Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)

This is a simple comedy about a family living in downtown Manhattan who decide to relocate to a delightful old house in loads of acres in rural Maine. Problem is, they buy a house that the wind could blow down and soon enough are on a roller-coaster ride building a new home whilst being simultaneously fleeced by just about everyone. Cary Grant is great; his dialogue is frequently pithy and the on-screen rapport between him and Myrna Loy is effective and understated - even when he starts to believe that she might be up to some shenanigans with their lawyer - Melvyn Douglas - who delivers his role in a magnificently aloof "what are you all doing?" sort of fashion. Add to the mix, the pressure Grant is under to come up with a new slogan for his 1940's equivalent of "Spam" and we have a gentle mixture of screwball fun and games that cannot fail to raise a smile...

If you really like black and white comedies from the 30s and 40s — well, you have probably seen this one! I know I did many (many) years ago, but I recently had a chance to watch it again. It was worth the time. It features Cary Grant and Myrna Loy doing what they do best. He is a wisecracking husband and father who seems smart at times, but slightly daft at other times. He loves his wife and kids, but gives them a hard time when things go the wrong way. But not in a modern hurtful way. Myrna I remember easily from the Thin Man films and she is a natural at this. She deadpans a lot of her lines, but check out her facial expressions. She accomplishes a lot without seeming to try. Some of the situations are predictable, but often I found myself laughing even when I had a good idea what was coming. It is very well-written. This is no blockbuster, but it is sweet, harmless fun, and sometimes that is just what I need.