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20 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
UNplanned Parenthood!, 23 August 2005
9/10
Author: phillindholm from Rohnert Park, CA

"Yours Mine And Ours" is one of the best "family films" of the 1960s. (Very) loosely based on the real-life story of Helen North, a Navy widow with eight children, who married Navy career man Frank Beardsley, a widower with ten children of his own. Lucille Ball bought the rights to Mrs. Beardsley's book "Who Gets The Drumstick?", co- produced it, and took the starring role of Helen North. For those who know her chiefly as a comedienne, this film will be a pleasant surprise. For not only does she have the opportunity to indulge in some of the slapstick she is famous for, she proves conclusively that she was an excellent dramatic actress as well. Moreover, she can switch abruptly (and seemingly effortlessly) from comedy to pathos, sometimes in the same scene! Henry Fonda takes the part of Frank Beardsley and gives it both dimension and strength. As his bachelor friend, Van Johnson is a welcome presence, as is Tom Bosley as a sardonic doctor. There is also a hilarious performance from Louise Troy, as Frank's date early in the story. The kids are well cast and include future notables Tim Matheson, Suzanne Cupito (who grew up to be Morgan Brittany), Mitch Vogel and Tracy Nelson. A good deal of the plot involves the mutual dislike most of the kids have for their step-siblings, but a great deal of charm is present as well. Aiding the production is a nice score by Fred Karlin, a lovely song "It's A Sometimes World", and handsome San Francisco location photography. A remake has just been completed and will be released around the holiday season, but it's not likely to top this one. Incidentally, if you read the original book by Helen Beardsley, you will most likely come away with a far different picture of the Beardsley family, one which may not have transferred as well to the screen. This may also explain why there is no mention of the book as the story source in the movie's opening credits.

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23 out of 28 people found the following comment useful :-
Age appropriate., 31 December 2003
Author: movibuf1962 from Washington, DC

Yes, Lucy was 56 at the time of filming. And Henry Fonda would've been about 61. Accept it and move on. I'm truly worn out from all of the 'they're-too-old' comments I'm hearing on this message board. Considering that both families have grown children in them, I'd rather have the subdued charm and maturity of a Ball/Fonda pairing than some glamorous, way-too-young-and-pretty leads that Hollywood would want to use today, like Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock against Brad Pitt or Heath Ledger. (Give me a break!!) The great thing about going to see a movie is that you can suspend disbelief for a little while, and even if the North-Beardsleys were a bit younger in real life, it absolutely *never* occurred to me that Ball and Fonda were too old. They looked great, and performed even better!! (I never thought of them being older than their late 40s.) To keep a family of 18 (and then 19) together- and simultaneously discipline, steer, and guide them through the rough times- I believe a certain amount of astringent authority is necessary. The film's a charmer.

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12 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Charming, funny movie that makes you long for simpler days., 1 March 2005
10/10
Author: lhannan09 from United States

Not only is this perhaps my favorite movie of all time, but it has proved capable of attracting viewers much younger than myself (and in truth, I was not even born yet when this movie came out). My 2 and 11 year old daughters both enjoy this movie and will sit through it with me no matter how often I suggest it. In fact, my toddler asks for it by name at least once a week! I can't think of a single complaint, except perhaps to say that I envy those characters the simplicity of their lives. If only things were so simple today! And really, who can complain when it showcases a young Tim Matheson, giving us a glimpse of things to come (remember Animal House?)as well as a glimpse of the adorable Matheson sans shirt (his scene with Tom Bosley at the draft board physical is one of the funniest in the movie). One of my favorite things is watching this movie and looking at the faces of the kids, trying to see the adults they eventually became (Tracy Nelson at about age 3, Eric Shea was about 6 or 7, Morgan Brittany, who was a young teenager, and FYI to the person who commented about her appearances in the Old Navy ads: that was Morgan FAIRCHILD, NOT Morgan Brittany). And to those who complain incessantly about the ages of Ball and Fonda at the time the film was made, PLEASE! Get over it already! Half the fun of watching movies is being able to suspend disbelief for 2 hours. I think they looked awfully good, regardless of their "real" ages. This movie, once your kids get past their astonishment that people actually lived without 8 hours of TV a day, showed respect for their elders (most of the time), and got by without PlayStation 2 (!), is the perfect family movie. But oh, I wish 4 carts full of groceries still cost $126.63!! (Did anyone else notice that??) ***** out of *****

