Life With Father

Released Sep 13, 1947

1h 58m

Comedy

List

92%

Tomatometer

13 Reviews

77%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

In late 19th-century New York City, stockbroker Clarence Day (William Powell) strives to maintain order in his bustling household. Despite his attempts to be the chief authority over his four sons, his wife, Vinnie (Irene Dunne), is the one who truly keeps order in their home, much to Clarence's chagrin. To gain more respect, Clarence reluctantly considers making changes that will benefit everyone, including his own baptism. This slice-of-life comedy was based on a popular Broadway play.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Irene Dunne and William Powell have captured to a considerable extent the charm of the play by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Trevor Johnston

Time Out

Curtiz knocks it together without so much as breaking sweat.

Feb 9, 2006

Full Review

Moira Walsh

America Magazine

The beguiling chronicle of the Day family, so long a fixture on the Broadway scene, has been transformed faithfully and effectively.

Jul 15, 2021

Full Review

Jack Moffitt

Esquire Magazine

In spite of his limitations Curtiz succeeds in giving the play considerable added heart interest. This was not easy to do.

Mar 11, 2020

Full Review

TV Guide

Powell is nothing less than magnificent as the mustached philosophizing patriarch, and Dunne casts a warm glow beside him.

Rated: 4/4

Mar 24, 2011

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Susan Granger

www.susangranger.com

Rated: 3/5

Dec 4, 2007

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jill l

I enjoy many classic movies made in the 1940s. I don't understand enough about the mores of the time to understand why this movie was considered hilarious back then, much less considered funny now. The movie Life With Father (1947 - with classic actors Irene Dunne, William Powell and Elizabeth Taylor) is offensive to me. I had to grit my teeth to watch it to the end. The father is an autocrat. He is an a*****e to his children and his wife, and the minister and the doctor and his household employees. He blames his wife that they "go through" so many maids; refusing to see that he terrorizes every one into quitting/running away in short order. He sees his wife (and all women) as incapable of thinking. I have seen reviews stating unbeknownst to him his wife is the one actually running the house. BS. She achieves a couple things by not telling him about them. She immediately complies with his every order. She is a complete ditz when it comes to retail spending. The worst thing about this is, (except possibly for the oldest son), there is no character growth. At the end Mother does insist that Father keep his promise to be baptized, but it does not indicate a power shift in the relationship overall. The only "redemption" is Father agreeing to the physical act of being baptised, but his heart or behavior is not changed one bit. UGH!

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

deke p

1947 ! This movie is All about BAPTISM! But seems much older, but maybe cuz story Victorian? Turn of the century, early 1900s? I used to watch the 1950s TV series of the same name and theme. Movie version of the long-running Broadway hit . Starred WILLIAM POWELL (Thin Man) as father. William Powell as Episcopalian a "blustery but goodhearted 1880s Wall Street broker,...but becomes unsettled when his wife learns that he is not baptized, even though he grouses that they "can't keep me out of heaven on a technicality." !! Also, priest comes for donations, Father has paid $1000 for his pew, but says he will unload it if the market rises. Wife remonstrates him for treating the church as a commodity. Cast also includes teenagers MARTIN MILNER, & ELIZABETH TAYLOR (as a Methodist). ZAZU PITTS. Saw on the tv set, Jan 26, 2022 & Watched much closer on 5.8.22. Uppin my RT ratin from 3 1/2 to 4 starsh., 5.8.22

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

steve d

It's jokes get old fast.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

GREAT MOVIE, to see: "Life With Father"(1947), (that I saw the first time on my TV that started at 9:30am(CT) on Monday January 27, 2020)! (I wrote these comments at 2:14pm(CT) Monday January 27, 2020.)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Such a wonderful film. I’m so glad I found this film on TCM (Miss that channel- Hope the cable debacle gets resolved soon). Irene Dunne is fantastic, I love the plot and how she turns her staid husband upside down.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/12/19

Full Review

Audience Member

A funny movie about the man who thinks he has everything in order.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

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Michael Curtiz

Director

William Powell

Clarence Day, Sr.

Irene Dunne

Vinnie Day

Elizabeth Taylor

Mary Skinner

Edmund Gwenn

Rev. Dr. Lloyd

ZaSu Pitts

Cora Cartwright

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Synopsis

In late 19th-century New York City, stockbroker Clarence Day (William Powell) strives to maintain order in his bustling household. Despite his attempts to be the chief authority over his four sons, his wife, Vinnie (Irene Dunne), is the one who truly keeps order in their home, much to Clarence's chagrin. To gain more respect, Clarence reluctantly considers making changes that will benefit everyone, including his own baptism. This slice-of-life comedy was based on a popular Broadway play.

Director: Michael Curtiz
Producer: Jack L. Warner
Screenwriter: Donald Ogden Stewart
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Bros.
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 13, 1947, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 5, 2011
Runtime: 1h 58m

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