 4/5

Jan 23, 2004

Full Review

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Overlong, too gooey, but engaging.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 4, 2003

Full Review

Tony Mastroianni

Cleveland Press

The Happiest Millionaire is a pleasant, tuneful, tasteful musical that is also over-long and uneven. The overall effect, however, is one of pleasure and the movie is ideal family entertainment.

Nov 20, 2003

Full Review

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Steve D

Not the least bit amusing.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/17/24

Full Review

Dale R

Fred MacMurray plays Anthony Drexel Biddle, a millionaire based in Philadelphia who is having difficulties becoming an empty nester. Based on a real person and a book written by his daughter, Cordelia Drexel Biddle, called My Philadelphia Father. That book was adapted into a play, which in turn was adapted into this musical, and this is a full musical with overture, intermission and a three hour run time. The lead actors do a great job of creating likable characters. The music is written by the Sherman Brothers and is fun and well composed. Though, there aren't many memorable songs. The choreography is spotty with some good sequences and some that do not draw your attention or go on for too long. If you are in for the ride, this movie musical is worth a watch.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Wonderful and delightful. Funny and entertaining. Highly recommend it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

r 9

172 minutes. Why? When all is said and done, the run time is the main reason why I rate this low. With that said, I literally had to spend a good amount of time deciding what rating I was going to give it. On the one hand, sure it lasts for way too long but never once, to be honest, did it drag or did I feel seriously bored. However, on the other hand, I have absolutely zero that I can say I liked or enjoyed about it. I'm not a major fan of musicals either, so I'd assume I'd hate this and yet I don't. It's an odd feeling, it leaves a weird impression that's for sure. Fred MacMurray is his usual self, delivering a very solid performance. Away from him, Greer Garson (Cordelia), Tommy Steele (John) and John Davidson (Angier) are all OK. The plot that they all take part in is average, not great nor terrible. 'The Happiest Millionaire' is truly a strange one to me. If they had shaved an hour off then perhaps I would've liked this? Who knows.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of my favorites from my youth---the music is wonderful. The performances of Tommy Steele, Lesley Ann Warren and John Davidson were so energetic and vocally great.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Mildly entertaining, but with a predictable and unmemorable score and all sorts of idiotic hammy junk going on. The Sherman Bros struck gold once only with Mary Poppins. Everything else was formulaic and ripped from that success, and mostly unlistenable. MacMurray’s first song is clearly a Mr. Banks do-over. The annoying Tommy Steele has ‘Fortuosity’... rehashed into ‘Gratifaction’ in the equally bad Tom Sawyer a few years later. Disney decided to make an almost 3 hour film out of this? At 90 minutes or less it would be excusable.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/24/21

Full Review

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Norman Tokar

Director

Fred MacMurray

Father

Tommy Steele

John Lawless

Greer Garson

Mother

Geraldine Page

Mrs. Duke

Gladys Cooper

Aunt Mary

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Synopsis

Clever yet hapless new butler John Lawless (Tommy Steele) manages a Philadelphia household for quirky and joyful millionaire Anthony Drexel Biddle (Fred MacMurray), his unflappable wife, Cordelia (Greer Garson), and their spitfire daughter, Cordy (Lesley Ann Warren). When Cordy goes to boarding school and becomes engaged to handsome heir Angier Duke (John Davidson), it's up to John the butler to help mesh the two families and keep the nuptials on track.

Director: Norman Tokar
Screenwriter: A.J. Carothers
Distributor: Buena Vista Distribution Co. Inc.
Production Co: Walt Disney Productions
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 30, 1967, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Runtime: 2h 44m

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