Life With Father

Director: Michael Curtiz

Overview

In this faithful film adaptation of the longest-running non-musical play in Broadway history, William Powell stars as Clarence Day, the benevolent despot of his 1880s New York City household. Irene Dunne co-stars as Day's wife, who outwardly has no common sense but who is the real head of the household.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/15/2015
UPC:	0644827222926
Original Release:	0000
Language:	English
Sales rank:	3,149

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Irene Dunne	Vinnie
William Powell	Father
Elizabeth Taylor	Mary
Edmund Gwenn	Rev. Lloyd
Martin Milner	John
ZaSu Pitts	Cora
Jimmy Lydon	Clarence
Emma Dunn	Margaret
Moroni Olsen	Dr. Humphries
Derek Scott	Harlan
Johnny Calkins	Whitney
Heather Wilde	Annie
Elisabeth Risdon	Mrs. Whitehead,Mrs. Whitehead
Monte Blue	Policeman
Nancy Evans	Delia
Mary Field	Nora
Queenie Leonard	Maggie
Clara Blandick	Mrs. Wiggins
Frank Elliott	Dr. Somers
Clara Reid	Scrub Woman
Philo McCullough	Milkman
Loie Bridge	Corsetierre,Corsetierre
George Meader	Salesman
Douglas Kennedy	Mr. Morley
Philip Van Zandt	Clerk
Russell Arms	Stock Quotation Operator
Faith Kruger	Hilda
Jean Del Val	Francois
Creighton Hale	Father of Twins
Jean Andren	Mother of Twins
Elaine Lange	Ellen
Jack Martin	Chef
Arlene Dahl	Girl in Delmonico's
Gertrude Valerie	Churchgoer
David Cavendish	Churchgoer
Henry Sylvester	Churchgoer
Hallene Hill	Churchgoer
Laura Treadwell	Churchgoer
John Beck	Perkins the Clerk
James Metcalfe	Customer
Joe Bernard	Cashier
Lucille Shamburger	Nursemaid
Michael Mineo	One of Twin Boys
Max Steiner	Composer

Technical Credits

Donald Ogden Stewart

Howard Lindsay

Clarence Day

Donald Ogden Stewart	Screenwriter
Robert Buckner	Producer
Russel Crouse	Playwright
Howard Lindsay	Playwright,Screenwriter
William McGann	Special Effects
Ray Foster	Special Effects
Clarence Day	Screenwriter
Jack L. Warner	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Life With Father is yet another well-made film from the versatile Michael Curtiz, who probably directed more types of films well than anyone else in screen history. This is another "family values" film from the post-WWII era, with William Powell as the loving patriarch and Irene Dunne as the wife who understands her duties to gender traditions. One of the best reasons to watch is to see a young Elizabeth Taylor in an important supporting role. The film does not so much evoke the values of a bygone era as advocate them, and current-day audiences may have difficulty relating to its simplistic world view. As with nearly all of Curtiz' studio efforts, the production is first-rate, the performances strong, and the events fast-moving. The film is perhaps better remembered by reputation than by re-viewing, but it was one of Warner Bros.' top films of the era, and it remains a well-constructed piece of commercial filmmaking.