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12 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Best Family Movie of the 60's, 10 October 1999
9/10
Author: suessis

I have to admit that I had trouble with Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball in the leads largely because they both were really too old to play their respective characters (Ball was about 57 at the time and Fonda about 63). In the end the film is so well done that I forgot about that. Aside from the film "Please Don't Eat the Daisies", this is probably the best family movie of the 60's. The best thing about the film is the realistic way in which the family blends together. The usual problems are all there and the way in which Fonda and Ball deal with it is about what one would expect, a certain amount of good intentions, a bit of mistake making, sacrifice, and providing a good deal of love and support. The writing may not be politically correct in this day and age (the scene where Fonda's kids get Ball drunk, Ball spanks one of the boys, and there is also a certain amount of gender stereotyping), but it is this that gives the film its appeal and relatability. As Leonard Maltin points out, look for a some well known faces in the supporting cast. Tom Bosley as the doctor, Tim Matheson as Mike, a four or five year old Tracey Nelson, Morgan Brittany of Dallas fame, 70's TV staple Ben Murphy as the oldest daughter's boyfriend, and well known child actor Eric Shea who gives an endearing performance as young Philip, the kid that seems the most lost in the big family. All in all Dad Fonda sums the whole thing up when he describes for the oldest daughter (who's being pressured by the boyfriend to have sex) what love is really about and how this family is staying together, "It isn't going to bed with a man that proves that you love him it's getting up in the morning and facing the drab, miserable, wonderful everyday world that counts. I suppose having 19 kids is carrying it a bit too far, but if we had it to do all over again who would we skip, you?" And that is exactly what Helen and Frank are doing together, and the kids admire and respect them all the more for it.

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10 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
They don't make 'em like this no more..., 21 August 2002
Author: jimu63 from San Marcos, CA

If I were asked what my favorite film of all time was, I would probably say either "The Last Picture Show" or "Ordinary People," two films that I feel are legitimate masterpieces. But if I were asked what my favorite film of all time REALLY was, I'd have to say "Yours, Mine and Ours," which was one of the first movies my parents ever took me to (along with a re-release of "Swiss Family Robinson" and Steve McQueen's "Bullitt") as a five-year-old. I've loved it my entire life, and I have to admit my affection for it hasn't dimmed with age. Although I realize it's not one of the great masterpieces of all time, and I would never rate it as high as say, "Show" or "People" or "Casablanca" or "Schindler's List" for that matter, I still love this film all the same.

I must admit that I am also a lifelong fan of "I Love Lucy," so the fact that "Yours, Mine and Ours" stars Lucille Ball certainly has something to do with my fondness for this film. And growing up in the '70's when co-star Henry Fonda was relegated to cameo roles in awful films like "The Swarm" and "Rollercoaster," if it hadn't have been for his charismatic and likeable performance here, I would never have known he was the great actor that he was. Add the pleasure of Lucille's longtime friend Van Johnson in the prime supporting role of Darryl, Fonda's best friend, and an extremely young Tim Matheson as Fonda's oldest son, and you have the foundation of an excellent cast in a lovely romantic comedy about the ultimate blended family (think "The Brady Bunch" with brains, and much, much larger to boot).

