Father of the Bride (1950)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

Frances Goodrich (screenplay) and
Albert Hackett (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 June 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

You're invited . . . to a hilarious wedding !

Plot:

A father of a young woman deals with the emotional pain of her getting married, and the financial and organizational pain of arranging her wedding.

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Marriage Engagement | Marriage | Chaos | Family Relationships

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Stanley T. Banks
Joan Bennett	...	Ellie Banks
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Katherine 'Kay' Banks
Don Taylor	...	Buckley Dunstan
Billie Burke	...	Doris Dunstan
Leo G. Carroll	...	Mr. Massoula
Moroni Olsen	...	Herbert Dunstan
Melville Cooper	...	Mr. Tringle
Taylor Holmes	...	Warner
Paul Harvey	...	Reverend A.I. Galsworthy
Frank Orth	...	Joe
Russ Tamblyn	...	Tommy Banks (as Rusty Tamblyn)
Tom Irish	...	Ben Banks
Marietta Canty	...	Delilah - the Maid

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:G | Spain:13 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #14439) | USA:Not Rated (DVD rating) | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

All Saints' Episcopal Church - 504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Jack Benny badly wanted the lead role but was deemed unsuitable.

Goofs:

Continuity: Early in the film in the scene where the Banks family are having a meal and talking about the forthcoming wedding the length of the candles on the table change from long, to short and back to long.

Quotes:

Stanley T. Banks: I would like to say a few words about weddings. I've just been through one. Not my own. My daughter's. Someday in the far future I may be able to remember it with tender indulgence, but not now. I always used to think that marriages were a simple affair...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Raging Bull (1980)

Spencer Tracy Catches the Bouquet

An excellent vehicle for "Father of the Bride" Spencer Tracy. Mr. Tracy turns in an extremely engaging performance, under the direction of Vincente Minnelli. Joan Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor are very beautiful; they look like they could be mother and daughter. Ms. Bennett works well with Tracy; overall, the characters form a "perfect" family. But, this isn't Arthur Miller. Some may find the Banks family dull.

Not to put it down (because it is a great movie), but I was really surprised that this family was "middle class"; they seemed too rich to be fretting about such things. This was 1950s "middle class"? Tracy's was the central performance. I liked his "nightmare/dream" sequences, and his narration helped in understanding the character. The ending, with Tracy and Bennett learning how to be closer, was sweet.

******** Father of the Bride (6/16/50) Vincente Minnelli ~ Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor