Father's Little Dividend

Rating:
Summary: Tracy returns in a quickie sequel to "Father of the Bride"
Review: After the success of "Father of the Bride," M-G-M produced this sequel the following year. This time around Stanley Banks (Spencer Tracy) learns that his daughter Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) and son-in-law Buckley Dunstan (Don Taylor) are going to have a baby. Father is no more thrilled with the idea of being a grandfather than he was about Kay getting married in the first place. Joan Bennett as his wife Elllie and Billie Burke and Moroni Olsen as the other soon-to-be grandparents do their best to help poor Stanley through this latest trauma. A cute film, but certainly not as charming as the original, mainly because it is taking the same approach albeit with a slightly different topic. Still, there are nice moments between Tracy and Taylor, who always called the actor "Pops" until the day he died. This 1951 film was also directed by Vincent Minnelli and Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett again did the screenplay using the characters first created in Edward Streeter's novel. "Father's Little Dividend" was remade, in a round about way, in the recent Steve Martin vehicle "Father of the Bride II."

Rating:
Summary: Spencer Tracy in a quickie sequel to "Father of the Bride"
Review: After the success of 1950's "Father of the Bride," M-G-M produced this sequel the following year. This time around Stanley Banks (Spencer Tracy) learns that his daughter Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) and son-in-law Buckley Dunstan (Don Taylor) are going to have a baby. Father, of course, is no more thrilled with the idea of being a grandfather than he was about Kay getting married in the first place, and even when the baby arrives and insists on crying every time he is in Stanley's arms, his worst fears seem to be confirmed.

Joan Bennett as his wife Elllie, along with Billie Burke and Moroni Olsen as the other soon-to-be grandparents, all do their best to help poor Stanley through this latest trauma, but Tracy's best moments are when he his daughter comes over to see "Pops" (Taylor called Tracy "Pops" the rest of his life and treated him like a real father figure). "Father's Little Dividend" is a cute film, but certainly not as charming as the original, mainly because it is taking the same approach, albeit with a slightly different topic. Even Tracy's performance really comes across as being a little less of the same as the original.

This 1951 film was also directed by Vincent Minnelli and Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett once again did the screenplay using the characters first created in Edward Streeter's novel. "Father's Little Dividend" was remade, in a round about way, in the recent Steve Martin vehicle "Father of the Bride II," which puts some twists on the story that offer some further complications.

Rating:
Summary: BEWARE MADACY ENTERTAINMENT!!!
Review: DO NOT buy this DVD. Another inferior product by Madacy: bleached out picture and tinny sound. Weren't DVD's supposed to be better quality than VHS?!?!

Rating:
Summary: Buyer Beware: Horrible Sound Quality
Review: I did love the original "Father of the Bride" which stars Elizabeth Taylor and Spencer Tracy, but this sequel was not as good. Elizabeth is so young in this movie, she is sooooo pretty, I wish it had been in color.

Rating:
Summary: Decent sequel but ultimately forgettable
Review: I'm sure it seemed a good thing to do -- follow up on the success of "Father of the Bride" with a chapter two. There are a few fun moments here and it is nice to see the entire cast reunited, but the sequel lacks the strength of the original. It's decent but far from memorable.

In this case, the Steve Martin remake, which diverges almost completely from the plot of the original (for good reasons), is more enjoyable. I found the end of this version, with Stanley misplacing the baby, a bit dark and not treated comically enough.

Many reviewers have lamented the poor sound quality of the DVD. Well, with a decent sound system it ends up sounding like most VHS copies. What is more embarrassing, at least on this DVD packaging are errors in the trivia game -- they don't even get Ellie's name right! Did they even watch this movie?

I'd actually like to see this reissued with a decent sound-track someday, but there are more important older movies to be revived first...

Rating:
Summary: Decent sequel but ultimately forgettable
Review: I'm sure it seemed a good thing to do -- follow up on the success of "Father of the Bride" with a chapter two. There are a few fun moments here and it is nice to see the entire cast reunited, but the sequel lacks the strength of the original. It's decent but far from memorable.

In this case, the Steve Martin remake, which diverges almost completely from the plot of the original (for good reasons), is more enjoyable. I found the end of this version, with Stanley misplacing the baby, a bit dark and not treated comically enough.

Many reviewers have lamented the poor sound quality of the DVD. Well, with a decent sound system it ends up sounding like most VHS copies. What is more embarrassing, at least on this DVD packaging are errors in the trivia game -- they don't even get Ellie's name right! Did they even watch this movie?

I'd actually like to see this reissued with a decent sound-track someday, but there are more important older movies to be revived first...

Rating:
Summary: Use your cash as toilet paper.
Review: In the light of the huge success of "Father of The Bride" the previous year MGM naturally saw that a follow up movie taking place after a year has gone by in the lives of the Banks family was a terrific idea. Assembling the same cast, director and production crew combined with the usual MGM care and attention to detail they were assured of a worthy successor to its admittedly splashier predecessor. This time around in "Father's Little Dividend" the trauma of a wedding is replaced by that of the news that Stanley Bank's daughter Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) is expecting a child, much to Stanley's annoyance as he has just congratulated himself on finishing paying for the wedding. Vainly hoping for a little peace from now on he discovers his life is once again thrown into turmoil by the emminent arrival of the baby that will make him , horror of horrors, a grandfather!

