Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

Contentar Best movie of this year hands down!

Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

davepitts This laughably bad musical gets 2 stars just because it's fun to watch in the "What were they thinking?" mode. It's impossibly long. On DVD, in the road show version, it is the death and burial of 172 minutes of your life. Every 5 minutes, another horrible song, usually in the bad music hall style of 60s variety shows. For the beau you get the #1 Macy's mannequin of 60s TV, John Davidson, here named ANGIE DUKE!! (Again, what were they thinking? Angie Duke, a name to be archived for a denim-thonged cutie on the Dukes of Hazzard?) For cheery butler, you get Tommy Steele, grinning insanely and kicking up his heels -- very much like the Lawrence Welk vocalists who smile, smile, smile, smile as they sing. Number after number, all done in an exaggerated, high-stepping, head-tossing style. As I watched it, I dreaded any line of dialogue that might result in another inane song. And by the way, what child wants to sit through this many charmless easy listenin' ditties just to see a few scenes with runaway alligators? In 172 minutes, there's almost no story. Fred MacMurray (pretty good, but he can't do much with a part that has him saying, "Blast!" in every scene) is a Philadelphia millionaire who raises alligators and conducts musical Bible lessons with local marine recruits. His daughter gets engaged to a young New Yorker with an equally boring family. That's pretty much it. A few mysteries: Why did they include the 2 sons(Eddie Hodges and Paul Peterson)? After an early scene where they scare off their sister's suitor (and, of course, perform a cheery, exaggerated song), they vanish. Why were voice doubles used for MacMurray and Greer Garson toward the end? I guess the DVD included a restored scene with a damaged soundtrack. The MacMurray double was notably "off." Good cast in a long, charmless, cheerless stinker.

fom4life "In the tradition of Mary Poppins". That is the tag line on the DVD cover that Disney put on the cover of 'The Happy Millionaire' to try and entice potential viewers. What's wrong with that?I got this film from the library expecting a regular normal comedy. But instead I got a musical. I like musicals but was surprised because I wasn't expecting it. What's wrong with that? It is not a musical classic and a minor Disney classic if it is at all. It has the same type off charm that 'High School Musical' has. The songs aren't all that memorable but the characters have such fun singing them, that it is at least fun to watch. What's wrong with that? The dancing is fun to watch to. There is something always fun about watching people break out into song when they could just as easily said what they wanted to say without singing. It is so unlike real life where boring people just talk to one another with out music coming from nowhere to liven up their lives. This is the type of picture that if you watched often enough you would grow to really like it. It's likable as it is, but maybe not enough to watch it again. The film has some fun things in it, such as Fred MacMurray. He is amusing as a 'happy millionaire', the founder of Biddle Boxing and Bible School, who owns of all things, pet alligators. Doesn't everyone want one? The new maid at one point leaves the window open during the wintertime, freezing all the alligators in their tubs of water. When they de-thaw they aren't dead and crawl around the mansion scaring the new maid half to death. That's fun. He also likes to challenge various visitors to put on the boxing gloves. For an old guy he is quite good. Who would have thought? What is also fun is watching Fred run his Bibble Bible class. That is his name by the way, Mr. Bibble. It is a spiritual work out of body, mind, and soul. It is Exercise while learning about the good book. That is Fortuosity. That's me bi word. An Irishman (John Lawless) played by Tommy Steele, a popular singer. He has a fun time singing a song about how he will always be Irish even if he becomes an American. He then has a fun little short number dancing while holding the alligator on a leash. Another great moment in the film., in her film debut), At one point as he is talking to the audience, Fred comes over to ask what who he is talking to. He says no one. He replies 'Well you know what they say about those who talk to themselves.' A fun little gag.There is also Fred's beautiful daughter, Cordy played by Lesley Ann Warren in her film debut. Man is she gorgeous. I was thinking before I wrote this review that this is at least a rental, but I have enjoyed it more the second time I put it in after taking a break from it. So I'll see what my opinion is by the end of the film. At this point the 2nd part of the film has just started. The 2nd half has an amusing dance number in a beer hall that turns into an amusing brawl. The Irishman is in the middle of the whole thing and never once gets hit. Yeah for the Irish!After watching this film, I have concluded that this movie has many amusing and fun bits. But as a whole it's only kina so so. So it is at least worth a rental. If some of the scenes were edited down to a few parts it would be worth keeping. What's wrong with that ?Interesting little fact. This was the last live-action feature film that Walt Disney saw completed before his death in December 1966. He never saw the film released to the public.

moonspinner55 Teeth-gnashing live-action Disney musical, adapted from a non-singing Broadway play that starred Walter Pigeon, has Disney mainstay Fred MacMurray heading up the household of a frantically gay family in 1916 Philadelphia. 'Old-fashioned' in the worst sense, the movie seems to combine the weakest qualities of "Mary Poppins" with the scenarios of a dozen or so morally uplifting family dramas of the 1940s. Lesley Ann Warren tries hard as MacMurray's daughter (about to be wed to John Davidson, playing a mama's boy) and Geraldine Page is a surprising choice as a high-society in-law, but the escaped alligators, the colorless songs, and British butler Tommy Steele (who addresses the camera directly) are fearsome. *1/2 from ****

mntwister I am not sure why some of the people disliked the film so much. The musical score by the Sherman Brothers is first class, the casting excellent, and the story moving. It seems to me those who review films like this in the negative really can't sit down and be entertained for a few hours. One doesn't always need a deep movie....a person can watch this film and feel good when it's over, and to me, that's what film is best at.I just watched for the 6th time the dvd of the roadshow edition, and it is much better than the edited version. The ending was too abrupt before, and now we have not only an extra song, but a much better climax, that of a grand musical.Leslie Ann Warren and John Davidson make their screen debut, and both are perfectly cast. The soundtrack on the dvd has been restored and sounds wonderful, especially in scenes with an orchestra, and the picture quality is very good for the period.The best thing about this film is the score of the wonderful Sherman Brothers. Songs like FORTUOSITY,ARE WE DANCING, I'LL ALWAYS BE IRISH, DETROIT, NO DILLY DALLY, THERE ARE THOSE are much under-rated. This is an excellent original musical score.Highly recommend for kids, families, and grown ups with a child still within.