Los tuyos, los míos y los nuestros

Lucille Ball has always been a favorite actress/comedienne of mine, and so this vehicle, Yours, Mine and Ours, was a good showcase for her talents. One year later, Florence Henderson was to "reprise" the same role in the Brady Bunch TV series. This movie has it over the Bradys hands down. When all of the kids that belonged to Henry Fonda's character met Lucille Balls' character for the first time, they got her drunk. Would never happen on the Brady Bunch. And all those kids! I think it was either 19 or 20! Much more responsibility in this combined household. Don't forget shopping day, with the caravan of shopping carts, I'm surprised collateral didn't have to be put up for the groceries. The idea here is that the sheer enormity of this situation makes it so hilarious, along with all the petty jealousies and conflicts inherent in all families, creates a movie that viewers can relate to on several levels. You don't need to have 20 kids to appreciate the film. The Brady Bunch seemed too perfect. The Norths and the Beardsleys had to put some tough love and effort into this to make it work, and this is reflected in Yours, Mine, and Ours. See it just for the fun of it. Look for Tom Bosley (Howard Cunningham of Happy Days) as the family doctor. Great fun!

"Yours Mine And Ours" is one of the best "family films" of the 1960s. (Very) loosely based on the real-life story of Helen North, a Navy widow with eight children, who married Navy career man Frank Beardsley, a widower with ten children of his own. Lucille Ball bought the rights to Mrs. Beardsley's book "Who Gets The Drumstick?", co- produced it, and took the starring role of Helen North. For those who know her chiefly as a comedienne, this film will be a pleasant surprise. For not only does she have the opportunity to indulge in some of the slapstick she is famous for, she proves conclusively that she was an excellent dramatic actress as well. Moreover, she can switch abruptly (and seemingly effortlessly) from comedy to pathos, sometimes in the same scene! Henry Fonda takes the part of Frank Beardsley and gives it both dimension and strength. As his bachelor friend, Van Johnson is a welcome presence, as is Tom Bosley as a sardonic doctor. There is also a hilarious performance from Louise Troy, as Frank's date early in the story. The kids are well cast and include future notables Tim Matheson, Suzanne Cupito (who grew up to be Morgan Brittany), Mitch Vogel and Tracy Nelson. A good deal of the plot involves the mutual dislike most of the kids have for their step-siblings, but a great deal of charm is present as well. Aiding the production is a nice score by Fred Karlin, a lovely song "It's A Sometimes World", and handsome San Francisco location photography. A remake has just been completed and will be released around the holiday season, but it's not likely to top this one. Incidentally, if you read the original book by Helen Beardsley, you will most likely come away with a far different picture of the Beardsley family, one which may not have transferred as well to the screen. This may also explain why there is no mention of the book as the story source in the movie's opening credits.

If I were asked what my favorite film of all time was, I would probably say either "The Last Picture Show" or "Ordinary People," two films that I feel are legitimate masterpieces. But if I were asked what my favorite film of all time REALLY was, I'd have to say "Yours, Mine and Ours," which was one of the first movies my parents ever took me to (along with a re-release of "Swiss Family Robinson" and Steve McQueen's "Bullitt") as a five-year-old. I've loved it my entire life, and I have to admit my affection for it hasn't dimmed with age. Although I realize it's not one of the great masterpieces of all time, and I would never rate it as high as say, "Show" or "People" or "Casablanca" or "Schindler's List" for that matter, I still love this film all the same.

I must admit that I am also a lifelong fan of "I Love Lucy," so the fact that "Yours, Mine and Ours" stars Lucille Ball certainly has something to do with my fondness for this film. And growing up in the '70's when co-star Henry Fonda was relegated to cameo roles in awful films like "The Swarm" and "Rollercoaster," if it hadn't have been for his charismatic and likeable performance here, I would never have known he was the great actor that he was. Add the pleasure of Lucille's longtime friend Van Johnson in the prime supporting role of Darryl, Fonda's best friend, and an extremely young Tim Matheson as Fonda's oldest son, and you have the foundation of an excellent cast in a lovely romantic comedy about the ultimate blended family (think "The Brady Bunch" with brains, and much, much larger to boot).

Very loosely based on a true story, Ball is Helen North, a recent widow with eight unruly children who moves to San Francisco for a fresh start. While working at the infirmary at an (unnamed) Naval base, she meets Naval Officer Frank Beardsley (Fonda, of course), who is a recent widower himself (with 10 children !) and has brought one of his daughters (Suzanne Cupito, aka '70's starlet Morgan Brittany) in for treatment. Helen and Frank are immediately smitten with each other and go out on a date, but immediately break it off when they realize how many children their combined family would contain. Darryl realizes that eighteen children aside, these two were made for each other and proceeds to plot to get them together. They do eventually marry and this sets up many amusing scenes of this huge family trying to blend in together.

