Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)

If you really like black and white comedies from the 30s and 40s — well, you have probably seen this one! I know I did many (many) years ago, but I recently had a chance to watch it again. It was worth the time. It features Cary Grant and Myrna Loy doing what they do best. He is a wisecracking husband and father who seems smart at times, but slightly daft at other times. He loves his wife and kids, but gives them a hard time when things go the wrong way. But not in a modern hurtful way. Myrna ...

This is a simple comedy about a family living in downtown Manhattan who decide to relocate to a delightful old house in loads of acres in rural Maine. Problem is, they buy a house that the wind could blow down and soon enough are on a roller-coaster ride building a new home whilst being simultaneously fleeced by just about everyone. Cary Grant is great; his dialogue is frequently pithy and the on-screen rapport between him and Myrna Loy is effective and understated - even when he starts to belie...