Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House Photos

View All Photos (1)

Cast

Cary Grant
as Jim Blandings

Myrna Loy
as Muriel Blandings

Melvyn Douglas
as Bill Cole

Reginald Denny
as Henry Simms

Louise Beavers
as Gussie

Jason Robards Sr.
as John Retch

Sharyn Moffett
as Joan Blandings

Connie Marshall
as Betsy Blandings

Ian Wolfe
as Smith

Nestor Paiva
as Joe

Lex Barker
as Carpenter

Harry Shannon
as W.D. Tesander

Tito Vuolo
as Mr. Zucca

Jason Robards Sr.
as John Retch

Lurene Tuttle
as Mary

Emory Parnell
as Mr. Delford

Will Wright
as Eph Hackett

Frank Darien
as Judge Quarles

Stanley Andrews
as Murphy

Cliff Clark
as Jones

Franklin Parker
as Simpson

Cy Slocum
as Man

Jack Jahries
as Elevator Operator

Charles B. Middleton
as Wrecker

Robert Bray
as Workman

Frederick Ledebur
as Workman

Don Brodie
as Charlie

Hal K. Dawson
as Mr. Selby

Kernan Cripps
as Cop

Ralph Stein
as Proprietor

Michael Lally
as Customer

Bud Wiser
as Customer

Gene Leslie
as Taxi Driver

Dan Tobin
as Bunny Funkhauser

View All

Critic Reviews for Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Audience Reviews for Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

• Jul 28, 2013

  An advertising executive moves his New York family to Connecticut and involves them in a real estate swindle. Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Melvyn Douglas are all great actors, but even they can't save this film from banal mediocrity. The central conflict is Jim Blandings's pursuit of an American Dream on steroids and a entitled sense of opulence, but this conflict isn't really resolved because Blandings never tones down his ambitions or does anything to earn his privileged opinion of himself. The plotline about Muriel's potential affair with Bill doesn't have any legs either because, like Jim should, we trust her implicitly. Some of the supporting characters are -- "Yep" -- mildly amusing, but even a chuckle didn't escape me. Overall, just like its more modern imitator, The Money Pit, this film is pointlessly unfunny.
  Jim H Super Reviewer
• Sep 05, 2010

  Grant and Loy make a great team in this hilarious comedy. I love it, and I recommend you see it too.
  Aj V Super Reviewer
• Jul 15, 2010

  I've never been into old B/W comedies but I saw this at the library & decided to take a chance on it & Im glad I did
  Brody M Super Reviewer
• Apr 20, 2010

  Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House builds heavily on it's predecessors (Jack Benny's "George Washington Slept Here" for one, and W.C. Fields movies in general, for another), while at the same time, inspiring future "do-it-yourselfers-gone-wrong" movies ("The Money Pit" for one and "Are We Done Yet?" for another) and yet, it has something going for it that those other don't: Cary Grant. Sure, it may be a little difficult to picture the erudite Grant as the henpecked, middle class husband and father of two, but this is a Hollywood picture afterall, and we naturally suspend our disbelief when it comes to such matters. Then again, if I were married to Myrna Loy, I probably wouldn't mind being henpecked either. Mr. Blandings, sick of living life in a cramped New York apartment, decides to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and move to a little home out in the country. Unfortunately, he buys his home with his heart, not his head, and winds up with dilapidated, ramshackle house that, in the long run is cheaper to tear down and build over. And that's just the start of his problems. Mr. Blandings isn't rocket science, it's a cute comedy very much in the same vein as other cute comedies of the 40s and 50s, overall a very enjoyable classic.
  Devon B Super Reviewer

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House Quotes

News & Features