Five fun facts about dad’s small dividend
Like many classic film fans, I just love discovering interesting connections and fun little tidbits while watching my classic film favorites. Nonetheless, each month I’ll be sharing some quick and fun facts about some of my classic movie selections available to stream at Best Classics Ever.
1) Yes, we all know it’s a sequel, but…
I would imagine that, assuming we’re all classic film buffs here, we already know that Father’s Little Dividend was the sequel to the 1950s Father of the Bride (one of the top-grossing films of the year, btw). But maybe we all didn’t know that’s what “dividend” is Even goes down very well with the public and critics and is also financially successful.
To quote the original New York Times review of April 13, 1951:
“It’s not often that the sequel to a successful film is even half as successful or rewarding as the original. But we’ve got to hand it to Metro: His follow-up to Father of the Bride is so close that we readily concede the humor and charm of that earlier film.”
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2) Mother and daughter have a birthday together
Joan Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor, who play mother Ellie Banks and daughter Kay, respectively, were both born on February 27 — though 22 years apart, with Joan being the older (of course). Joan and Liz also have another classic film connection, as they both played youngest sister Amy in Little Women (Joan 1933 and Liz 1949).
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3) The Good Witch and the Magic Mirror
Billie Burke and Moroni Olsen play Doris and Herbert Dunstan (the parents of the father-to-be Buckley). Burke has appeared in so many delightful classics, from Topper to The Man who Came to Dinner, but she’s probably best remembered for her iconic role as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz. Moroni, on the other hand, may not be as well known, but you can hear his booming voice as the Magic Mirror in Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and as Senior Angel #1 in It’s a Wonderful Life.
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4) Dancing younger brother
Kay’s younger brother, Tommy, is played by Russ Tamblyn, who later danced as brother Gideon in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) and Riff, the leader of the Jets, in West Side Story (1961)! If musicals aren’t your thing, you might remember Russ as Luke Sanderson in The Haunting (1963). PS Russ Tamblyn’s daughter is actress Amber Tamblyn (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants).
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5) Spencer Tracy and Milwaukee
So how could I write a post about Father’s Little Dividend and omit Spencer Tracy, who plays Liz’s father, Stanley Banks? Well I can’t. Did you know that you can visit some attractions in Spencer’s native town of Milwaukee? You can read about it here.
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Well, those were my five facts, but here are a few extra bonuses, for those who are so inclined 🙂
Elizabeth Taylor’s recipe for Chicken with Avocado and Mushrooms
Billie Burke Classic Film Tours – NY
Billie Burke, the good witch for cats
Five character actors who were once Ziegfeld stars
AND – as part of our partnership with Best Classics Ever – you can stream Father’s Little Dividend for free this month on the Classic Movie Hub Channel. Just click here, join for free (no obligation), scroll down and click the CMH Channel button – and start watching for free. So feel free to explore many other free movies to watch every month.
Stream for free this month on Best Classics Ever.
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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
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