Meet the Stewarts

This came out in 1942. In the early fifties, it could (title and all) have been the first episode of a television show. (That includes William Holden's calling wife Frances Dee "kitten." That's just like in "Father Knows Best," though there it's the title character's daughter's name.) It's a pleasant movie. Holden and Dee are a believable enough couple. It is a familiar story but the plot takes some different routes: She comes from a rich family. He is working class. She wants to try. She indeed does try. (Margaret Hamilton is thrown in, as an inept housekeeper.) The highlight is Anne Revere. What astonishing presence that woman had! She plays Holden's sister, a school principal. She's cold, strong, judgmental, and (of course) in the end kind.

As I sat and watched "Meet the Stewarts", I couldn't help but feel annoyed. So much of the story revolves around a spoiled rich girl who is simply annoying--at least that's how my wife and I felt as we watched.

The film begins with a love-struck young man, Michael (William Holden) approaching Candace's father (Grant Mitchell) to ask his permission to marry her. However, the father is NOT happy to give his blessing and vows to cut off his daughter (Frances Dee) from her very extravagant lifestyle if she marries Michael. Well, she marries anyway--knowing full well that she'll have to economize and live like a normal person. However, throughout the film, this spoiled housewife continually overspends and simply ignores their financial situation. As for Michael, he's an idiot, as although he lectures her about economizing, every time she cries he simply gives in to her. This sort of thing is supposed to be funny. I found it grating and a bit insulting since the US had just come out of the Depression. Also grating was that Candace could do NOTHING right when it came to housework--nothing. Again, it was supposed to be funny but wore thin after a while.

If you haven't guessed, I didn't like this film at all. It's a waste of several talented actors--particularly Holden who, oddly, has the screen presence of a zucchini. Making a film about a rich lady giving it all up to marry a working class guy could have worked--but making the wife THIS vacuous, selfish and ineffectual strained credibility well beyond the breaking point. Candace is unlikable to the point where I wanted to see Michael belt her!! No, I am NOT endorsing spousal abuse--though the film DOES late in the picture! Finally, I agree with several of the other reviewers who felt this plot was more like a TV episode stretched to movie length. Overall, an annoying film with little to commend it.

Honestly, I was rather bored with this silly cartoonish script about an untalented wife who couldn't cook or learn to economize on her husband's small salary. I still enjoyed it mainly to see Bill Holden so young and handsome and debonair and funny. However, the last part of the film, near the end, the slapstick comedy became so hilarious that I laughed my head off! That redeemed the film for me. Humor solves a myriad of problems in life. :)

So if you love William Holden definitely add this film to your watch list. As others here have mentioned: later in life he tended to make fun of his early lightweight comedies, but still, it's worthwhile watching him so effortlessly pull his character off in this frothy bubble of a romantic comedy.

Pretty much a remake of the Bride Walks Out from 1936, right down to the same gags with the money, the furniture, the maid. Mike (William Holden - Sunset Boulevard, Sabrina) marries Candace (Frances Dee - Little Women, Of Human Bondage), and all their problems boil down to surviving on just the husband's income. The bright spots in this movie come from the supporting characters - running gags from the taxi driver (Don Beddoe) and the maid (Margaret Hamilton - the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of OZ!) One difference from the Bride Walks Out is that here, the families of the couple are involved, but in the first version, all the interaction was with their neighbors. Meet the Stewarts is a little more mature; a little darker - grownups talking about real life issues; in The Bride Walks Out, they seemed like fun, young kids who never really took themselves too seriously.

they don't make 'em this good anymore!perfectly charming 40's comedy with holden in young but top form.supporting cast is excellent.this was one of holden's last films before going to war and ended up the lower half of a double bill...and shouldn't have.