Movie Monday: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)

Today, I wanted to review one of my favorite comedies! Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House is a Cary Grant and Myrna Loy classic! Watching this movie I always get a good laugh so I thought it was time we share a laugh together!

Nobody can play a humdrum, miserable man like Cary Grant! I’m not trying to say he is a boring actor, anyone who has seen his films should know he definitely is not, but I am saying that this man is talented. Naturally, Grant has a lot of swagger to how he goes about his business so when he is casted in films like this one he really shows his acting talents! Grant somehow transforms himself into a guy you can actually imagine living in a small apartment with his family. You can just see the misery in his eyes of having to share such small spaces. But you can also see the dreamy, excitement when he looks at the home he built with his wife in this movie Myrna Loy. All of this goes to show how good of an actor Cary Grant truly is.

Meanwhile, Myrna Loy plays one of her best roles as the cool, calm, and collected wife of a rather frantic Grant. Although Loy is a beautiful lady (who knows it) in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, she never lets things get out of hand. Yes, there are the classic mishaps of old Hollywood comedy, but Loy is always in control of what is happening. This may seem like a Cary Grant film from first glance, but really this is a Myrna Loy movie. The leading man isn’t really the one in control of how this house is shaking out or of the people helping them build this dream home, it is the leading lady who is building this dream house.

The first time I watched Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House it reminded me of another film about a house – The Money Pit (1986). Humor is used in the same manner and the premise it pretty much the same, too. However, I think that the prior film (Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House) gives the leading lady in its film a bigger and more important role. For the most part, in The Money Pit I can’t even remember who Tom Hanks’ co-star even was.

Humor is a hugely important component to old Hollywood films and this movie is loaded with jokes. If you haven’t seen Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, I highly suggest that you see it soon!

Much Love,

Sarah