Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) is an American comedy film directed by H. C. Potter and starring Cary Grant, Myna Loy, and Melvyn Douglas. The supporting cast includes Reginald Denny, Sharyn Moffett, Connie Marshall, Ian Wolfe, and Louise Beavers. The screenplay was written by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama (White Christmas), the music was by Leigh Harline, and the cinematography was by James Wong Howe.
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House follows
the misadventures of a New York City advertising executive, Jim Blandings
(Grant), and his wife, Muriel (Loy). Feeling cramped and fed up with their
small apartment, they decide to escape the city's confines and build their
ideal country home in Connecticut. Their pursuit of this "dream
house" begins with an idyllic vision of pastoral bliss, promising a life
free from urban stress and full of domestic tranquility.
The film chronicles the couple's journey from a naive
fantasy to a harsh reality. They purchase an old, dilapidated farmhouse and a
large plot of land, only to discover that their new property is riddled with
unexpected problems. From a collapsing chimney to a waterlogged basement and a
host of hidden structural flaws, their simple plan spirals into a series of
costly and chaotic construction nightmares. The Blandings must contend with an
assortment of eccentric contractors, rising costs, and a project that seems to
have a mind of its own.
As their dream home transforms into a seemingly endless
money pit, will the Blandings keep their sanity?
H. C. Potter (1904 - 1977) was an American
theatrical producer and director, and a director of motion pictures. Potter
graduated from Yale University in 1926 and was part of the Yale Dramatic
Association. He founded a theater group, the Hampton Players, based in
Southampton, Long Island. He eventually made his way to Hollywood, where he became a film director. Some of his popular films include The
Shopworn Angel (1938) starring Margaret Sullivan and James
Stewart, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) starring
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Mr. Lucky (1943) starring Cary
Grant and Laraine Day, and Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)
starring Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Melvyn Douglas.
Cary Grant (1904 – 1986) was an English-born
American actor who became one of the most popular leading men in film history.
Grant started his career in vaudeville before heading to Hollywood. He became a
superstar in the late 1930s in a series of screwball comedies, including The
Awful Truth (1937) with Irene Dunne. He was a memorable C. K. Dexter
Haven in The Philadelphia Story (1940) opposite Katharine
Hepburn and James Stewart. He received two Best Actor nominations for Penny
Serenade (1941) and None but the Lonely Hearts (1944).
Other classic Grant films include Gunga Din (1939), Only
Angels Have Wings (1939), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944).
He made four popular films with Alfred Hitchcock: Suspicion (1941), Notorious (1946), To
Catch a Thief (1955), and North by Northwest (1959).
He was presented with an Honorary Oscar at the 42nd Academy Awards in 1970.
Myrna Loy (1905 - 1993) was an American film,
television, and stage actress. Loy was a trained dancer but decided to
concentrate on acting, appearing in silent films before becoming a major star
with the advent of sound. Perhaps Loy is most famous for playing Nora Charles
opposite William Powell in The Thin Man (1934) and its
subsequent sequels. Loy and Powell were one of the screen’s most popular acting
teams; they appeared in 14 films together. Loy starred opposite the top leading
men of the day, including Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Tyrone Power, and Cary
Grant. Some of her films include Wife vs. Secretary (1936), Libeled
Lady (1936), The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Test
Pilot (1938), Too Hot to Handle (1938), The
Rains Came (1939), Love Crazy (1941), The
Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), and Mr. Blandings Builds
His Dream House (1948).
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House trivia
- Mr. Blandings $15,000 a year salary would be equivalent to $193,000 today.
- The house built for the movie still stands on the old Fox Ranch property in Malibu Creek State Park, in the hills a few miles north of Malibu. It is now used as the park’s office and as offices for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.
- Director H. C. Potter wanted Irene Dunne for the role of Muriel Blandings, but she was working on I Remember Mama at the time and was unavailable. Potter wanted Dunne because all three of her pairings with Grant were box office gold.
Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Melvyn Douglas
Click HERE to watch the movie on the Internet Archive.
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and link to join the discussion on Zoom.
Discussion questions
- Idealism vs. Reality: How does the film's portrayal of the Blandings' "dream house" project serve as a commentary on the American ideal of home ownership? In what ways do their romanticized expectations clash with the harsh realities of construction, and what does this say about the pursuit of perfection?
- The Role of Consumerism: The film is set against the backdrop of post-war American consumer culture. How does advertising executive Jim Blandings' profession influence his decisions and desires regarding the house? What message does the movie convey about the pitfalls of consumerism and the pursuit of material goods?
- Humor and Relatability: The film is a comedy, but it deals with serious themes like financial strain and marital stress. How does the use of humor, satire, and exaggeration make these challenges relatable to a modern audience? Can you identify specific scenes or characters that effectively use comedy to highlight the frustrations of building or renovating a home?
- On-Screen Chemistry: This was the third and final film starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy. What did you think of their on-screen pairing? Were they believable as husband and wife?
- Recommendation: Would you recommend this film to your friends?
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