Michael Curtiz has, with Life With Father, accomplished an incredible feat. He has taken the very successful play, by Russel Crouse and Harold Lindsey and successfully adapted it to the screen. The play is based on Clarence Day’s memoir, of the same name. Curtiz has gotten terrific performances from the leads, William Powell and Myrna Loy. He also gets good performances from the child actors.
The story revolves around the Day family in New York City in 1883. It focuses primarily on Clarence Day; a Wall Street financier, and his wife Vinnie. Although Clarence, Clare, for short, is the head of the family, his wife is really in charge. Clare not only runs his family like a business, he stretches it to religion. The head of the church, Rev. Dr. Lloyd, (Edmund Gwenn), asks for a contribution. Clare tells him that he already paid $5,000 for a pew, that he knows it is only valued at $3,000. Vinnie puts her foot down, and he relents. Later, a dinner conversation about religion, takes place. Clare proudly proclaims that he’s never been baptized. Vinnie is horrified. She is even more upset when he refuses to be baptized. William Powell’s acting ability is shown, when Vinnie becomes deathly ill. He argues with Dr. Lloyd about religion, and demands God spare his wife. Edmund Gwenn does very well as the reverend, trying to comprehend Clare’s blasphemy. Clare is so distraught that he promises his wife that he”ll be baptized. This is something he later regrets.
Irene Dunne acted with some of the finest stars in Hollywood, such as Charles Boyer and Cary Grant. Her role as Vinnie Day, against William Powell’s Clarence, outdoes the work she did with the aforementioned actors. She goes back and forth and wins all the arguments, without Powell’s character realizing it. She even thoroughly confuses his financial mind, when she does an even exchange, in a department store. It takes a lot to bring a stage character to the big screen. Irene Dunne has accomplished it, and actors and actresses could take a lesson from her performance.
Jimmy Lydon is good as Clarence Day Jr. He has one exceptional scene, when he goes against his father, when he won’t buy him a nice suit. He wants the suit to impress Mary Skinner, (ElizabethTaylor), who is staying with the Day’s temporarily, along with her Aunt, Cora Cartwright, (Zazu Pitts). Elizabeth Taylor’s part is small, but she is charming, as the young lady who knocks Clarence Day Jr. off his feet.
It was the talent of Michael Curtiz, to do various genres successfully, like action, musicals and drama. Comedy may be the most difficult genre. Curtiz has made the successful transition. He has the opening credits show black and white photos of 1880’s New York. These transition into color scenes of the streets of New York. This is a simple but effective way to introduce the colorful and entertaining Day family. He gives the audiences several scenes that produce laughter. He gets away from the comedy when Vinnie becomes ill, but the two things blend successfully in the end. Michael Curtiz will always be remembered for making Errol Flynn a star, and Casablanca. He should be remembered for the overlooked films, like Life With Father that he made.
Hollywood is a place where novels are filmed constantly, and plays are adapted. They fall short, either by ignoring the novel or play’s characters or storyline. It takes a tremendous effort, to take one of the most successful plays ever produced on Broadway; and bring it to the big screen. It is due to the creativity of all involved, that Life With Father became as successful a movie as the play.