The More the Merrier, story by Robert Russell and Frank Ross

The More the Merrier, story by Robert Russell and Frank Ross

The More the Merrier is a very interesting, often amusing comedy from 1943, the year of…Casablanca

This film was nominated six very important Academy Awards, including for Best Picture, Best Director…

Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Writing, Screenplay and Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning the latter.

The Best Picture Award went to Casablanca and in completion, there were other movie classics like:

For Whom the Bell Tolls, Heaven Can Wait, The Ox-Bow Incident, In Which We Serve, Watch on the Rhine

William Goldman highlights in his outstanding Adventures in the Screen Trade the fact that in those years, phenomenal motion pictures did not even reach the short list for prestigious prizes.

Furthermore, The New York Times has included The More the Merrier on its list of Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list:

https://www.listchallenges.com/new-york-times-best-1000-movies-ever-made/checklist/15

Connie Milligan is portrayed by Jean Arthur, who was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Oscars.

Because World War II is creating a shortage, Connie wants to participate in the effort and rents part of her apartment.

She does not want a man to be her flat mate, but Benjamin Dingle aka the Academy Awards Winner for this role Charles Coburn is not just persistent, but also inventive and eliminates the competition waiting outside.

The sexagenarian Benjamin Pringle does not stop at occupying half the flat, but invites Joe Carter to come in.

Joe Carter has to pay six dollars a week- that might be $ 400 in the dollars of this day- and will get half the room.

Mr. Dingle has another plan.

He wants his landlady, Connie Milligan to become involved with this new guest, but before that, he has to break the news.

Connie was more than reluctant to get the older Benjamin Pringle in, imagine her shock when she discovers there is another man in the flat, who has to share the same bathroom, kitchen and the rest of the facilities.

Joe Carter is attractive, polite, interesting and the many women they meet in the city are all eager to communicate with him.

There are eight women to any man in this town, since most men, especially the eligible, young ones are fighting the Great War.

Hilarious moments involve the rush to the washroom and out, getting the milk, making the coffee, fetching the newspaper, operations during which Benjamin Pringle is left out on the corridor, from which he has to climb the fire escape staircase, knock at the door of the rest room and startle his property owner.

Connie Milligan is engaged to be married to a rather pompous, arrogant and self-absorbed man called Charles J. Pendergast.

This man is an obstacle in the path of the union between to soul mates, Connie and Joe Carter.

When Pendergast takes his fiancée out to diner, the infatuated Joe looks with his filed glasses at the couple.

When a teenage neighbor is poking around and asks about his spying, the romantic hero says he is a…Japanese spy.

Henceforth the police come to investigate and to take to the station both the alleged spy and his host.

The fiancé arrives at the station with Benjamin Dingle and this scene is both awkward and funny.

The More the Merrier is an exultant, exuberant film.