The More the Merrier (1943)

Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, Charles Coburn

Directed by George Stevens

Available to stream on Prime Video

Because of crowded wartime conditions in Washington DC, secretary Jean Arthur unwillingly shares her apartment with mischievous old Charles Coburn and handsome young Joel McCrea in this hilarious take on homefront life in 1943.

Jean Arthur, Joel Mcrea, Charles Coburn

Why we love it: A wonderful and fun film with lots of interesting historical details -- the overcrowding in Washington, the housing problems during WWII, and the number of women to very few men. Charles Coburn, Jean Arthur, and Joel McCrea are all fantastic. The action bogs down a bit toward the end – probably because the strict production code forced quite a bit of silliness in the action in order to get Joel McCrea and Jean Arthur in the bedroom together – but most of the film is clever. This is one you can watch again and again and it just keeps getting better.

Fun Facts:

• The film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Story, and Best Screenplay. Charles Coburn won Best Supporting Actor.

From "Screenland" 1943

• This was director George Stevens' last film before he joined the Army as chief of the combat photographic unit. He was part of the unit that captured on film the Normandy invasion, the liberation of Paris, and the first footage of the Dachau concentration camp. After the war, he went back to directing movies, but he was more interested in making films with a more serious subject matter. His later films never had the same lightness or sense of comedy because of what he had witnessed during the war.
  

• Jean Arthur was 43 when she made this movie. She had a reputation for being difficult to work with because she was introverted and reluctant to take on projects she didn't like. She hated publicity and giving interviews and was referred to as "the American Garbo" because she loved her privacy so much. She and her husband hired friend and screenwriter Garson Kanin to write a story that would work for her. He wrote "Two's a Crowd" off of which the script for The More the Merrier is based. She chose Joel McCrea as her costar -- they had appeared in two earlier films together.

from "Movieland" 1944

• The idea of a young single woman sharing an apartment with two men was a bit scandalous at the time and caused some concerns from the Production Code Administration. Somehow director George Stevens managed to get around all the objections and the resulting film is an absolute delight.

Jean Arthur

• For reviews and articles from the time, go to the Fan Magazine Reviews page.

Featured Cocktail:

Martinez

The Martinez is a very old cocktail with recipes published as early as the 1880s. One of the first recipes said it was the “same as Manhattan, except you substitute gin for whisky.” It is considered the direct ancestor of the dry Martini. Today it is made with modern London gin, which is dryer than older gins, so maraschino liquor is used to add depth of flavor.

2 oz (60 ml) gin

5 tsps (25 ml) red vermouth

1½ tsps (7.5 ml) maraschino liqueur (Luxardo is best)

1 dash Angostura bitters

Pour all the ingredients into an ice-filled mixing glass. Stir well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon or orange twist.

Cheers to the Classics!