Movie spotlight
In early 1900s' Pennsylvania, Mr. Pennypacker has two company offices and two families with a combined total of 17 children. With an office in Harrisburg and an office in Philadelphia, he has successfully kept two separate homes. However, when an emergency requires his oldest son to find him, Mr. Pennypacker's dual life is revealed.
In 1902, Benjamin Pennypacker, a respected patriarch of a large Pennsylvania family, is revealed to be living a double life. He has a second family in a nearby town with his former sweetheart, whom he married after leaving his first wife. When both families converge at the same summer resort, a cascade of humorous and dramatic complications ensues.
The film was a modest success, generally seen as a lighthearted comedy with some dramatic undertones. While Clifton Webb's performance was often praised for its charm and comedic timing, the plot was considered somewhat predictable by some critics, though audiences often found the premise amusing.
Clifton Webb delivers a charming performance as the titular character.
The premise offers amusing situations and lighthearted entertainment.
Some critics found the plot to be a bit conventional for its time.
Google audience: Audience reception data is limited, but the film is generally remembered as a pleasant, family-friendly comedy from the late 1950s.
The film is based on a 1953 Broadway play of the same name by Liam O'Brien.
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"Kate" (Jill St. John) decides that she is going to marry curate "Wilbur" (Ron Ely) but they don't want to wait until her father "Horace" (Clifton Webb) returns home from his month-long trip to Philadelphia. They set a date and give him an ...