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IMDb > Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
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Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   3,582 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
H.C. Potter
Writers:
Eric Hodgins (novel)
Norman Panama (written by) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 June 1948 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Romance more
Plot:
A man and his wife decide they can afford to have a house in the country built to their specifications. It's a lot more trouble than they think. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
1 nomination more
User Comments:
A house in Connecticut more
US TV Schedule:
Fri. July 314:00 PMTCM   

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Cary Grant ... Jim Blandings

Myrna Loy ... Muriel Blandings

Melvyn Douglas ... Bill Cole
Reginald Denny ... Henry L. Simms
Sharyn Moffett ... Joan Blandings
Connie Marshall ... Betsy Blandings
Louise Beavers ... Gussie
Ian Wolfe ... Smith - a real estate agent
Harry Shannon ... W. D. Tesander
Tito Vuolo ... Mr. Zucca - the steam shovel operator
Nestor Paiva ... Joe Appollonio
Jason Robards Sr. ... John W. Retch (as Jason Robards)
Lurene Tuttle ... Mary
Lex Barker ... Carpenter Foreman
Emory Parnell ... Mr. PeDelford
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Additional Details

Runtime:
94 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
French visa # 7748. more
Quotes:
Smith: You're buying a piece of American history.
Jim Blandings: You don't say. How's that?
Smith: Why, first year she was built, General Gates stopped right here to water his horses.
Jim Blandings: Old General Gates, huh? Civil War.
Smith: Huh? Revolutionary War.
Jim Blandings: Oh, *that* General Gates.
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Movie Connections:
Featured in Hollywood Remembers: Myrna Loy - So Nice to Come Home to (1991) (TV) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
13 out of 14 people found the following comment useful:-
A house in Connecticut, 19 April 2006
8/10
Author: jotix100 from New York

Manhattan apartment dwellers have to put up with all kinds of inconveniences. The worst one is the lack of closet space! Some people who eat out all the time use their ranges and dishwashers as storage places because the closets are already full!

Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, a great comedy writing team from that era, saw the potential in Eric Hodgins novel, whose hero, Jim Blandings, can't stand the cramped apartment where he and his wife Muriel, and two daughters, must share.

Jim Blandings, a Madison Ave. executive, has had it! When he sees an ad for Connecticut living, he decides to take a look. Obviously, a first time owner, Jim is duped by the real estate man into buying the dilapidated house he is taken to inspect by an unscrupulous agent. This is only the beginning of his problems.

Whatever could be wrong, goes wrong. The architect is asked to come out with a plan that doesn't work for the new house, after the original one is razed. As one problem leads to another, more money is necessary, and whatever was going to be the original cost, ends up in an inflated price that Jim could not really afford.

The film is fun because of the three principals in it. Cary Grant was an actor who clearly understood the character he was playing and makes the most out of Jim Blandings. Myrna Loy, was a delightful actress who was always effective playing opposite Mr. Grant. The third character, Bill Cole, an old boyfriend of Myrna, turned lawyer for the Blandings, is suave and debonair, the way Melvin Douglas portrayed him. One of the Blandings girls, Joan, is played by Sharyn Moffett, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Eva Marie Saint. The great Louise Beavers plays Gussie, but doesn't have much to do.

The film is lovingly photographed by James Wong Howe, who clearly knew what to do to make this film appear much better. The direction of H.C. Potter is light and he succeeded in this film that will delight fans of classic comedies.

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'Bicker, bicker, bicker' Brighidsgirl
Favorite scene... lorene-lavora
Remake of this movie starring Ice Cube? boongieman
How much was $30,000 back then? tonyhamm
I think they were totally... martine_everhart
Good, but not as good as the book sixpetite
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