Very loosely based on a true story, Ball is Helen North, a recent widow with eight unruly children who moves to San Francisco for a fresh start. While working at the infirmary at an (unnamed) Naval base, she meets Naval Officer Frank Beardsley (Fonda, of course), who is a recent widower himself (with 10 children !) and has brought one of his daughters (Suzanne Cupito, aka '70's starlet Morgan Brittany) in for treatment. Helen and Frank are immediately smitten with each other and go out on a date, but immediately break it off when they realize how many children their combined family would contain. Darryl realizes that eighteen children aside, these two were made for each other and proceeds to plot to get them together. They do eventually marry and this sets up many amusing scenes of this huge family trying to blend in together.

The nice thing about this film is that for once Lucille Ball is allowed to play a character completely different from Lucy Ricardo or Lucy Carmichael (from "The Lucy Show"). She is intelligent, touching, funny and very, very human here. In only one scene does she do any kind of "Lucy" shtick, and that is during a wonderfully played drunk scene. Even then she doesn't resemble her daffy TV persona as much as, well a woman who's had too much to drink. And the chemistry between Ball and Fonda is so believable, as a child I found it hard to believe they were not really married in real life! Honest! Johnson gives wonderful support and Tom Bosley has a few amusing scenes as the family's exasperated doctor. I also loved the character of Madeline Love, who Darryl sets Frank up with on a disastrous date that ends with her riding home between Frank and Helen (who's been dumped by her Darryl-arranged date). Their discussion of their respective families ends with the hilarious exchange: Frank: "I'm glad I have ten children!" Helen: "I'm glad I have my eight!" Madeline: "And I'm glad I'm careful!"

All in all, this is an extremely enjoyable romantic comedy that grandkids can watch with their grandparents where everyone will be entertained and nobody will be embarassed. An added treat: laughing at the '60's styles and hairdoes, which look worse and worse with each passing decade. They just don't make them like this anymore. ***1/2 (out of *****)

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7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Here's a story, of a lovely lady..., 18 March 1999
Author: verite-2 from New York, NY

Lucille Ball has always been a favorite actress/comedienne of mine, and so this vehicle, Yours, Mine and Ours, was a good showcase for her talents. One year later, Florence Henderson was to "reprise" the same role in the Brady Bunch TV series. This movie has it over the Bradys hands down. When all of the kids that belonged to Henry Fonda's character met Lucille Balls' character for the first time, they got her drunk. Would never happen on the Brady Bunch. And all those kids! I think it was either 19 or 20! Much more responsibility in this combined household. Don't forget shopping day, with the caravan of shopping carts, I'm surprised collateral didn't have to be put up for the groceries. The idea here is that the sheer enormity of this situation makes it so hilarious, along with all the petty jealousies and conflicts inherent in all families, creates a movie that viewers can relate to on several levels. You don't need to have 20 kids to appreciate the film. The Brady Bunch seemed too perfect. The Norths and the Beardsleys had to put some tough love and effort into this to make it work, and this is reflected in Yours, Mine, and Ours. See it just for the fun of it. Look for Tom Bosley (Howard Cunningham of Happy Days) as the family doctor. Great fun!

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
...And Baby Makes... 21?, 21 March 2006
8/10
Author: nycritic

YOURS, MINE, AND OURS reunites Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda, who had worked together in the 1942 B-film THE BIG STREET, the former a heavy-handed drama making a contrast to this lightweight comedy. Reminiscent of CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, the premise -- a man and woman, both with a huge family, meet, fall in love, and marry -- would be unbelievable if it weren't true.

Based on the autobiographical novel by Helen Eileen Beardsley, YOURS, MINES, AND OURS is a blueprint of sorts of future television shows "The Brady Bunch" and "Eight is Enough" but amps it up to eleven. While on those shows we never got to see just how a real household was handled (being situation programs, their stories were resolved in minimal time), here we get glimpses of what happens at dinnertime, or how groceries get done, and it's those trivial things that keep the charming story in check instead of throwing it into la-la land. Both Fonda and Ball are well-matched and have funny scenes together despite that both actors were a little too old for their characters, but it's not even a minor contrivance. Very enjoyable, witty, sunny: just what this kind of movie should be.

