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Merrily We Live
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| Merrily We Live | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Norman Z. McLeod |
| Screenplay by | Eddie Moran Jack Jevne Ed Sullivan (add'l dialog) |
| Based on |
|
| Produced by | Hal Roach Milton H. Bren |
| Starring | Constance Bennett Brian Aherne |
| Cinematography | Norbert Brodine |
| Edited by | William H. Terhune |
| Music by | Marvin Hatley |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Merrily We Live is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod and written by Eddie Moran and Jack Jevne. It stars Constance Bennett and Brian Aherne and features Ann Dvorak, Bonita Granville, Billie Burke, Tom Brown, Alan Mowbray, Clarence Kolb, and Patsy Kelly. The film was produced by Hal Roach for Hal Roach Studios, and was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The film is based on a reworking of the 1930 movie What a Man – itself based on the 1924 novel The Dark Chapter: A Comedy of Class Distinctions by E.J. Rath, and its 1926 Broadway adaptation They All Want Something by Courtenay Savage. However, some critics found the plot of the film similar to the 1936 movie My Man Godfrey.[1][2]
Merrily We Live was extremely successful and garnered five Oscar nominations.
Plot
[edit]Grosvenor (Alan Mowbray), the Kilbournes' butler, discovers at breakfast that the family silver has been stolen by Ambrose, the latest tramp Emily Kilbourne (Billie Burke) had taken under her wing as the family chauffeur in her obsession to reform fallen and destitute men, much to the exasperation of the rest of the family. A distressed Emily swears off taking in any more tramps, to the delight of the rest of the family. However, later in the morning, Wade Rawlins (Brian Aherne) appears at the Kilbournes' doorstep. His ramshackle car had broken down; when he got out, it rolled off a cliff. He wants to use the telephone, but is instead immediately adopted by Emily Kilbourne and appointed as the replacement chauffeur, despite the rude efforts of Grosvenor and Emily's daughters Geraldine "Jerry" (Constance Bennett) and Marion (Bonita Granville). Further attempts to convince Mrs. Kilbourne to get rid of this latest tramp are blissfully ignored.
Rawlins, as the new chauffeur, is housed in the servant's quarters. He is overheard talking to himself while cleaning up by Grosvenor and suspected to be crazy. Jerry and Marion see the spruced up tramp looking the perfect gentleman and Jerry approves when Rawlins later brushes off Jerry's arrogant would-be suitor, Herbert Wheeler (Phillip Reed). They now have second thoughts when their father, Henry Kilbourne (Clarence Kolb), who has returned from work, tells Emily that he is putting his foot down and orders that they get rid of her latest tramp the next day.
A comedy of errors, nighttime interludes with drunken family behavior, the arrogant Herbert making a move on Jerry, follows with the rescue of the damsel in distress who has also somehow misplaced her keys where some delightful flirting ensues, resulting in Jerry falling in love with Wade. Marion also expresses a crush on Wade. The next day, Emily Kilbourne, despite orders to get rid of Wade, trains him to be a footman at the important dinner party that evening for Senator Harlan (Paul Everton). That evening, through a contrived prank by Marion, Rawlins is accidentally invited to the important dinner party for Senator Harlan, who takes quite a liking to him, as does his daughter Minerva (Ann Dvorak).
The next morning, the family finds Rawlins occupying the guest room. It is impossible to throw him out, as it is discovered that he is now a confidant of Senator Harlan and his daughter's target of affection. Jerry is consumed with jealousy, as she sees Minerva flirting with Rawlins at golf later that morning. After a fudge-making spat with Jerry, Rawlins takes the rest of the day off on an errand. The car he wrecked turns out to be a loan. He goes to pay for it, but the car has been found and the police inform the car's owner that Rawlins is assumed to be dead. The man leaves to identify his car. Thus, when Rawlins arrives, the owner's assistant George (Willie Best) thinks he is a ghost. The Kilbournes believe Rawlins has left for good, much to Jerry's dismay after waiting up to reconcile with him.
The next morning at breakfast, the newspaper reports the death of E. Wade Rawlins, the "noted novelist", from a car crash, much to the shock and dismay of the family, the cook and the maid. When Rawlins reappears, very much alive, utter pandemonium ensues as much of the family assume they are seeing a ghost. Once the confusion dies down the truth becomes clear and Jerry is immensely relieved.
