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The Happiest Millionaire




 What's it like to be a millionaire, with a wife, two sons, a daughter, and a room full of alligators? To have your own boxing team that practises in your parlor (with your daughter being the star champ)? To top it all off, you live in  Philadelphia during the Victorian era, your daughter begins to date a young man bound as a automobile designer in Detroit, and your elderly mother picks a fight (of polite and genteel words) with the wealthy and distinguished lady downtown. What's that like?
 Maybe you should ask Anthony Biddle, the kind, eccentric, and humorous millionaire who lives this life. Or, better yet, John Lawless, the young man who is the new Irish butler who seems to have an uncanny ability to talk to an unseen audience, have a cheerful, funny attitude, and more 'fortuneosity' than a leprechaun and a bushel of shamrocks combined. He tends to see more of the action than Anthony Biddle--and that's saying something!
  Narrated occasionally by the cheerful John--who appears to know exactly what's going on, and how to fix it--, the Happiest Millionaire is a heart-warming, hilarious, classic movie based on a true story. It follows Anthony Biddle, a kind man who must learn to let go, as his tomboy, boxing daughter  Cordy heads off to college and falls in love. This story has great values on family, amazing music, and is, well, just plain fun!
  I won't tell you anymore, just that the adventure never ends in this lively, fast-paced musical. Just look out for the amazing music, and one of the best characters, the Irish butler John. He's hilarious!
    And I'm not kidding--there are 13 songs--13! And they're all amazing. There's this great one, Watch Your Footwork, which is sung by Cordy's brothers to her suitor, explaining about Cordy's right hook and amazing boxing skills. After accidentally boxing him in the face, the brothers send the suitor on his way. In Bye Yum Pum-Pum, Cordy's college room mate sings and you will not be able to get the song out of your head. Ever. I mean it.
 I love There Are Those and have played it on the piano over and over again. It's a song sung by Lady Biddle, Anthony Biddle's mom, and Mrs. Duke, a snobby French woman. The verbal parring in this classy, polite song is hilarious, and John, acting as butler, is caught in the middle, trying to serve tea.
 There are so many other great ones, like Fortuosity, I'll Always be Irish, and Let's Have a Drink on It, which is a lively one in a pub, and one of the most funny scenes of the whole movie. In Fortuosity, John talks about his good fortune and faith that has guided him here. It makes me think about real life. It's all faith--completely God, that is--that controls our life. No luck is involved, and He is in control, even in hard and scary times. He works everything for His glory and for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose. (See Romans 8:28) I think that if John sang about that, he'd be tapping his heels even more than he was before! (And that's pretty hard to do:)
 If you haven't seen The Happiest Millionaire, go watch it now! Spend some time with your family, and watch a classic movie from Disney. It stars Fred McMurray who played in the Egg and I, Bon Voyage, Follow Me Boys, and The Absent-Minded Professor, among others. (The Absent-Minded Professor was the original Flubber for all you newbies :)
   I hope you enjoy it as much as I have! Pull up a seat in front of the TV with your family, make some popcorn, and watch the Happiest Millionaire. You'll be tap-dancing, singing, boxing, and laughing all the way!
                                                                                                         ---page turner



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