You Can't Take It With You (1938)

In Frank Capra's third Oscar win for directing, You Can't Take It With You tells the story of two star-crossed lovers who come from different sides of town.  James Stewart is from the hoity-toity Kirby family who is trying to buy Martin Vanderhof's house.  Martin Vanderhof happens to be the grandfather of Jean Arthur, Stewart's sweetheart.  The Vanderhof household is a very eccentric one where everyone is free to live and do as they please.  Arthur wants to hide her families quirks for the pending engagement party.  So, Stewart brings the Kirby's to the Vanderhof household unexpectedly in order to meet the family in their real element.  

The movie was based on a play of the same title by George S. Kaufman.  I saw it performed once and remember leaving with fond thoughts.  The eccentric family in this movie is very well executed.  The gentlemen in the basement lighting off fireworks and making children's toys add some unexpected oomph while the mother is writing plays using her little kitten as a paperweight and the daughter is pointe dancing to her husband playing the vibes.  It paints quite the quirky family picture.  What Tim and I have learned from this blog is that Lionel Barrymore is a very impressive actor.  Everything I have seen him in has been great.  This movie had a very strong It's A Wonderful Life vibe to it.  It's like the rough draft version of it which is interesting because Stewart, Capra, and Barrymore will all reunite for It's A Wonderful Life and Stewart, Capra and Arthur will later reunite for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.  

When one thinks of Frank Capra, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town or Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or It's a Wonderful Life often come to mind first. In this sense, You Can't Take It With You is one of his less known but still very memorable films. I enjoyed very much how this film mixed the message/social consciousness elements of Emile Zola with the humor of It Happened One Night into one satisfying package. I got a great laugh out of the Vanderhof family, particularly the cat paperweight, the impromptu Lionel Hampton-style vibes playing and the boisterous Russian wrestler Kolenkhov. They were a welcome reprieve from the stuffy, upturned noses of the Kirby family, whose greed is counteracted by the always-charming James Stewart as bridge builder Tony Kirby (It's important to note here that the cast and acting were all around excellent; Lionel Barrymore is a consistent wonder and James Stewart is one of the finest actors of all time). That's ultimately what this movie is all about- the appreciation of simple things and the treasuring of the joys of family and people over the Manifest Destiny-esque pursuit of capital and prestige. As the movie progressed, the title made more and more sense- and the message is just as relevant today, perhaps more so than it was in 1938. Sure it's a "rough draft" of the mostly superior It's a Wonderful Life but this film is still an experience well worth having and a welcome reminder of what's really important. 


Shortly before filming began, Lionel Barrymore lost the use of his legs to crippling arthritis and a hip injury. To accommodate him, the script was altered so that his character had a sprained ankle, and Barrymore did the film on crutches

Maybe it'll stop you trying to be so desperate about making more money than you can ever use? You can't take it with you, Mr. Kirby. So what good is it? As near as I can see, the only thing you can take with you is the love of your friends.