Life with Father

Infobox_Film
name = Life with Father


caption =
imdb_id = 0039566
amg_id =
director = Michael Curtiz
writer = Play:
Howard Lindsay
Russel Crouse
Film:Donald Ogden Stewart
starring = William Powell
Elizabeth Taylor
Irene Dunne
producer = Robert Buckner
music = Max Steiner
editing = George Amy
distributor = Warner Bros.
released = August 14 1947, US| runtime = 118 min.
language = English
followed_by =

"Life with Father" is the title of a humorous autobiographical book of stories compiled in 1935 by Clarence Day, Jr., which was adapted into a 1939 Broadway play by Lindsay and Crouse, which was, in turn, made into a 1947 movie and a television series.

The book

Clarence Day wrote humorously about his family and life. The stories of his father, Clarence "Clare" Day, Senior, are taken from the "New Yorker" magazine. They portray a rambunctious, overburdened Wall Street broker who demands that everything from his family should be just so. The more he rails against his staff, his cook, his wife, his horse, salesmen, holidays, his children and the inability of the world to live up to his impossible standards, the more comical and lovable he becomes to his own family who love him despite it all. First published in 1936, shortly after his death, Day's book is a picture of New York upper middle class family life in the 1890s. The stories are filled with affectionate irony. Day's understated, matter-of-fact style underlines the comedy in everyday situations. [ [http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Life-with-Father/Clarence-Day/e/9780816137558 Barnes and Noble book information and synopsis] ]

Broadway play

The 1939 Broadway production ran for over seven years to become the longest-running non-musical play on Broadway, a record that it still holds. [http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/29266/Life-With-Father/overview "New York Times" review and production information] ] It opened at the Empire Theatre on November 8, 1939 and ran at that theatre until September 8, 1945. It then moved to the Bijou Theatre where it ran until June 15, 1947, and finished its run at the Alvin Theatre on July 12, 1947, closing after 3,224 performances. It starred Howard Lindsay, his wife Dorothy Stickney, and Teresa Wright. [ [http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=1720 Internet Broadway Database listing for Broadway production] ]

1947 film

The 1947 comedy movie tells the true story of a stockbroker, Clarence Day, who wants to be master of his house, but finds his wife and his children ignoring him, until they start making demands for him to change his own life. In keeping with the autobiography, all the children in the family (all boys) are redheads. It stars William Powell, Irene Dunne, Elizabeth Taylor, Edmund Gwenn, Zasu Pitts, Jimmy Lydon and Martin Milner. A beautiful house guest with whom the character of Clarence Jr. becomes infatuated is portrayed by the teenage Elizabeth Taylor. [ [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=24789 Turner Classic Movie synopsis and production information] ]

Due to the standards of the day, the play's last line (in response to a policeman asking Mr. Day where he is going), "I'm going to be baptized, dammit!" had to be rewritten for the film.

The movie was adapted by Donald Ogden Stewart from the play by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, which was based on the book by Clarence Day, Jr.. It was directed by Michael Curtiz. It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (William Powell), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color, Best Cinematography, Color and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture.

Television series

"Life With Father" was made into a television series, starring Leon Ames and Lurene Tuttle. It ran from November 1953 until July 1955 on the CBS television network. [ [http://www.tv.com/life-with-father/show/28595/summary.html tv.com listing for "Life With Father" television show] ]

Influence

Bugs Bunny in the episode "What's Up Doc?" tells his life story to Disassociated Press over the phone. He describes how offers came pouring in. He picks up a script titled "Life with Father", glances at it, then tosses it over his shoulder saying, "Eehhh, it'll never be a hit."

References

*C. Otis Skinner, "Life With Lindsay and Crouse" (Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1976).

External links

*imdb title|id=0039566|title=Life with Father (motion picture)
*imdb title|id=0045408|title=Life with Father (television series)
* [http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=1720 Information about the Broadway production]