The More the Merrier
Director: George Stevens
Year Released: 1943
Rating: 2.0
Due to a housing shortage in Washington, Charles Coburn moves in with priggish, defensive Jean Arthur, and systematically 'breaks down her walls' (literally and figuratively) by setting her up with liberal, experienced Joel McCrea. Coburn is the sole reason to see this - he deservedly won an Oscar for it - so when he all but completely disappears, so does the warm slapstick, pleasant pacing and whatever curiosity the plot had in it, leaving a painfully predictable story structure standing in its place. Jean Arthur goes from acceptable in the first act to whiny and unbearable in the last.