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6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Matheson, Shea and even Bosley made it for me, 27 September 2003
Author: richard.fuller1

I've recently seen this movie again and it has aged well, maybe because I didn't recall so much of it when I was little. In my younger years, to see Lucille Ball in anything else made me expect The Lucy Show or Here's Lucy, both of which I watched sunup to sundown. Whether it was Yours, MIne & Ours or Mame, I was looking for the screwy redhead.

In watching it straight thru this time, I enjoyed the actual focus on life at that time and tending to so many kids, such as the grocery shopping, breakfast and laundry time. The dating seemed a bit hokey to me and HOllywooded, but believe it or not, Jane Fonda has revealed on a Barbara Walters interview that there was sparks between her father and Ms. Ball.

Still it was Tim Matheson (the voice of Jonny Quest) and Eric Shea (the voice of Linus Van Pelt) who kept it moving. While Matheson resented the new family and mother, he wasn't hostile to Shea, who was indeed lost in the shuffle and going his own path.

Ball might have been able to conceal her age more had her voice not have been gone as it was, which for some reason makes her seem older anyway.

Still, things like the phone call with one of Fonda's daughters listening in was priceless and truly hilarious, but Ball's conversation with the nun about Shea's last name, was it North or Beardsley now, was clumsy and awkward and really could have been structured better.

I did not realize this was based on a true story, which makes it all the more incredible.

Actually, Sherwood Schwartz had proposed the idea for the Brady Bunch to networks several years before and they wouldn't buy the show until the success of Yours, MIne and Ours and With Six, You Get Eggroll, then the Brady Bunch got the major league green light.

Also "Here's Lucy" was to be similar to Yours, MIne and Ours with her having a bunch of kids, but that was dropped in favor of her two real kids.

And worth noting, ubiquitous Larry Hankin appears as the grocery clerk, Harry. Hankin appears in programs and movies over the next three decades, but may be best recognized as the television Kramer on Seinfeld, when Jerry sold the show within his show.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Love This Movie!!, 14 September 2003
Author: artistatrest

I have always just loved this movie! I saw it as a teenager in the 60's, getting ready to go off to college and thought it was great fun at that time. Since I was a teenager, I remember really enjoying the character of Mike, played by Tim Matheson. I always thought he would go on to be a real big movie star instead of TV movies, since he had lots of charisma and maturity at that young age. However, he has done very well in the roles on television he has played and is always a real treat to watch. I don't think I thought Lucille Ball was too old the first time I saw it, because anyone over 25 seemed old to me at the time! I recently caught this movie on TV and enjoyed it again from an adult perspective. It was a little corny but still a good film. Life in the sixties even with Vietnam and all was a much more innocent time especially with what kids face today. I would give it a 100 just because it is so uplifting.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Liked the movie, want the book, 19 April 2004
7/10
Author: alphaleonis from Utah

Our whole family has always enjoyed this movie. Before coming to this site, however, I didn't know that it was based on a true story. My wife likes the movie (she likes almost anything with Lucille Ball in it) so I will probably get her a copy of the book as a gift. Even if the movie departs from the book significantly, I still believe that reading the true story would only enhance enjoyment of the movie. I would like to thank the IMDB people for creating the format that enables this type of information to be shared.

In my opinion, the movie is carried by a masterful rendition by the three main stars - Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, and Van Johnson. Each of these is a personal favorite, so I may be prejudiced, but I can't imagine anyone else in these roles. And not only did the ages of Fonda and Ball not bother me, but it never occurred to me that there might have been a problem there. (Hollywood does a good job with makeup, and I failed to pull out my almanac while watching the movie to check on the stars' ages.) I have had friends with almost pure white hair become parents. An uncle started going very gray in his early thirties. So age and the appearance of age are very relative. Just enjoy this great movie.

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