The Great Pulitzer Prize Play Now the Screen's Outstanding Picture!

Starring: Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart, Edward Arnold, Mischa Auer, Ann Miller, Spring Byington, Samuel S. Hinds, Donald Meek, H. B. Warner, Halliwell Hobbes, Dub Taylor, Mary Forbes, Lillian Yarbo, Eddie Anderson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You may be a high mogul to yourself, Mr. Kirby, but to me you're a failure - failure as a man, failure as a human being, even a failure as a father. When your time comes, I doubt if a single tear will be shed over you." – Grandpa Martin Vanderhoff

Why watch this? Its a splendid story about living a life with meaning, not things.

Plot Summary: An ordinary young woman from an eccentric family falls in love with the son of her wealthy, straight-laced boss. The young lovers hope for a future together despite the extreme differences between their families' attitudes towards life and money. During a disastrous dinner party, the couple's unconventional relatives collide with the snobbish, conservative family of the fiancé.

Dad's Preview: There are themes that flow through Frank Capra (Meet John Doe (1941), It's A Wonderful Life (1946)) movies: one man against the corporate machine, decency vs. greed, American ideals and a loveable affinity for oddballs. This wildly entertaining film is borders on slapstick comedy as we get to know its two families: the wealthy, snobbish Kirbys and the eccentric clan living with their patriarch Grandpa Vanderhof (delightfully portrayed by Lionel Barrymore). The problem starts when Tony Kirby falls in love with Vanderhof's grand-daughter Alice. What ensues is a comical clash of the titans. It's populated with many colorful characters, and some old-fashioned wisdom that, in my opinion, all of us could use in today's world.

Columbia Pictures