On Our Merry Way

Released Feb 3, 1948

1h 47m

Comedy

List

20%

5 Reviews

Tomatometer

35%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Oliver (Burgess Meredith) is a newspaper classified ads clerk, not the roving reporter he leads his wife, Martha (Paulette Goddard), to believe. But when Martha suggests an interview question, Oliver scrambles to make his deception a reality. He fools an editor into assigning him a story on how babies have changed interviewees' lives. On his quest for answers, two musicians (James Stewart, Henry Fonda), a famous actress (Dorothy Lamour) and a magician (Fred MacMurray) offer amusing responses.

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Steve D

None of it works. NONE OF IT.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/01/24

Full Review

Audience Member

I couldn't wait to see this film with its huge star cast. I should've waited.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A trio of stories strung together by Burgess Meredith, who breaks that 4th wall several times.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Audience Member

I heard someone say baby... An aspiring writer is down on his luck and can't write anything worth reading but worthless animal stories. His wife gives him a line to ask people, "tell me how a child has impacted your life." The reporter asks famous musicians, actresses, and politicians this question and receives unique stories of cruel children that impacted their lives for the better. "What types of eggs are those?" "Chicken eggs, whatja think?" Four directors collaborate to deliver this interesting picture containing a wide range of characters and situations. The plots were interesting and felt like a series of short stories within an overarching primary plot. The characters are interesting and fairly well developed. The cast delivers above average performances and includes Burgess Meredith, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Paulette Goddard, Fred MacMurray, and Harry James. "Do you have to wear the bathing suit for the contest?" I DVR'd this some time ago off Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and finally got around to watching it. I was impressed by the cast and their performances and the kids were interesting and fairly unpredictable. Overall, this is a fairly average movie that could have been better but was worth a viewing. "You are a very mean, nasty little girl." Grade: C+

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

good stuff another lost review?!?!?!!?

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

How'd they get so many top rank stars to appear in this meager offering? Not dreadful but very minor. Jimmy & Henry's segment is the best plus there's a chance to see MacMurray & Demerest team up years before My Three Sons.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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King Vidor

Director

Leslie Fenton

Director

Burgess Meredith

Oliver Pease

Paulette Goddard

Martha Pease

Fred MacMurray

Al

Hugh Herbert

Eli Hobbs

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Variety Staff

Variety

The cast couldn't have been better. The story's execution falters because a scene here and there is inclined to strive too much for its whimsical effect.

Mar 11, 2009

Full Review

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

Since Mr. Meredith produced the picture, with Benedict Bogeaus as his partner in crime, it's his privilege, we suppose, to be terrible. He appears to be having the most fun.

Mar 25, 2006

Full Review

Dudley Early

Austin American-Statesman

Obviously, no expense was spared to make this a humdinger and a bell ringer.

Sep 2, 2020

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Strained slapstick comedy with a star-studded cast.

Rated: C+

Sep 8, 2009

Full Review

Brandon Judell

Bay Area Reporter

The highlight is Lamour singing a spoof about her on-screen sarong persona. For some fetishists, seeing Meredith's shaven bare chest might supply another.

Rated: 5/10

Dec 26, 2002

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Synopsis

Oliver (Burgess Meredith) is a newspaper classified ads clerk, not the roving reporter he leads his wife, Martha (Paulette Goddard), to believe. But when Martha suggests an interview question, Oliver scrambles to make his deception a reality. He fools an editor into assigning him a story on how babies have changed interviewees' lives. On his quest for answers, two musicians (James Stewart, Henry Fonda), a famous actress (Dorothy Lamour) and a magician (Fred MacMurray) offer amusing responses.

Director: King Vidor, Leslie Fenton
Screenwriter: Laurence Stallings, Lou Breslow
Production Co: Benedict Bogeaus Production
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 3, 1948, Limited
Release Date (DVD): Jun 11, 2007
Runtime: 1h 47m

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