Simply A Masterpiece

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

"Sitting Pretty" is the first of three films that were based on a 1947 novel, "Belvedere," by Gwen Davenport. Clifton Webb, as Lynn Belvedere, is the only actor who repeats in the 1949 and 1951 films. They are "Mr. Belvedere Goes to College" and "Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell." As with many a series of films, the first one is the best of this trio of films. And, it's thanks to television, especially late night TV since the late 1950s, that people after the 1950s ever saw any of these films. All of the cast are good in this film. Maureen O'Hara and Robert Young are delightful as a suburban couple, Tacey and Harry King – even in the days before "suburban" became a catchword. They live in the Hummingbird Hill neighborhood. But, they have trouble keeping a maid. Webb comes into the picture about one-third of the way through. That's after the audience has had sufficient introduction to the King family, especially the three children and their Great Dane dog, Henry. And some of the neighbors who play good parts in this story.Tacey King hires Lynn Belvedere sight unseen, thinking he is a woman. This was one of Clifton Webb's arrogant roles that he perfected so well in his film career. Here he is an expert in just about everything. The movie just shows a couple of scenes of his interaction with the children, so it's quite a stretch to see the boys suddenly well behaved, polite and liking Mr. Belvedere. But that's what happens in short order. The audience is left wondering, just as Harry and Tacey are in the film.While this is a comedy based around the King family, it's also more of a comedy-satire of neighborhoods in the mid-20th century. Having grown up during that time in three different places, I wonder if the neighborhood gossips and busy bodies were that widespread a thing. Hollywood made a number of movies with that element as part of them into the 1960s, And, this is a very good one in which the gossips are more of a scandal than what they spread. Richard Haydn is the prime busy body-gossip spreader, Clarence Appleton. This is one of the prissy, smug eccentric roles for which Haydn became known. No one could do them better, and he's very good in this film. His mother, a cranky wheelchair-bound snoop, is played by Grayce Hampton. Hayden got his start on the British stage but made his name mostly in some top comedy movies, in his unusual characters. In this film, his passion is breeding irises, not far from his real life interests outside of work. He was into serious gardening and horticulture. This move is a fine, light comedy. Following are some funny lines from the film. For more sample dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the film.Harry King, "Don't I get a kiss?" Tacey King, "Oh, no. I'm a one-man woman and my heart belongs to Belvedere."Harry, talking with Tacey on the telephone, "What? She didn't! Why the old bag." He looks at Bill, his law partner, and says, "The maid quit." Tacey, "In a way I'm glad to get rid of her. All she did was guzzle beer all day." Tacey, "The sooner you start out on your own and stop lettering Mr. Hammond kick you around, the better I like it."Ginger, "Gosh, Mrs. King. I hope you're not sore just because I invited a few friends. Golly, a person'd go absolutely insane with nothing to do but sit." Tacey King, "If I were your mother, which heaven forbid, I'd make it extremely painful for you to sit for the next few days." Ginger, to Harry after Tacey has left, "Gosh, Mr. King, I feel so sorry for you. She has a terrible disposition, hasn't she?"Clarence Appleton, "Oh, good morning, Mr. McPherson." McPherson has just carried to the curb two metal trash cans full of empty beer and liquor bottles. McPherson, "Hmmm." Clarence, "Must have been quite a party you had last night." McPerhson, "Would you like a list of the guests who got cockeyed, or have you already got it?" Clarence, "There's no need to be unpleasant. I merely made a friendly observation." McPherson. "Well, make it someplace else." Through the front window, Harry sees Clarence Appleton stooped with a feather in their flowers. "What the devil is he doing?" he asks. Tacey, "Seems we have a very healthy male iris, and he asked if he could have some pollen so he could breed it to one of his." Harry, "You outta charge him a stud fee."

This is a wonderful movie. It get's the point across beautifully. It is witty, it has style, it has charm. And it has a flaw! A major flaw as do most of the movies made. Believability is marred by one big giant mistake.In my copy of this movie---which I purchased---when Tacey comes home because Tony has an upset stomach and the snoopy neighbor Mr. Appleton comes over--when he leaves, the closing of the front door tells us this is a sound-stage and believability is gone! Just about every movie made, the door gives believability a heave-ho, a great big kick out the door.Front doors of houses and even some apartments make a whoosh sound when opened or closed. They don't bang. And there is another sound of the latch clicking.Furthermore a front door is heavy. The sound production staff---if they want to garner your attention on the story and keep it alive, have got to do something about this. Because my attention to the storyline is lost.If this seems like nitpicking to readers, wait until they watch a movie and hear the front door bang and they will know exactly what I am talking about.

With Sitting Pretty, Clifton Webb created his most enduring film character, the aesthetic and acid tongue, self-styled genius, Mr. Lynn Belvedere. He enters the lives of the King family by answering an advertisement Maureen O'Hara puts in a paper about needing a live-in baby sitter.Never assume folks, Maureen doesn't specify the gender of whom she seeks and with that first name of Mr. Belvedere she and husband Robert Young assume they've got themselves a female. Belvedere moves in and he's quite the character. I'm not sure there's a subject or a field he's not well versed in and he's not above letting one know it. Thanks to a fussy busybody neighbor, Richard Haydn, Webb and O'Hara become the focal point of a lot of neighborhood gossip.Clifton Webb never had any luck with his three Oscar nominations. In 1944 for Laura he lost to Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way. In 1946 in The Razor's Edge he lost to Harold Russell in The Best Years of Our Lives. Those two were for Best Supporting Actor, but in 1948 he was nominated for Best Actor and this time lost to the greatest actor of his generation playing arguably the greatest acting role ever, Laurence Olivier as Hamlet.Robert Young as O'Hara's husband is not generally commented on, but I've always had the sneaking suspicion that some astute casting directors saw Young in this film and decided he'd be perfect as THE television suburban all American father when it came time to casting Father Knows Best. For some reason Maureen O'Hara gave this film a fast mention in her recent memoirs and didn't discuss it at all. I'm not sure why, she certainly did well enough in it.Richard Haydn is also not commented on too much, mainly because he was playing a very typical Richard Haydn part. Clifton Webb of course was the cinema's closest thing for almost 20 years to an out gay actor and I'm sure Mr. Belvedere if done today would be more explicitly gay. So would that first meeting of Haydn and Webb where today it would be shown for exactly what it is, Haydn trying to pick up Webb and Webb turning the prospect down cold.Almost sixty years later, Sitting Pretty has not lost a bit of its entertainment value. Clifton Webb's Mr. Belevedere is an enduring cinema legend. I only wish the two succeeding Belvedere films were shown. I've never seen either of them as of today and don't ever even recall them being broadcast.

This is one of the classic comedies of its era! It's a simple comedy with a unique idea......a movie the whole family can see and enjoy....unlike the movies which come out today. I'm not sure why today's movie makers think we want to hear the language they put in almost every movie. Get a grip.......we don't want to hear it! My mother remembers actually seeing this film in the theaters and told me that everybody was howling! The crowd apparently loved it and you will too! Clifton Webb is perfect as Mr. Belvedere and this may have been his best performance ever. Although, some people may argue with me on that point, considering he was so great in 'Laura'. I can't believe Sitty Pretty isn't out on DVD!!