The nice thing about this film is that for once Lucille Ball is allowed to play a character completely different from Lucy Ricardo or Lucy Carmichael (from "The Lucy Show"). She is intelligent, touching, funny and very, very human here. In only one scene does she do any kind of "Lucy" shtick, and that is during a wonderfully played drunk scene. Even then she doesn't resemble her daffy TV persona as much as, well a woman who's had too much to drink. And the chemistry between Ball and Fonda is so believable, as a child I found it hard to believe they were not really married in real life! Honest! Johnson gives wonderful support and Tom Bosley has a few amusing scenes as the family's exasperated doctor. I also loved the character of Madeline Love, who Darryl sets Frank up with on a disastrous date that ends with her riding home between Frank and Helen (who's been dumped by her Darryl-arranged date). Their discussion of their respective families ends with the hilarious exchange: Frank: "I'm glad I have ten children!" Helen: "I'm glad I have my eight!" Madeline: "And I'm glad I'm careful!"

All in all, this is an extremely enjoyable romantic comedy that grandkids can watch with their grandparents where everyone will be entertained and nobody will be embarassed. An added treat: laughing at the '60's styles and hairdoes, which look worse and worse with each passing decade. They just don't make them like this anymore. ***1/2 (out of *****)

OK, the movie is really quite dated. Perhaps this is why the movie sells for less than $9.99 on DVD. But in spite of its being dated, the movie is still very funny. Maybe it's funny because it is outdated. The movie was made a long, long time ago, in a day when "comedy" took priority over "politically correct". With Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr writing the script, it couldn't be anything but a sure fire winner. The two also provided their talents on I LOVE LUCY. (Madelyn Davis was known as Madelyn PUGH during the I LOVE LUCY era).

Lucille Ball, in this movie, has really taken a big risk in stepping out of her domain where she truly reigned as the queen of comedy. Her brilliance as a comedian has always been in her ability to act like the perfect scatterbrain, driving a totally frustrated straight man well past his breaking point with her totally insane schemes. On TV, this straight man was played by Desi Arnaz and later, by Gale Gordon.

In this movie, Lucille Ball shone brighter than ever, showing an ability to go from "scatterbrain" to "serious to the point of tears" and back, so effortlessly. And there was no "straight man" to bounce her brand of comedy off of.

Tom Bosely was hilarious as the family doctor, with his deadpan approach. Seeing him later as Howard Cunningham in HAPPY DAYS, I wonder if he was really acting or was he simply being himself? He certainly has that dry wit down to an art.

Oh, and then, there is that issue of age. Lucille Ball was 57 and Henry Fonda was around 61 when the movie was made. This issue is obviously irrelevant. The movie was a hit when it was released in 1968. And it obviously beats that remake in 2005, hands down, in spite of the age of leading roles in the remake.

Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda rule!

Lucille Ball reined above Hollywood as Queen of Comedy and also the CEO of Desilu with not one but three studio lots in Hollywood,Desilu Gower, Desilu Cahuenga and DesiluCulver ( The old Selznick Studio where Gone With The Wind was filmed). Taking chances was Lucy's forte: starring in a TV show "I Love Lucy" and insisting on the casting of her husband Desi Arnaz and her also equally famous decisions authorize the productions of "Star Trek" and "Mission Impossible" against the recommendations of the Desilu Board of Directors. Ball's last great accomplishment as a CEO was the insistence of filming "Yours Mine and Ours" as a theatrical movie hoping to make Desilu a force in film production as well. Make no doubt about it if one re reads the story that Rex Reed wrote in the New York Times on Lucy while she was filming this movie, Ms. Ball ran the show and event titled his great article on Lucy " I Run My Studio Like I Run My Home".

Lucille Ball-looking youthful and beautiful- is superb in the title role of Helen Beardsley and her nuanced performance should have garnered Lucille Ball a long sought after Oscar nomination. Ms. Ball is at times both funny and in a departure from her TV "Lucy" quite soft and underplays many scenes. Henry Fonda is a perfect "Mr. Beardsley". Van Johnson a pal from Lucy's old MGM days is cast and gets a nice role supporting both Stars.

Many were surprised by the success of this film. I have no idea why. It is a fine and lasting comedy classic directed by the sure hand of the fine Melville Shavelson.