How a wartime housing crisis inspired a classic Hollywood romantic comedy masterpiece
In short: During the 1943 housing shortage in Washington, D.C., a retired millionaire accidentally forces a young woman and a soldier into an unlikely living arrangement. This sparkling romantic comedy, born from a desperate need for space, remains a definitive example of wartime cinema and a masterclass in comedic timing.
The 1943 film The More the Merrier was born from the creative initiative of star Jean Arthur, who paid writer Garson Kanin $25,000 to adapt his original screenplay, Two's a Crowd. Seeking to fulfill her Columbia Studios contract while navigating a strained relationship with studio head Harry Cohn, Arthur personally recruited director George Stevens and co-star Joel McCrea. The production was marked by Stevens' legendary perfectionism; he shot from multiple angles and captured so much footage that Cohn famously complained he used more film on this single project than on five other pictures combined.
The plot centers on Benjamin Dingle, a retired millionaire who arrives in a crowded, war-torn Washington, D.C., only to find no hotel rooms available. He maneuvers his way into a sublet with Connie Milligan, a cautious bureaucrat, and subsequently rents half of his space to Sergeant Joe Carter. The resulting romantic tension, complicated by Connie's engagement to another man, drives the narrative. The film was a critical success, earning six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, with Charles Coburn winning Best Supporting Actor for his role as the meddling Dingle.
While contemporary critics like Bosley Crowther praised the film as a refreshing ray of sunshine, others, such as James Agee, felt the execution of the premise was occasionally disappointing. Despite these mixed contemporary reactions, the film has aged into a classic, currently holding a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was later remade in 1966 as Walk, Don't Run, shifting the setting to Tokyo to reflect the housing pressures caused by the 1964 Summer Olympics. For Stevens, this project marked his final comedy before he left to serve in the Army's combat photography unit in North Africa.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The More the Merrier
- Also: Wikidata — The More the Merrier · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — The More the Merrier · CC0
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