Cast
[edit]- Constance Bennett as Geraldine "Jerry" Kilbourne
- Brian Aherne as E. Wade Rawlins, the tramp
- Alan Mowbray as Grosvenor, the butler
- Billie Burke as Emily Kilbourne
- Patsy Kelly as Etta, the cook
- Ann Dvorak as Minerva Harlan
- Tom Brown as Kane Kilbourne
- Clarence Kolb as Henry Kilbourne
- Bonita Granville as Marion Kilbourne
- Marjorie Rambeau as Mrs. Harlan
- Phillip Reed as Herbert Wheeler
- Willie Best as George W. Jones, the store assistant
- Sidney Bracey as hired Second Butler/Footman
- Paul Everton as Senator Willie Harlan
- Marjorie Kane as Rosa, the maid
- Olin Howland as Jed Smith, general store owner (uncredited)
Cast notes
- This was the fifth of six films that Billie Burke and Alan Mowbray appeared in together. The others were Where Sinners Meet (1934), Becky Sharp (1935), She Couldn't Take It (1935), Topper (1937), and Topper Takes a Trip (1938).
Production
[edit]Merrily We Live was in production from October 27, 1937, to January 10, 1938. Some location filming took place at Arrowhead Hot Spring and Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California.[3][4]
Titles that were considered for the film included "Take It Easy," "Love Without Reason", and "Dark Chapter", which is the title of the E.J. Rath book the film is in part based on – although neither Rath's novel nor Courtenay Savage's play are credited.[3]
Noted Broadway columnist Ed Sullivan provided additional dialogue for the film, his first assignment for Hal Roach Studios.
Awards and honors
[edit]Merrily We Live received five Academy Award nominations in total: Best Supporting Actress (Billie Burke), Best Sound Recording (Elmer Raguse), Best Song ("Merrily We Live"), Best Art Direction (Charles D. Hall), and Best Cinematography (Norbert Brodine).[5][6] Billie Burke's Best Supporting Actress nomination was the only Oscar nomination of her career.
Adaptations
[edit]- On March 3, 1938, parts of Merrily We Live were recreated for the radio on MGM's Good News Radio program, featuring the stars of the film.[3]
- In 1955, there was a Mexican version of the film under the title Escuela de vagabundos (School for Vagabonds) with Pedro Infante and Miroslava Stern as the lead actors.
References
[edit]- ^ Frank Nugent (March 18, 1938). "Godfrey's Ghost Haunts 'Merrily We Live,' at the Capitol". The New York Times.
- ^ Hal Erickson. "Merrily We Live Plot Synopsis". AllMovie. Retrieved October 22, 2021., "a blatant copy of My Man Godfrey"
- ^ a b c TCM Notes
- ^ IMDB Filming locations
- ^ "The 11th Academy Awards (1939) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
- ^ "NY Times: Merrily We Live". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Merrily We Live.
- Merrily We Live at IMDb
- Merrily We Live at the TCM Movie Database (archived version)
- Merrily We Live at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Merrily We Live
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Background
Source material
Merrily We Live draws its narrative origins from the 1924 novel The Dark Chapter: A Comedy of Class Distinctions by E.J. Rath, published by Grosset & Dunlap.[7] The novel is a light satire on high society, depicting comedic clashes of class distinctions in a wealthy family setting where unconventional servants are hired, leading to romantic entanglements. Rath, known for his earlier work The Nervous Wreck, emphasized the absurdities of social reform efforts within privileged circles. The novel was adapted for the stage as They All Want Something: A Comedy in a Prologue and Three Acts by Courtenay Savage, which premiered on Broadway at Wallack's Theatre on October 12, 1926, and ran for 62 performances until December 1926.[8] The play retained the core comedic premise of social satire through the hiring of unconventional servants in an affluent household, amplifying farcical elements of class interactions and mistaken identities.[9] The story was first adapted into film as the 1930 pre-Code romantic comedy What a Man, directed by George Crone for Universal Pictures and starring Reginald Denny.[10] [11] Merrily We Live is a reworking of this 1930 film. While Merrily We Live shares thematic tropes of eccentric wealthy families employing down-on-their-luck individuals with the 1936 film My Man Godfrey—adapted from Eric Hatch's 1935 novel of the same name—and the 1934 film Servants' Entrance, based on Sigrid Boo's 1929 novel, its source material distinctly originates the character of the reformist matron driving the plot through her ideological hiring practices.[12][9] These parallels highlight common screwball comedy motifs of the era, but Rath's work predates them and provides the unique foundation for the film's central reformist dynamic.[9]Development
In the mid-1930s, amid the rising popularity of screwball comedies during the Great Depression, Hal Roach Studios acquired the film rights to E.J. Rath's 1924 novel The Dark Chapter: A Comedy of Class Distinctions and the 1926 stage play They All Want Something by Courtenay Savage, adapting the story of class clashes and mistaken identities for a cinematic screwball format.[13][2][14] The initial screenplay was developed by writers Eddie Moran and Jack Jevne, who modernized the source material to reflect 1930s social dynamics, incorporating themes of economic hardship, vagrancy, and blurred class lines influenced by the Great Depression, such as the hiring of transient workers in affluent households.[15][9] Norman Z. McLeod was selected to direct the project in 1937, drawing on his established reputation in comedy films, including the Marx Brothers' Horse Feathers (1932) and Hal Roach's own Topper (1937).[16] Scheduling set to begin principal photography in late 1937 as a direct follow-up to the studio's hit Topper.[17]Production
