ON OUR MERRY WAY (DVD) DVD

On Our Merry Way
Also known as A Miracle Can Happen, On Our Merry Way is a multipart comedy linked by inquiring reporter Burgess Meredith. It is Meredith's job to interview several people, asking them what effect children have had on their lives. First he checks with two itinerant musicians (James Stewart and Henry Fonda), who earn extra under-the-counter money by fixing a music contest so the mayor's son will win. Next he meets Hollywood extras Dorothy Lamour and Victor Moore, who are hired to work with a precocious child star. Finally, the old "Ransom of Red Chief" twist is given to the tale of hoboes Fred MacMurray and William Demarest, who find themselves at the mercy of a preteen prankster, whose wealthy uncle (Hugh Herbert) won't take the kid back unless the hoboes pay him. Meredith returns to the newspaper office with a black eye, which earns him the sympathy and affection of coworker Paulette Goddard. Though the direction is credited to Leslie Fenton, portions of On Our Merry Way were actually directed (sans credit) by George Stevens and King Vidor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Burgess Meredith as Oliver Pease Paulette Goddard as Martha Pease Fred MacMurray as Al Hugh Herbert as Eli Hobbs James Stewart as Slim Dorothy Lamour as Gloria Manners Henry Fonda as Hank Victor Moore as Ashton Carrington Eilene Janssen as Peggy Thorndyke William Demarest as Floyd Dorothy Ford as Lola Charles D. Brown as Mr. Sadd Betty Caldwell as Cynthia David Whorf as Edgar Hobbs Frank Moran as Bookie Tom Fadden as Deputy Sheriff Paul Hurst as Sheriff

Crew Ernst Fegte - Art Director Duncan Cramer - Art Director Greta - Costume Designer Leslie Fenton - Director King Vidor - Director George Stevens - Director James Smith - Editor Heinz Roemheld - Composer (Music Score) Skitch Henderson - Musical Direction/Supervision David Chudnow - Musical Direction/Supervision Charles Henderson - Musical Direction/Supervision Skitch Henderson - Songwriter Donald Kahn - Songwriter Frank Loesser - Songwriter Otis Malcolm - Makeup John F. Seitz - Cinematographer Gordon Avil - Cinematographer Joseph Biroc - Cinematographer Ernest Laszlo - Cinematographer Edward J. Cronjager - Cinematographer Benedict E. Bogeaus - Producer Burgess Meredith - Producer Robert Priestley - Set Designer Eugene Redd - Set Designer William Lynch - Sound/Sound Designer James Stewart - Screen Story Laurence Stallings - Screenwriter Lou Breslow - Screenwriter John O'Hara - Short Story Author Henry Fonde - Short Story Author

On Our Merry Way
On Our Merry Way is a middling anthology film, a genre in which the completed film rarely works out overall but often contains some worthy highlights. In Merry, the joys come more from the actors than from the material, which is surprisingly dull. However, watching James Stewart and Henry Fonda engaging in a rare team effort -- a slapsticky comedic one at that -- is a treat, especially since their story is slightly better written than the others. Fred MacMurray and William Demarest have to slog through an uninspired "Ramsom of Red Chief" rip-off, but they display great chemistry, and watching them working together a decade before My Three Sons is a lot of fun. Dorothy Lamour's segment is also slow going, but it does feature a production number that's very amusing and that allows Lamour a chance to shine. Burgess Meredith and Paulette Goddard are stuck with a nonsensical framing story, but their screen personas help to smooth over the many rough patches. Although credited to Leslie Fenton, numerous hands are rumored to have been involved in the direction, including George Stevens, King Vidor, and John Huston. This too-many-cooks approach shows through in the unevenness of the film, which lacks unity and consistency. Catch On Our Merry Way for its cast, and it will be easier to ignore its lesser parts. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: Sound Processing: 1: PCM mono Additional Features: none specified DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 108 min   DVD Chapters: Scene Selection 0. Scene Selection 1. Opening Titles [1:39] 2. The Newlyweds Rise [9:12] 3. The Daily Banner [7:31] 4. Lank & Slim [9:25] 5. A Show Goes On [2:11] 6. Baby's Audition [4:41] 7. Amateur Night [5:12] 8. Ruse Gone Awry [10:34] 9. The Famous Actress [7:03] 10. Meeting Of The Twain [7:37] 11. Queen Of The Hollywood Isles [5:02] 12. Ode To Sniffles [6:57] 13. Captive In Carson's Corners [9:09] 14. Ransom Demands [12:30] 15. Truth Be Told [8:30]