Weekend Cinema Spotlight: Yours, Mine, and Ours

"Yours, Mine, and Ours" (1968)

Did you grow up watching I Love Lucy? I did and when I was younger that's all I knew of    

Lucille Ball until I watched Yours, Mine, and Ours. The pairing of Ball with Henry Fonda was sheer comedic magic!

It was based loosely on autobiography called "Who Gets the Drumstick?" on the life of Frank and Helen Beardsley.  Can you imagine blending two families and having twenty children altogether?? Well that was the life of the real Beardsley's! My house is busy with three little ones although I must admit I find it fascinating on  how such large families do make it work. So watching shows on TLC on the lives of the Duggers or other families with multiple children is interesting and defiantly a guilty pleasure.

The stunning Lucille Ball and always handsome Henry Fonda.

The film also stars Van Johnson who basically sets up his friend Frank on a date with Helen. He figures with their large families they would have a lot in common (Frank is a naval officer and Helen a nurse who works on the same naval base) and assumes that it wouldn't work out. They head out on their date and hilarity ensues for them both! All I have to say is watch out for the eyelash scene because Ball just will leave you on the floor laughing!

The North's and Beardsley's together.

When he finds out she has eight children and he has ten-they decide its best to stop there. But love has it way and they marry to the dismay and shock of their children who are all still mourning the loses of their other parents. I could understand their shock and annoyance and most step-parents aren't fabulous but some are. Of course in this case both Frank and Helen try their best to blend the families together and to tend to the needs of each child. In the film the ages of the children ranged from 18 to one years old and in the end of the film they add the 19th child to their fold.

I love this film because its based on reality yet it the stars of the film bring humor and a touch of class to every scene. Van Johnson is outstanding and I was very impressed with his comedic timing! You can almost feel his pain of being the "uncle" of 18 children! LOL

If you see this film, watch out for  super handsome Tim Matheson and Tracy Nelson as Germaine-one of the babies in the film! 

I hope you all are having a fabulous weekend!!

xox