MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE

SYNOPSIS: The Blandings live in New York in a tiny apartment they have painfully outgrown. So, they decide to move to the country and build the home of their dreams, which as they quickly discover is much easier said than done.

BOTTOM LINE: Cary Grant and Myrna Loy are two of my favorite actors, so I was looking forward to seeing this comedy, which reteams them after their frothy and fun initial teaming in THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER. They continue to have great chemistry, bouncing off each other with snap and wit, however, this story's not quite the stuff of comic genius. Grant usually can't help but be an utterly charming fellow, but all he does here is bitch and complain which is not entertaining no matter who's doing it. The film casts him as a family man who works in the advertising business. After years of living in a tiny apartment, which feels like it's getting smaller by the hour, the Blandings decide to buy a house in Connecticut that will accommodate their many needs...like more than one bathroom. The house quickly becomes a money pit as Grant and Loy try to create the home of their dreams on a salary that's anything but robust. Most of the comedy involves contractors and their outrageous demands, which if you've ever dealt with builders, isn't what one would call hysterical. There's also a love triangle sub-plot between the Blandings and their lawyer, an old college friend, which is a bit tired and under-explored. I guess they needed to fill in the holes in the plot with something other than building nightmares, but it never really makes any sense and is more than a bit unbelievable. No woman in her right mind would leave Grant for Douglas. This is a film for Grant lovers. Others need not apply.