"Father's Little Dividend" made at a time when movie sequels were a real rarity manages to keep the continuing adventures of the Banks family as seen through the weary eyes of the head of the house , fresh and enjoyable. While certainly not possessing all the magic of it's classic parent this film still is highly entertaining and manages to resassemble all the essential elements that combined to make "Father of the Bride" such a memorable viewing experience. The original cast of Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennet and Elizabeth Taylor are back, ably supported by supporting cast members Don Taylor as Kay's new husband Buckley with Billie Burke and Moroni Olsen as the senior Dunstan's. Seen through the eyes of Stanley and with the same narration so effectively used in the first film we are reintroduced to the characters after a year has passed and where to Stanley's dismay his cherished daughter Kay has announced that she is expecting. Much like the period following Kay's engagement announcement Stanley now sees himself again going into a free fall from which there is no escape as he finds himself engulfed by baby showers, plans for a bigger house for the couple to accomodate the baby, renovations, trouble over naming the baby and then of course trouble between the expectant couple which of course he is required to sort out. Just wanting to escape from the whole mess Stanley finds that like the first time around when the wedding plans were announced, his beloved wife Ellie relishing the idea of becoming a grandmother, has gone into hyperdrive once more and wont let Stanley rest for one minute as a virtual tug of war begins between the Dunstans and the Banks over who is stage managing the whole affair and more importantly who will control this new baby. Many amusing incidents occur leading up to the great day when Kay gives birth and Stanley is almost driven to distraction and worry for his much loved daughter as her time draws near. After a highly amusing false alarm involving a frantic drive to the hospital which ends up with Stanley in trouble with the police, the great day arrives and Kay delivers a healthy baby boy. However Stanley's troubles are not over as the baby seems to have a mind of it's own and takes an instant dislike to him, crying every time Stanley is within view. Spencer Tracy once again steals the whole movie here as the befuddled grandfather trying to deal with further disruptions in his life. Just when he comes to an "understanding" with his new grandson a quite frightening incident occurs where the baby is temporarily lost and only then does Stanley realise the impact this child is having in his life and how important this grandchild has become to him. At the christening, despite earlier arguments about the child's name Stanley receives a real surprise where in a nice touch, seeing the bond existing between the two, both sides of the family agree on Stanley as the child's name.

"Father's Little Dividend", makes delightful viewing and as with the first film despite being firmly positioned in 1950's America, has alot that even present day audiences can identify with in regard to how families react to an upcoming birth. Spencer Tracy once again displays that unique talent of his in this performance as he turns from reluctant grandfather to devoted carer for the baby and his work with both Joan Bennett and in particular Elizabeth Taylor is a joy to behold. In the christening scene in particular he appears totally real as the proud grandparent and his repeated scenes of concern for Kay's welfare not only are absolutely convincing but is work that reflects his real life affection for Elizabeth Taylor who during production of this film was going through the horrors of the break up of her Hollywood marriage of only 8 months previously. Directed again with much affection by veteran Vincente Minelli this is a slice of Americana from a simpler time and although certainly idealized reflects alot of the very real concerns that parents have when their children are having their own off spring. All those feelings of possessiveness and wanting to "help out" the new parents are amusingly represented in the script with Joan Bennett's "wanting to get her claws into this new baby (according to Stanley!)and her "grand idea" to move Buckley , Kay and the baby into their home to be able to "help out" being highly amusing and very identifable.

The "Father" films released in 1950 and 1951 make great double viewing. They captured once again the excellence of Spencer Tracy in a tailor made role and they also captured forever the beautiful and talented Elizabeth Taylor just as she was making the transition from teenage roles to those as a young adult. The example of Spencer Tracy's acting skills has been quoted by Elizabeth Taylor as being a wonderful learning experience for her as can be seen in her later efforts like "A Place in the Sun". Enjoy Stanley Banks being taken on another nightmare ride care of his loving family in MGM's "Father's Little Dividend".

Rating:
Summary: Cute Sequel
Review: Most of the original cast of "Father of the Bride" (1950) returns for this cute sequel. Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett play the parents of Elizabeth Taylor, who married in the prior movie and is now expecting a child. Bennett reacts with excitement and is prepared for her daughter to move back home so that she can help raise the child. Tracy, on the other hand, is horrified at the prospect of being a grandfather and has a mid-life crisis of sorts. The movie did almost as well as the original, finishing as the #11 money-maker of 1951.

With Vincente Minnelli at the helm, you know that the movie can't be bad. It's cute and the cast is fine. In addition, at just 82 minutes in length, the movie really flies by quickly; however, it's just too insubstantial and predictable. I smiled a few times but never really laughed. Accordingly, whereas "Father of the Bride" was nominated for a boatload of Oscars, including Best Picture, "Father's Little Dividend" was shut out of the nominations. Overall, "Father's Little Dividend" is a mildly amusing and likeable romp but probably not a must-have for your collection.