Ten Movies I'm Glad I Saw: The More the Merrier (#5)

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Happy Friday! I'm all set with my boat and floatation devices for the predicted heavy rainfall this weekend. Before the weekend gets off to a soggy start, though, I'll give you another critically-acclaimed film that I'm glad I saw. Here's today's entry. #5: The More the Merrier Screwball comedy 101. The time schedule for morning, and the execution of it, is worth the price of admission. This Oscar-winning (Charles Coburn for best supporting actor) comedy, like so many classics, is set in a specific time with a specific backdrop that may get lost (the housing shortage in World War II). It's timeless comedy, though. While not Jean Arthur's best-known role (that would probably go to her performance in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington as James Stewart's spunky secretary), this was her only Oscar-nominated performance. She was simply superb in the film. Everyone was as they romped through this comedy about a woman who sublet her apartment, only to have the man she rented to sub-let his half. Funny from start to finish, with some romance thrown in, I saw this movie on a TCM Oscar Month run. It quickly became one of my favorites. The More the Merrier Directed by George Stevens Released in 1943 A little love between landlord (Arthur) and tenant (Joel McRea):