Brian Aherne is a hobo taken in by Billie Burke to be a family chauffeur in "Merrily We Live," also starring Constance Bennett, Alan Mowbray, Bonita Granville, Tom Brown, and Clarence Kolb. The film is basically the same story as "My Man Godfrey" but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's funnier, though "Godfrey" had the serious undertones (and William Powell) that this movie completely lacks. Unfortunately for "Merrily We Live," it came out at a time when the screwball comedy had had its day. It's so interesting now to see these true gems that suffered from bad timing. "Bringing Up Baby," regarded today as a classic, also suffered at the box office.

The family Aherne comes to work for is never boring. The matriarch, Emily (Billie Burke),is bonkers. She's constantly picking up hobos and hiring them. In the first scene, the last bum in residence has stolen all of the silverware so the family is using all kinds of devices as utensils in order to get through breakfast. The younger daughter Marian (Bonita Granville) spends most of her time fooling around with the chimes so that when the harried butler Grosvenor (Mowbray) tries to ring them, they fall apart. Grosvenor, by the way, keeps his bags packed and ready to go at all times and leaves in disgust at least once a day. When Marian isn't making Grosvenor's life miserable, she's hitting people up for money in exchange for information. Mr. Kilbourne (Kolb) drinks to escape. Jerry, the older daughter (Bennett, who is 19 years older than Granville) seems to be the one who keeps things together. Then she falls for Aherne.

The last scene in this film should be regarded as the ultimate in screwball. It's one of those things you laugh out loud at even when you're alone.

It was commented that Bennett was too old for the role - 34. She definitely was playing a woman in her twenties, but given that Burke was 53, Tom Brown (the son) was 25, and Granville was 15, the ages work out, and those age gaps exist in families. In those days, it was not uncommon, as in my own family, for a woman to have 9 pregnancies and only have three living children spread far apart. Bennett didn't have the best role but she was believable and beautiful. She was almost at the end of her "A" picture leads by 1938. Tom Brown doesn't have much to do but is very good. Mowbray is terrific, as is Kolb, as a man who knows more about what's going on than he pretends. Patsy Kelly plays one of the house staff, and she gives a stagy and loud performance. She's seen to better advantage elsewhere. Burke is a delightful dingbat. Granville is energetic bordering on hyper, as she always was, and she's perfect as the mischievous daughter.

Aherne is very handsome and makes not only a great hobo but a great butler. This was definitely one of his finest roles, and he handles it elegantly.

"Merrily We Live" is a real treat, another lost treasure of the '30s.

This is hardly an original film, as it was apparently a variation on the 1930 film WHAT A MAN. Plus, it's amazingly similar to the 1936 hit film, MY MAN GODFREY. However, despite being so unoriginal, the overall film is amazingly watchable and a lot of fun.

Like in GODFREY, the rich family that is the focus of the film is amazingly ditsy and....well, nuts! Unlike GODFREY, most of the insanity is concentrated into the mother (played by Billie Burke)--though as the film progresses, you come to realize they're all touched! As for Burke, her stupid schtick wears thin at the beginning of the film (making you wonder why the other family members haven't killed her). But, fortunately, as the film continues, she is given such wonderful lines of dialog that I really am glad they didn't kill her. Additionally, the rest of the family's dialog was great as well--showing that the writers were really hitting their mark.

The film is about Burke's bizarre habit of bringing home hobos to rehabilitate them, though in many ways they were treated more like pets or toys than people. The rest of the family is sick of this because the hobos are usually thieves or opportunists, so it's no wonder that when Brian Aherne is taken in by Burke that the rest of the family is angry and wants Aherne to go. However, what's really strange is that although Aherne is dressed like a bum, he never WANTS to be saved by Burke and he more or less becomes a part of the family against his will! As the film progresses, like Godfrey, Aherne is obviously more than just a man down on his luck--leading to a dandy conclusion.

The film has excellent and well-paced direction, wonderful writing and an excellent ensemble cast. It is actually quite surprising that this film isn't more well-known, as it's one of the better comedies of the 1930s.

This was a film I never thought I would see. Not out on DVD it apparently wasn't shown for years. That's a pity because any film with 5 Oscar nods including Best Supporting Actress for Billie Burke should not be lost.

If it looks familiar that's because producer Hal Roach took a lot of themes from My Man Godfrey. The Kilbournes here look a lot like the Bullocks there. Irascible father Clarence Kolb who likes a toot every now and then, scatterbrained mother Billie Burke and three spoiled children. Constance Bennett, Tom Brown, and Bonita Granville.

Brian Aherne is driving along one day and stops to get some water for an overheating engine and the brake slips and his vehicle plunges down a canyon. He walks and looks somewhat disheveled when he arrives at the Kilbourne country home looking for help.

Billie Burke who takes care of tramps as a hobby sizes up Aherne as one and hires him as a chauffeur. If you saw My Man Godfrey I think you have a fair idea where this is going.

Hal Roach impeccably cast this film and some additional ones here are Ann Dvorak as a predatory society girl, Alan Mowbray as a stuffy butler and Patsy Kelly as a down to earth maid. I'm in complete agreement with another reviewer when he says he was impressed by Clarence Kolb's gift for physical comedy.

Sadly the reason that this film was not shown on TV for years was Willie Best at his shufflebutt worst. It was really offensive.

Merrily We Live is an undiscovered gem.