Honestly, if you haven't seen the 1943 classic The More the Merrier, you’re missing out on one of the tightest scripts ever written. It’s a movie born out of necessity. World War II created a massive housing shortage in Washington, D.C., and Hollywood decided to turn that stress into a comedy. It shouldn't work. A movie about people being forced to live on top of each other in a cramped apartment sounds like a nightmare, especially when you’re living through it. But George Stevens turned it into magic.
Jean Arthur plays Connie Milligan, a high-strung but patriotic office worker who decides to rent out half of her apartment to help with the "emergency." She's looking for a nice, quiet lady. Instead, she gets Benjamin Dingle, played by Charles Coburn. Dingle is a meddling, lovable, and totally chaotic retired millionaire who somehow convinces Connie to let him stay. Then, because Dingle thinks Connie needs a husband, he sub-lets half of his half to a young, handsome sergeant named Joe Carter, played by Joel McCrea.
The Chemistry of The More the Merrier
The film is famous for one specific scene. It’s the "stoop scene." Joe and Connie are sitting outside on the steps of the apartment building at night. They aren't doing much. They're just talking. But the sexual tension is so thick you could cut it with a dull butter knife. It’s widely considered one of the most romantic scenes in cinematic history because it doesn't rely on grand gestures or swelling orchestras. It relies on hands. Joe’s hands are wandering, Connie is trying to stay focused on her "fiancé" (a boring guy named Charles Pendergast), and the dialogue is just... effortless.
Joel McCrea was never better than he was here. He has this laid-back, "I’m not even trying" energy that makes most modern leading men look like they’re overacting. And Jean Arthur? She was a genius of the squeaky voice and the panicked glance. She hated being on camera, ironically enough. She’d often get physically ill before scenes because of stage fright, but you’d never know it. She makes Connie feel like a real person trying to maintain a schedule in a world that has gone completely off the rails.
Why Charles Coburn Stole the Show
You can’t talk about The More the Merrier without mentioning Charles Coburn. He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this role, and he earned every bit of it. He’s the engine of the plot. He’s the one who literally takes the doors off the hinges to "improve" the apartment layout.
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Most movies have a "matchmaker" character, but Dingle is different. He’s not just a plot device; he’s a philosopher of the "damn the torpedoes" school of thought. His catchphrase, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" (borrowed from Admiral Farragut), isn't just a funny quirk. It’s the theme of the movie. In the middle of a world war, when everything is uncertain and people are dying and the future is a giant question mark, Dingle argues that you have to live now. You have to love now. You can't wait for the housing shortage to end or for the war to be over to start your life.
A Masterclass in Directing Space
George Stevens was a master of using physical space to create comedy. Think about the morning routine sequence. It’s a perfectly timed ballet of three people trying to use one bathroom and a tiny kitchen without losing their minds. Connie has a printed schedule. She has timed everything down to the second.
- 7:00 AM: Connie enters bathroom.
- 7:01 AM: Dingle enters kitchen.
It starts out organized. Then it collapses. The camera stays tight. You feel the claustrophobia. You feel the heat of the D.C. summer. By the time Joe Carter arrives, the apartment feels like a pressure cooker. It’s a classic "screwball" setup, but Stevens slows it down just enough to let the characters breathe. It’s not just jokes; it’s observation.
The Problem With the Remake
Did you know they remade this? It was called Walk, Don't Run (1966), starring Cary Grant in the Charles Coburn role. It was set in Tokyo during the Olympics. It’s... fine. But it loses the stakes. In 1943, the housing shortage was a literal crisis. People were sleeping in theater seats. When Joe and Connie are forced into a marriage of convenience to save her reputation, it feels like it matters because of the social norms of the time and the chaotic backdrop of the war. In the 1960s version, it just felt like a wacky misunderstanding.
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The Script and the "Damn the Torpedoes" Philosophy
The writing credits on this are a bit of a mess, which is usually a bad sign for a movie. You had Richard Flournoy, Lewis R. Foster, Frank Ross, and Robert Russell all tinkering with it. Usually, that many cooks spoil the broth. Here, they somehow created a masterpiece of pacing. The dialogue is snappy but never feels "written." It feels overheard.
