9/10
Cary Grant's Finale As a Great Movie Star in remake of The More The Merrier
12 May 2020
Cary Grant-the perfect Leading Man-filmed his last movie at Columbia. The film was a remake of George Stevens classic film The More The Merrier with the incomparable Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea. Cary Grant controlled everything about his movies and cast Jim Hutton-who made all those comedies at MGM with his co star Paula Prentiss, and lovely Samantha Eggar. Cary Grant himself plays the older man played by Charles Coburn in the original film.

This film is set at the Tokyo Olympics of 1964 and the setting is terrific and Harry Stardling Jr was a great cinematographer. Directed by Charles Walters who was an MGM staff producer who did work sometimes uncredited in movies such as Cimmarron, Annie Get Your Gun, or credited such a Joan Crawford's Torch Song. No matter as Cary Grant like all mega stars such as Lucy, Sinatra ran their pictures totally.

Hutton is an interesting star. Discovered by Universal while in the US Army in Germany, he was given a 7 year contract by MGM and cast in George Peppard's The Subterreans. Hutton hit a home run co starring with gorgeous Paula Prentiss in Where The Boys Are and the duo made 3 more movies Bachelor in Paradise, The Honeymoon Machine with Prentiss and Steve McQueen, and The Horizontal Lieutenant with Prentiss. He went on a year long suspension to get out of his contract but had to film Looking For Love with Connie Francis before MGM would release Hutton. Hutton moved on to work with Lana Turner, John Wayne, Roz Russell, Bob Hope, Burt Lancaster, and Charlton Heston and his big break was this movie with Cary Grant deferring the leading man role to Hutton.

Samantha Eggar had the impossible task of starring in the female role created by the peerless Jean Arthur in the original.

Walk Don't Run made money most of which went to Cary Grant and while he was inundated with movie offers the very very rich Cary Grant retired

This movie was successful due to Cary Grant but in no way was the hit that The More The Merrier
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