The More the Merrier (1943)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

The More the Merrier (1943) – G. Stevens

Somehow, I found myself underwhelmed by The More the Merrier and I’m rather hard-pressed to know why.  Perhaps it is because I’ve watched a few screwball comedies from the era recently and this film is far less madcap, even if it does conjure up a few chuckles.  Perhaps it is because Charles Coburn is so great as the slick swindler in Preston Sturges’ The Lady Eve (1941) that seeing him in a somewhat goofier role is rather off-putting.  Beyond that, this film feels dated in a way that other comedies of the period do not – it might be the references to wartime problems with housing and the shortage of men but it also might be the more sexist tone that director George Stevens adopts.  The plot sees Joel McCrea and Coburn moving into Jean Arthur’s apartment (due to housing supply issues) and the subsequent romance that blossoms (or is orchestrated by Coburn).  She’s engaged to someone else (a government bureaucrat) but really shouldn’t be.  The film gets the three leads into a variety of silly situations but still it doesn’t feel as chaotic as it should (for the genre). There seems to be a need to play to the home team, soldiers heading overseas and those remaining behind who are missing them – and this gentle aim undercuts any sharper bite that the comedy might deserve.  Again, I suspect my under-reaction is all about the comparison to other better films in the genre.  But don’t get me wrong – all three actors are funny and worth watching, they’re just better in other films.