O Netinho do Papai

A befuddled Spencer Tracy and a scatty Joan Bennett find out they are to become grandparents in this charming sequel to 'Father of the Bride'. Although the original film was better, this is a funny, warm, and worthy follow-up.

Elizabeth Taylor again appears as daughter Kay, looking beautiful and radiant. Husband Buckley (the slightly wooden Don Taylor) struggles to cope with his pregnant wife's mood swings, while the in-laws (Moroni Olsen as the pompous ex-Harvard father-in-law, Billie Burke as the twittery mother-in-law) almost come to blows before baby has even arrived.

The star performance in this film is, as ever, Tracy, as he comes to terms with his little girl growing away from him, with his life 'slipping away' with the arrival of the new baby, with his resentment of the rich in-laws. It's a winning performance, and his scenes with Bennett and with Taylor are pure gold.

In this sequel to Father of the Bride (1950), Stanley Banks learns that his daughter Kay is going to have a baby.

When they get the news everyone except Stanley is overjoyed.

His wife and grandmother-to-be Ellie broadcasts it everywhere and all Stan can do is worry about the practical things like how his son-in-law Buckley can afford it.

Well, having not long ago paid for the wedding, Stanley has no intention of bearing any of the expenses involved.

Buckley's parents and Ellie are overjoyed at the news and virtually take over redecorating the young couple's new house.

Crisis and false alarms take over their lives and when the child is born, the only person he doesn't seem to like is Stanley.

A walk in the park - and absolute panic when Stanley misplaces his grandson - seems to resolve the situation.

The print I saw was good but the sound was muffled. This film was made at a time when Hollywood started to direct films like TV shows.

That's not necessarily a negative.

Tracy's wive in this movie looks 35 years younger than him. He looks like he should have been the great grandfather, not the grandfather.

It's a very bumper type movie transitioning from the 40s to the 60s.

Not exactly my cup of tea, but not a horrible movie.

This solid sequel to "Father of the Bride" has some good moments, and with the same cast on hand plus a similar story line, it feels very much like a direct continuation of the original. "Father's Little Dividend" is a cut below its predecessor, but it works all right in itself.

Spencer Tracy once again plays the rather hapless Stanley Banks, and again he shows how good he could be in a rather thankless role. It's almost unfortunate that he seems so natural as a flustered or put-upon husband or father, since he often played such roles although he could do so many other things as well or better. But as far as this pair of movies went, he was certainly a fine choice, since he makes the character believable and sympathetic.

Tracy's character is the focal point for the common kinds of changes and adjustments that families must make as the younger generation grows up. Although his reactions are often exaggerated, in general it is fairly easy to understand Stanley's constant feeling of apprehension about any and all changes.

As with the first movie, Elizabeth Taylor works very well as Kay, giving her an appealing presence and a simple believability.

The pace and the material of this one are not as consistent as they were in the first movie, and some of the comedy ideas come across rather awkwardly. But at other times the characters and cast make things work quite well, and in fact the simplest moments are some of the best ones in the movie.

Last night on the Turner Classic Movies channel, I saw Father's Little Dividend. It was a very funny movie! Spencer Tracy shines as he plays Stanley Banks. Just as good as the original Father Of The Bride. Despite the airheadedness of the last commenter, this movie is very much worth seeing. It's a classic! Not Tracy's best movie, but it's a gem!

Each sequel is a risky adventure. in this case, it is just a great idea. because it is a charming slice from a lovely period. because the rhytm and the humor and the performances are admirable. and the script remains seductive at whole. it is more than a comedy but...a chronicle. about perspective about a young couple, about birth and about child, about parents and about future. many well known by parents and young couples. and that does it a beautiful eulogy to family institution. so, chronicle of a couple first steps in marriage.