One of the best parts of the movie is how it handles Connie’s fiancé, Pendergast. In most rom-coms, the "other guy" is a jerk. He’s mean or he’s cheating. Pendergast isn't a bad guy. He’s just incredibly boring and overly concerned with his career in the government. He represents the "safe" choice. The movie isn't about choosing between good and evil; it’s about choosing between a life that looks good on paper and a life that actually feels good.
Joe Carter is a guy who might not come back from the war. He’s a technician who fixes things. He’s practical, quiet, and a little bit mysterious. When Connie chooses him, she’s choosing uncertainty. In 1943, that was a brave message to send to an audience that was already drowning in uncertainty.
Production Trivia That Actually Matters
- Jean Arthur’s Contract: This was one of the last films Arthur did under her contract with Columbia Pictures. She famously hated the studio head, Harry Cohn. When her contract ended, she reportedly ran through the studio lot yelling, "I'm free! I'm free!"
- The Rating Board: The Hays Code (the censors of the time) had a field day with this movie. The idea of a man and woman sharing an apartment—even with an older man as a chaperone—was scandalous. The filmmakers had to be very careful with how the sleeping arrangements were portrayed. This actually made the movie better. Because they couldn't be explicit, they had to be clever. The tension is all in the subtext.
- George Stevens’ Transition: Shortly after finishing this movie, George Stevens joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He headed a film unit that captured the liberation of Paris and the horrors of Dachau. His style changed forever after the war. He went from light comedies like this to heavy, serious dramas like A Place in the Sun and Shane. The More the Merrier is the last time we see his lighter touch in its purest form.
Why You Should Care Today
We are currently living through another massive housing crisis. Rent is insane. People are living with roommates well into their 30s and 40s. The "hustle" of Connie Milligan trying to balance her budget while working a government job feels remarkably modern.
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The movie also deals with the "loneliness" of being in a crowd. Washington D.C. is packed with people, yet everyone is isolated by their schedules and their duties. It takes a chaotic force like Mr. Dingle to break those barriers down. He forces them to interact. He forces them to be human.
How to Watch It Like an Expert
If you’re going to watch The More the Merrier, don't just put it on in the background while you're scrolling on your phone. You’ll miss the timing. Watch the way the characters move around each other in the apartment. It’s choreographed like a dance. Pay attention to the sound design, too. The noises of the city, the ticking clocks, the slamming doors—it all adds to the feeling of a world that won't stop moving.
Also, keep an eye on the background actors. The "extras" in the hallway scenes and the office scenes are all portraying people who are exhausted. It gives the comedy a grounded, slightly gritty edge that you don't see in other movies from that era like The Philadelphia Story.
Actionable Takeaways for Film Buffs
If you want to dive deeper into this era of film or if you're looking for something similar, here’s what you should do:
- Compare it to the 1966 remake: Watch Walk, Don't Run right after. It’s a fascinating look at how a change in setting and time period can completely drain the tension out of a story.
- Study the "Stoop Scene": If you’re a writer or a filmmaker, watch that five-minute sequence on repeat. It’s a masterclass in building intimacy through physical touch and "small talk" that isn't actually small.
- Look up Jean Arthur's other work: Specifically Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and The Talk of the Town. She was the queen of the "working woman with a heart of gold" archetype, and nobody has ever done it better.
- Read about the 1940s housing crisis: Understanding the historical context of "government girls" in D.C. makes Connie’s character much more sympathetic. She wasn't just being picky; she was surviving.
The More the Merrier isn't just a "black and white movie." It’s a survival guide for keeping your humanity when the world is crowded, loud, and falling apart. It reminds us that sometimes, the best thing that can happen to you is having your schedule completely ruined by a stranger who refuses to follow the rules.
Check your local library or streaming services like Criterion Channel. It pops up on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) fairly often as well. It’s worth the hunt. Trust me.