Product Details

• Actors: William Powell, Irene Dunne, Elizabeth Taylor, Edmund Gwenn, Zasu Pitts
• Directors: Michael Curtiz
• Writers: Clarence Day, Donald Ogden Stewart, Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse
• Producers: Jack L. Warner, Robert Buckner
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Alpha Video
• DVD Release Date: June 4, 2002
• Run Time: 118 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (207 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000067IVZ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,364 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Life with Father" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Ah, remember those good old days when father ruled the roost, keeping a tight rein on the money, the kids, and the docile wife? Well, neither does Clarence Day (William Powell), the title character in Life with Father. Taking place in New York in 1883, this charming comedy purports to show the life of a strict father managing his house and his family, only to be constantly--and unknowingly--out-manipulated by his somewhat ditzy wife, Vinnie (Irene Dunne). Day is terrifying enough that maids keep quitting, but Vinnie manages to keep Day under control--that is, until she discovers that he was never baptized. A battle ensues as she desperately tries to ensure that they will one day meet in heaven, and all the while he severely maintains that the church has no business messing with a man's soul. Meanwhile, young Clarence Day Jr. (Jimmy Lydon) is busy falling for visiting Mary Skinner (played gigglingly by Elizabeth Taylor), and his brother John concocts a money-making scheme that involves the selling of a rather dubious potion. The costumes, the characters, and the wonderful story line--based on a play that was based on the memoir written by Clarence Day Jr.--make this a delightful movie that's perfect for a family-film night. --Jenny Brown

Product Description

Irene Dunne, William Powell, Elizabeth Taylor. A delightful family comedy set in turn-of-the-century New York. Based on Lindsay & Crouse's hit Broadway play and nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Actor for Powell. 1947/color/118 min/NR/fullscreen.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

121 of 123 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars A terrible desecration of a classic film. September 15, 2004

By ardar88

Format:DVD

This movie is an all-time classic and easily rates five stars. The DVD version, however, is absolutely atrocious. Very poor sound quality and a washed out picture with color so bad it looks almost like it's in black and white. This movie was filmed in sumptuous Technicolor, but you'd never know it from this DVD. The VHS release of several years back is far superior. No DVD extras either, just a lousy print and nothing else. Is this the best they could do?

This is a perfect gem of a movie that screams for a major restoration! Until that happens, steer clear!

69 of 69 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Flim In Dire Need Of Restoration And A New DVD Release September 18, 2006

By Gary F. Taylor HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

As an adult, Clarence Day Jr. (1874-1935) joined his well-known father on Wall Street--but developed a form of arthritis that left him a semi-invalid. Shortly before his death he published LIFE WITH FATHER, a humorous memoir of his Victorian childhood; sadly, he did not live to see its great success. A best seller, the novel was adapted to the stage in 1939 by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse. Warner Bro.s bought the film rights, agreeing to wait until the show finished its Broadway run; as it happened the studio had a long wait, for the play went on to become one of Broadway's longest running shows, playing almost eight years.

In acquiring the rights, Warner Bro.s also gave Clarence Day's widow and playwrights Lindsay and Crouse substantial power over the film version. Censorship issues of the day prevented an absolute translation of the script to the screen, but on the whole the script survived the transformation extremely well, and fueled by a host of flawless performances and remarkably fine production values LIFE WITH FATHER became as memorable on screen as it was on stage.

Clarence Day is an eccentric man, absolutely certain that he alone is correct in all decisions, and eternally running afoul of wife Vinnie's scatterbrained logic, his four sons, visiting relatives, and terrified servants. When a conversation reveals that he has never been baptised, Mr. Day laughs the matter off--but Vinnie is determined that he will be baptised whether he likes it or not. Comic battlelines are drawn, and the result is a hilariously amusing portrait of Victorian manners and attitudes about everything from religion to the place of women in the world.

The performances are superlative.... This would prove to be among the last great roles for both William Powell and Irene Dunne, who play Clarence and Vinnie Day, and to describe their work as flawless is actually an understatement: we completely believe in them from start to finish. The same is true of the cast in general, which includes a remarkably beautiful Elizabeth Taylor; legendary comic ZaSu Pitt; and even a very young Martin Milner. The costuming and sets also capture the look and feel of the era in remarkable fashion. The film is perfectly executed from start to finish.

But you might as well throw your money away than buy any of the releases presently available on VHS and DVD. There is not a one of them worth a dime: the color is atrocious, the sound is horrific, and the picture so blurry that the only thing you'll get for your money is a headache--and this has been true of every factory release I've seen to date.

It is a terrible shame that such a fine, indeed such a great film has been so incredibly neglected. Fortunately for all concerned, LIFE WITH FATHER continues to turn up on television fairly often. Until there is a restored release, don't buy a VHS or a DVD: tape it from television instead, for I can almost guarantee that the version you find there will be superior.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer Read more ›

71 of 72 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Beautiful November 14, 2009

By Kellus Products

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

It's just beautiful. We've waited a long time for this...I just can't understand why Warner Brothers did'nt do it from start because it's a high profile classic picture...but Digi-Com you did great and it will certainly pay off. The DVD on our 32 inch plasma set looks like a live television picture rather than a movie. In addition to fixing the color and sound, every little tiny speck of scratch and dust and whatever is gone, and there is zero left/right movement back and forth as a film looks like going through a projector. It does look like live TV. Just beautiful.

Thanks.

Steve Spears
Orrs Island, Maine

90 of 93 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Terrible transfer and sound November 24, 2004

By Telstar

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Although this is better than the unwatchable Madacy DVD, it still is horrible. There is 60 Hz hum throughout the audio, audio that is distorted and clipped, and a rather grainy, noise full video print. Max Steiner's inventive variation-on-a-theme music score is ruined.

If this is the best that can be done with this delightful movie, it is a true pity.

Someone, please restore this to glory.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Life With Father November 30, 2009

By Michael Gustafson

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

They did a good job remastering this movie. You can actually watch this one.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible DVD does not do justice. April 25, 2008

By Linda Anthony

Format:DVD

I love this movie and I have an old VHS copy which I taped myself. I thought by purchasing a brand new DVD, modern and latest technology, I would have a better quality movie. However, I was horribly wrong. This is the worst copy of a movie I've ever had. Not only is the color way too blue, the sound and voices skips and breaks. But probably more distracting and annoying is the reverse in some of the scenes - for instance, the stairwell in the opening early scene -- looking towards the stairwell from the entrance, the railing is on the right and the wall is on the left; so if someone is coming down the steps the railing will be to their left, but in the next scene when Vinnie comes down the stairs, the railing is on her right, and as she walks into the dining room, the background image shows the stairwell railing is now on the left again. I don't know how the transfer to DVD actually accomplished this reversal. It is unfortunate for such a great movie to have such a horrible transfer to DVD - it is not worthy of the quality of the movie. And it is very annoying to a Classic movie lover.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars At last, a perfect DVD for this classic movie. December 15, 2009

By D. Nelson

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

This DVD is perfect in every way, technically, and all others, so far as I can tell. For those who love this splendid classic movie, it is just what we have been waiting for.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars A Film worth restoring! Terrible sound makes it unwatchable! April 6, 2004

By A Customer

Format:DVD

I watched this movie many years ago on AMC. It made me laugh outloud! I cannot understand why the DVD transfer is so poor.The colors are faded and the sound is so garbled that you can't understand what they are saying. This is the kind of film that deserves to be transferred by real professionals. If that ever happens I will buy a new copy. The one I own, I will keep as a reminder that Madacy entertainment=poor quality.