Pre-production
The pre-production of Merrily We Live focused on assembling a cast experienced in comedic roles to capture the film's screwball tone, with principal casting completed in late 1937. Produced by Milton H. Bren,[15] Constance Bennett was cast as the spoiled daughter Jerry Kilbourne, while Brian Aherne was selected as the suave drifter E. Wade Rawlins.[18] Billie Burke portrayed the eccentric matron Emily Kilbourne, supported by Alan Mowbray as the butler Grosvenor, Patsy Kelly as the maid Etta, Bonita Granville as the younger sister Marian Kilbourne, and Clarence Kolb as the father Henry Kilbourne.[18][15] The crew was drawn from Hal Roach Studios' roster of comedy specialists to emphasize visual humor and opulent settings. Cinematographer Norbert Brodine was hired to handle the black-and-white photography, known for its lively framing suited to screwball antics.[15] Art director Charles D. Hall oversaw the design of the Kilbourne family's lavish mansion interiors and exteriors, creating a backdrop of comic chaos.[15] The production also involved script revisions by Eddie Moran and Jack Jevne, adapting the source material into a streamlined narrative.[19] Location preparations centered on Hal Roach Studios' backlots in Culver City, California, where the estate sequences were staged using existing sets and constructed elements to evoke upper-class domesticity without extensive on-location shooting.[20]Filming
Principal photography for Merrily We Live took place primarily at Hal Roach Studios in Culver City, California, from October 27, 1937, to January 10, 1938.[20] Some exterior scenes were filmed on location at Arrowhead Hot Springs and Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino National Forest to capture the outdoor vagrant sequences integral to the screwball comedy's plot.[21] This schedule aligned with the efficient production timelines common for Hal Roach's comedy features during the late 1930s, allowing for the fast-paced execution required by the genre. Director Norman Z. McLeod employed techniques suited to screwball comedy, emphasizing rapid gag escalation where multiple humorous elements overlapped to build toward punchlines, enhancing the film's chaotic energy.[15] His approach focused on brisk dialogue delivery and physical comedy, drawing from his prior work on similar ensemble-driven farces, to maintain the story's lighthearted momentum without overcomplicating the narrative. The film was shot in black-and-white by cinematographer Norbert Brodine, whose work earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography.[13] Brodine's lighting emphasized soft, flattering illumination for the glamorous interior sets at the Kilbourne mansion, contrasting with the more rugged exteriors to underscore the class dynamics central to the plot.[22]Story and cast
Plot
The eccentric Kilbourne family resides in a sprawling mansion, where matron Emily Kilbourne's philanthropic habit of employing ex-convicts and hobos as household staff creates constant disorder. After the latest servant steals the family's silverware, Emily reluctantly agrees to cease hiring drifters, but chaos persists among the remaining quirky retainers.[2][15] One morning, after a disheveled man named Wade Rawlins's car breaks down near the estate, Emily hires him as the new chauffeur despite the family's objections. Rawlins, who appears rough but possesses an underlying refinement, quickly integrates into the household by restoring order amid the servants' antics and the family's bickering.[2][15][9] As Rawlins charms the Kilbournes with his wit and competence, romantic tension builds between him and daughter Jerry, complicated by comedic mishaps such as rivalries among the servants and a frantic car chase involving the family. The family's dynamics, marked by Emily's scatterbrained optimism and the siblings' playful schemes, revolve around these interactions.[15][9] Rawlins is presumed killed in a car crash and reported dead in the newspapers, but he returns alive, revealing his true identity as a noted novelist. Jerry, realizing her love for him, and the family welcome him back, leading to their engagement.[2][15]Cast
The principal cast of Merrily We Live (1938) features Constance Bennett as Jerry Kilbourne, the headstrong daughter of the wealthy family.[23] Brian Aherne portrays E. Wade Rawlins, the disguised tramp and author who enters the household.[13] Key supporting roles include Billie Burke as Mrs. Emily Kilbourne, the reformist matron of the household; Clarence Kolb as Henry Kilbourne, the exasperated father; and Alan Mowbray as Grosvenor, the loyal butler.[23][13] Other notable cast members are Tom Brown as Kane Kilbourne, the son; Bonita Granville as Marian Kilbourne, the younger daughter; Patsy Kelly as Etta, the maid; and Ann Dvorak as Minerva Harlan, a brief society guest.[23][13] All roles were filled by established character actors of the 1930s, with no major uncredited cameos reported.[13]Release and reception
Release details
