An under-appreciated mother inherits a fortune and abandons her family.An under-appreciated mother inherits a fortune and abandons her family.An under-appreciated mother inherits a fortune and abandons her family.
Photos
Edward Keane
- Truant Officer
- (as Ed Keane)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAllen Jenkins was less than a year younger than Aline MacMahon, who played his mother in the film.
- Quotes
Hattie 'Mom' Frink: If you lose this job, its curtains. There isn't another paper in town that will take you back, and I mean that Joe.
Joe 'Poppa' Frink: Yeah, well, maybe somebody will start a new paper!
- SoundtracksShe'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain When She Comes
(uncredited)
Traditional
Played and sung on the radio
Featured review
A great idea ruined by a complete lack of subtlety or pacing.
Nice assembly of supporting actors--McMahon, Kibbee, Jenkins, Darro, Herbert, Huber awful family--very demanding and selfish lot Jenkins a commie?! Lays it on TOO thick in general, lacks subtlety--could have been better
"The Merry Frinks" is a very frustrating film to watch. The story idea is great and the movie is chock full of wonderful bit actors from the Warner Brothers' lot. But, the writer took a great idea and completely ruined it--and the director didn't help either!
The Frinks are an awful lot. Each of the children, Grandma and Father are all selfish jerk-faces. Holding the family together is Mom (Aline MacMahon)--who puts up with all their obnoxious behaviors and is quite the enabler. However, through the course of the film, each of the family members makes Mom miserable again and again. However, just after she's had enough and is a miserable, broken woman, a lawyer shows up and announces that Ma has inherited $500,000 (a HUGE sum in the 1930s)...on the condition that she abandon her family! She naturally agrees...but she is pretty miserable leading a life of leisure. And, not surprisingly, the family falls to pieces without her.
The problem with the film is that the family is completely unbelievable. They overdo the awfulness so much that it never seems the least bit plausible and the film comes off much worse than it should have. The director also should have done something about this--but it all comes off as a great idea wasted due to ham-fisted writing and directing. I would love to see a remake of this one...one that makes the family semi-plausible and the ending possible. As it is, this was just a frustrating mess of a film.
"The Merry Frinks" is a very frustrating film to watch. The story idea is great and the movie is chock full of wonderful bit actors from the Warner Brothers' lot. But, the writer took a great idea and completely ruined it--and the director didn't help either!
The Frinks are an awful lot. Each of the children, Grandma and Father are all selfish jerk-faces. Holding the family together is Mom (Aline MacMahon)--who puts up with all their obnoxious behaviors and is quite the enabler. However, through the course of the film, each of the family members makes Mom miserable again and again. However, just after she's had enough and is a miserable, broken woman, a lawyer shows up and announces that Ma has inherited $500,000 (a HUGE sum in the 1930s)...on the condition that she abandon her family! She naturally agrees...but she is pretty miserable leading a life of leisure. And, not surprisingly, the family falls to pieces without her.
The problem with the film is that the family is completely unbelievable. They overdo the awfulness so much that it never seems the least bit plausible and the film comes off much worse than it should have. The director also should have done something about this--but it all comes off as a great idea wasted due to ham-fisted writing and directing. I would love to see a remake of this one...one that makes the family semi-plausible and the ending possible. As it is, this was just a frustrating mess of a film.
helpful•55
- planktonrules
- Apr 8, 2015
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Happy Family
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 8 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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