The More the Merrier (1943) - George Stevens

To fully appreciate The More the Merrier, it is important to know that, during WW2, there was an acute housing shortage in Washington DC. This is why elderly Benjamin Dingle (Charles Coburn) is obliged to share a tiny DC apartment with pretty Connie Milligan (Jean Arthur) and handsome Joe Carter (Joel McCrea). After nearly two reels of misunderstandings, the trio becomes accustomed to their curious living arrangement. Joe takes a platonic liking to Connie, but she's engaged to stuffy bureaucrat Charles J. Pendergast (Richard Gaines). Sizing up the situation, foxy Benjamin contrives to bring Connie and Joe together, in spite of themselves. Things get dicey when Joe endeavors to complete a top-secret mission for the Air Force, which leads to all sorts of comic complications and misguided remonstrations. Throughout the film, director George Stevens and the four-man screenwriting staff deliberately tweak the noses of the Hays Office, getting by with any number of censorable offenses by deftly and tastefully sidestepping the obvious. Especially potent is the scene in which Joe tries to seduce Connie by talking about everything except seduction: it's also fun to watch Dingle robustly repeat the word "Damn" over and over, getting away with this breach of censorship because he's quoting Admiral "Damn the Torpedoes" Farragut. An Academy Award went to Charles Coburn, while nominations were bestowed upon Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, George Stevens, the screenwriters, and the film itself. The More the Merrier was remade in 1966 as Walk Don't Run, with Cary Grant, Jim Hutton and Samantha Eggar. (allmovie.com by Hal Erickson)

Review:
World War II provided fodder for a wide range of films, either directly or indirectly. The More the Merrier uses the war-related housing crunch in Washington DC to set up its somewhat incredible premise, but the credibility problem never really threatens to become an issue, thanks to director George Stevens' fast-clipped pacing, a witty and amusing screenplay and a set of engaging performances from its trio of stars. Joel McCrea and Charles Coburn are excellent; McCrea's work in the seduction scene is beautiful, and Coburn is a delight throughout. However, it's Jean Arthur's performance that makes the picture. With a voice that sounds something like a beautiful songbird nursing a sore throat, Jean Arthur is utterly charming and captivating. An expert comedienne, Arthur has more than her share of moments here, such as her toothpaste-filled scream when discovering Coburn outside her window and a wonderful doubletake upon first seeing McCrea. Arthur and McCrea also have an enviable chemistry, and they work up considerable heat together – heat that is all the more effective for being subdued. And their separate-but-together rhumba sequence is delightful. The unique Arthur would make only three more films, retiring after the classic Shane. (allmovie.com by Craig Butler)

Awards: The film was nominated for 5 oscars: Best Picture, Best Actress (Jean Arthur), Best Director (George Stevens), Best Original Story (Robert Russell, Lewis R. Foster, Frank Ross) & Best Screenplay (Richard Flournoy, Frank Ross). Charles Coburn won oscar Best Supporting Actor.