Merrily We Live had its world premiere in Los Angeles on March 2, 1938, with a wide U.S. release on March 4 through distributor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), as a production from Hal Roach Studios.[24][2] MGM managed national distribution, positioning the film as a screwball comedy akin to My Man Godfrey (1936).[25] The completed picture, wrapping production in late 1937, ran 90 minutes and received approval from the Production Code Administration under the Hays Code without requiring any edits.[26][2] For home media availability, the film saw an initial VHS release in the 1980s through MGM/UA Home Video, making it accessible to television audiences during that era. A DVD edition followed in 2011, preserving the black-and-white feature in standard definition. In 2018, ClassicFlix issued a Blu-ray restoration sourced from original negatives, enhancing audio clarity and visual quality with a high-definition transfer in the original 1.37:1 aspect ratio. As of 2025, the film is available for streaming on platforms including Prime Video and Tubi.[27][28][29][30]Critical response
Upon its release, Merrily We Live received generally positive reviews for its comedic style and ensemble performances, though critics noted its heavy reliance on familiar tropes from earlier screwball comedies. Variety praised the film's breezy script, which effectively builds multiple gags in rapid succession for maximum laughs, crediting director Norman Z. McLeod's skillful timing in orchestrating the chaos.[15] The review highlighted Billie Burke's delightful portrayal of the scatterbrained matriarch Emily Kilbourne, whose flustered antics provide much of the film's humor through impeccable comedic timing.[15] The New York Times offered a more mixed assessment, describing the film as a "pleasant trifle" of light entertainment buoyed by the bright styles of its cast, including Burke, Alan Mowbray, and Patsy Kelly, but criticized its loose structure and derivative plot elements borrowed directly from My Man Godfrey (1936), such as the eccentric family dynamics and the debonair tramp's integration.[9] Performances by leads Constance Bennett and Brian Aherne were lauded for their sparkling chemistry, with Aherne's suave charm complementing Bennett's sharp-witted poise in scenes that blend disdain and budding romance.[6] In modern retrospectives, the film holds an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 17 critic reviews, reflecting appreciation for its well-paced direction and ensemble-driven comedy that captures the screwball genre's frenetic energy (as of 2025).[6] It also maintains a 7.3/10 user rating on IMDb from approximately 2,400 votes (as of 2025), with viewers often citing it as an underrated gem for its witty dialogue and chaotic family antics.[1] Common criticisms include its formulaic narrative, which feels overly imitative of contemporaries, and occasional pacing issues, such as an abrupt conclusion that undercuts the momentum compared to tighter screwball efforts like Bringing Up Baby (1938).[9]Box office
Merrily We Live achieved commercial success during its initial release, marking it as a hit for a mid-budget comedy produced by Hal Roach Studios.[31] This performance was bolstered by the star power of Constance Bennett, whose popularity helped drive ticket sales despite her career being in a transitional phase following earlier peaks.[31] The film had a limited international release through MGM, generating modest additional earnings in markets such as Europe and Canada, though it did not achieve the same level of widespread distribution as major blockbusters of the era. The movie delivered a profitable return, underscoring its viability as a screwball comedy in the late 1930s film landscape.[25] Subsequent re-releases in the 1940s saw minor theatrical revivals, while television airings in the 1950s sustained its popularity among audiences without generating substantial additional box office revenue.Recognition
Awards and nominations
Merrily We Live received five nominations at the 11th Academy Awards in 1939, but did not win any awards.[5] The film was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Billie Burke, who lost to Fay Bainter in Jezebel.[5] It also earned a nomination for Best Sound Recording for Elmer A. Raguse of the Hal Roach Studio Sound Department, with the award going to Thomas T. Moulton for The Cowboy and the Lady.[5] Additional nominations included Best Cinematography (Black-and-White) for Norbert Brodine, who lost to Joseph Ruttenberg for The Great Waltz; Best Art Direction for Charles D. Hall, with the winner being Carl Jules Weyl for The Adventures of Robin Hood; and Best Original Song for "Merrily We Live" (music by Phil Charig, lyrics by Arthur Quenzer), which lost to "Thanks for the Memory" from The Big Broadcast of 1938.[5] These five nominations represented a notable achievement for a Hal Roach comedy.[5]| Category | Nominee | Result | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Billie Burke | Nominated | Fay Bainter (Jezebel) |
| Best Sound Recording | Elmer A. Raguse | Nominated | Thomas T. Moulton (The Cowboy and the Lady) |
| Best Cinematography (Black-and-White) | Norbert Brodine | Nominated | Joseph Ruttenberg (The Great Waltz) |
| Best Art Direction | Charles D. Hall | Nominated | Carl Jules Weyl (The Adventures of Robin Hood) |
| Best Original Song ("Merrily We Live") | Phil Charig (music), Arthur Quenzer (lyrics) | Nominated | Ralph Rainger (music), Leo Robin (lyrics) ("Thanks for the Memory" from The Big Broadcast of 1938) |