Life With Father (1947)

Great Film;Shoddy Transfer

The five star rating is for the film itself. It's a shame that a film of this high calibre is treated so shabbily. Muddy transfer, skipped scenes, heck, my copy even had a big scratch on it. Here's hoping that Warner Brothers, the film's original distributor, finds it fit to release a proper DVD like it has done with so much of it's back catalog. As for the film itself, it is pure comic bliss. William Powell, as the thin-skinned yet lovable father, is just gold here. One of the great comic performances of all-time, period. Irene Dunne as the soft-spoken mother is Powell's equal here. Powell may display all the bluster but in her quietly manipulative way Dunne demonstrates who the real boss of the house is even in pre-suffrage 1888 New York. The film makes some pointed but humorous observations about the social mores of the day. A young Liz Taylor is on hand here but her character seems to be something of an afterthought. Her presence here has probably more to do with her rising starpower than what she can bring to the table. October 6, 2005

Qualified five star

It is a qualified five star because the movie is 5 star and wonderful but the DVDs I've seen are terrible. I have viewed two versions and found both very sub par (like a badly worn VHS). I wish someone would produce a DVD of this outstanding classic that is worthy of the performances in this delightful and sometimes hilarious through back to a simpler time.

I'm not sure which movie the other reviewer watched, but William Powell plays the father of all BOYS and Elizabeth Taylor plays a young (late teen) family friend infatuated with the oldest son who's headed to Yale in the fall.

Great fun, wish there was a good DVD. Maybe some day, now that the Thin Man series has been re-done in DVD. September 5, 2005

Life with Father - ONE OF MY FAVORITE OLD MOVIES

Strick Father living in a house full of woman. His wife and daughters. Stars William Powell with large, booming voice, who wants to know who is on the phone. Movie set maybe around the 1920's or later. Mother is played by Irene Dunne.
Elizabeth Taylor played one of the daughters. She could have been maybe 12-15 years old at the time.

A vintage flick. Not Rate, clean cut. More for those that like old Classics. AND, not action, marshall arts, cussing, and guns.

It's a good movie. I RECOMMEND IT! March 23, 2005

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