The More the Merrier (1943)

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

Robert Russell (story) and
Frank Ross (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 October 1943 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Home is where you hang your guests!

Plot:

During the WW2 housing shortage in Washington, two men and a woman share a single apartment and the older man plays Cupid to the other two.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Housing Shortage | Washington D.C. | Elderly | Schedule

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Jean Arthur	...	Constance 'Connie' Milligan
Joel McCrea	...	Joe Carter
Charles Coburn	...	Benjamin Dingle
Richard Gaines	...	Charles J. Pendergast
Bruce Bennett	...	FBI Agent Evans
Frank Sully	...	FBI Agent Pike
Clyde Fillmore	...	Sen. Noonan
Stanley Clements	...	Morton Rodakiewicz
Jean Stevens	...	Dancer (as Peggy Carroll)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sam Ash	...	Committee Member (uncredited)
Don Barclay	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Betzi Beaton	...	Miss Finch (uncredited)
Hank Bell	...	Singing Man on Apartment Stairway (uncredited)
Gladys Blake	...	Barmaid (uncredited)
Jack Carr	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Chester Clute	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Lew Davis	...	Man entering elevator (uncredited)
Ann Doran	...	Miss Bilby (uncredited)
Donald Douglas	...	FBI Agent Harding (uncredited)
Sugar Geise	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Hal Gerard	...	Second Statistician (uncredited)
Nancy Gray	...	Miss Chasen (uncredited)
Harrison Greene	...	Texan / Apartment Seeker (uncredited)
Robert F. Hill	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Helen Holmes	...	Dumpy Woman (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Man leaving elevator (uncredited)
Frank LaRue	...	Senator in Taxi (uncredited)
Kay Linaker	...	Miss Allen (uncredited)
Eric Mayne	...	Singing Man on Apartment Stairway (uncredited)
Betty McMahon	...	Miss Geeskin (uncredited)
Shirley Patterson	...	Girl (uncredited)
Lon Poff	...	Sleeper (uncredited)
Hal Price	...	Bathing Man (uncredited)
Henry Roquemore	...	Washington Sun Reporter (uncredited)
Marshall Ruth	...	Fat Statistician (uncredited)
Ann Savage	...	Miss Dalton (uncredited)
Byron Shores	...	Air Corps Maj. Denton (uncredited)
Grady Sutton	...	Diner Counterman (uncredited)
David Ward	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Douglas Wood	...	Senator in Taxi (uncredited)

Directed by
George Stevens

Writing credits
Robert Russell		(story) and
Frank Ross		(story)
Robert Russell		(screenplay) &
Frank Ross		(screenplay) and
Richard Flournoy		(screenplay) &
Lewis R. Foster		(screenplay)
Garson Kanin		uncredited

Produced by
Fred Guiol	....	associate producer
George Stevens	....	producer

Original Music by
Leigh Harline

Cinematography by
Ted Tetzlaff

Film Editing by
Otto Meyer

Art Direction by
Lionel Banks
Rudolph Sternad

Set Decoration by
Fay Babcock

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Budd Boetticher	....	assistant director
Norman Deming	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Lodge Cunningham	....	sound

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director (as M.W. Stoloff)
Sidney Cutner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Merry-Go-Round (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

USA:104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The unusual little car Connie's friends drive is a Fiat Topolino convertible. 'Topolino' means 'little mouse' in Italian.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Mr. Carter goes to take a shower after Miss Milligan returns home from work, he is shown wearing a bathrobe, socks and slippers. As he enters the bathroom, he removes his bathrobe, and then gets into the shower. But is he still wearing his socks? He must be, because he isn't shown taking them off.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: Our vagabond camera takes us to beautiful Washington, D.C., the national capital of our United States, situated on the broad banks of the Potomac River. Living is pleasant and leisurely... for it is a city of formality and custom. Manners and courtesy are responsible for the well-ordered conduct of its daily affairs...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in I Know Who Killed Me (2007)

Soundtrack:

What Is This Thing Called Love?

A classic war romantic comedy

This film showed how crowded our nation's capital was during the war. Everyone was there trying to sell their ideas or find ways to improve our war effort. Due to this overcrowding, citizens of Washington DC were asked to be hospitable and let people stay with them. This is where this film gets the idea for this confusing, frustrating and romantic tale.

Picture pretty little Connie(Jean Arthur) living in the fair city of Washington DC. A hard working girl who lives in an apartment by herself. To be patriotic, she decides to rent out her other bedroom. She didn't figure her future roomie would be a male. Now picture Mr. Dingle(Charles Coburn) is a big wig who has come to town to meet with Washington's big wigs. Good golly, his hotel room has been given away and he can not find another place to stay. Guess where he ends up?? Poor Connie.

Now picture young handsome Joseph Carter. Coming to town to show his ideas to improve our flying fleet. He can't find a place either. He runs into our friend Mr. Dingle. Mr. Dingle has a grand idea. Now guess where he is going to stay. Poor poor Connie.

Our dear Connie has a boyfriend who she has been dating, FOREVER!! A Mr. Charles J Pendergast(Richard Gaines). Stuffy, by-the-book, close minded bore. Oh my, he won't like this situation one bit. Poor, poor,...well you get the idea.

This film is a scream. A great script, great direction, and great acting. A great look back into life during the war and wonderful romantic story. Not to mention Jean Arthur's and Charles Coburn's best performances ever.

A classic romantic comedy. You just have to see this!!!