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Merrily We Live (1938)
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Overview
Release Date:
4 March 1938 (USA) morePlot:
Dizzy society matron Emily Kilbourne has a habit of hiring ex-cons and hobos as servants. Her latest... more | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 5 Oscars. moreUser Comments:
Cute, charming, and very funny, but am I the only one to notice.... moreCast
(Complete credited cast)| Constance Bennett | ... | Jerry Kilbourne | |
| Brian Aherne | ... | E. Wade Rawlins | |
| Alan Mowbray | ... | Grosvenor - the Butler | |
| Billie Burke | ... | Mrs. Emily Kilbourne | |
| Patsy Kelly | ... | Etta | |
| Ann Dvorak | ... | Minerva Harlan | |
| Tom Brown | ... | Kane Kilbourne | |
| Clarence Kolb | ... | Henry Kilbourne | |
| Bonita Granville | ... | Marian Kilbourne | |
| Marjorie Rambeau | ... | Mrs. Harlan | |
| Phillip Reed | ... | Herbert Wheeler | |
| Willie Best | ... | George W. Jones | |
| Sidney Bracey | ... | Second Butler | |
| Paul Everton | ... | Senator Willie Harlan | |
| Marjorie Kane | ... | Rosa |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
95 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)Certification:
USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:Approved (PCA #4033) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:SMOVIEmeter: 
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Although not credited onscreen or noted by reviewers or the SAB, this film is so similar to What a Man (1930) (same plot and even many of the same character names) that the source of the screenplay must surely be the same for both films. Both the 1924 novel "The Dark Chapter; a Comedy of Class Distinctions" by E.J. Rath and the play "They All Want Something" has been added to the writers section. The play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 12 October 1926 and closed in December 1926 after 62 performances. moreQuotes:
Marian Kilbourne: [introducing the two Great Danes] His name is "Get Off the Rug." His is "You, too!" moreSoundtrack:
Merrily We Live moreFAQ
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...that it's basically a remake of "MY MAN GODFREY"? I can't be the only person to have noticed this. It's a screwball comedy about a hobo taken in as butler for a wealthy but eccentric family. There's the exasperated father, airhead mother, two daughters each with ulterior motives, wisecracking other servants, and the handsome young man who seems a little too polished to be a tramp. Even right down to the closing water-splashing payoff involving the leading man and the ingénue.
But to this film's credit, it's worthy of viewing in its own right. The gags are clever, the dialogue is sharp, and the plot is well-structured and fast paced. Solid screwball comedy with a great cast: Constance Bennett, Billie Burke, Alan Mowbray, Patsy Kelly, and young Bonita Granville. It's a forgotten classic only because people remember MY MAN GODFREY better.