On Our Merry Way
James Stewart and Henry Fonda are at the peak of their form as a pair of impoverished swing band musicians who attempt to change their luck by rigging a talent contest.
Member Reviews
The winning charm of Burgess Meredith - rdees
First, a few corrections: On our Merry Way was directed by Leslie Fenton and King Vidor, with uncredited contributions by John Huston and George Stevens. It features three stories, or vignettes, of which the plot featuring James Stewart and Henry Fonda is only one. The stories are bound together by a framing narrative led by Burgess Meredith, who plays a man who's been lying to his wife (Paulette Goddard) about where he works, what he does, and how much money he makes a week. It's all presented in a very lively manner, with Meredith addressing the camera directly in a number of funny scenes.
As Meredith's likable loser runs around the city, he encounters three sets of people, who each address the film's central question: What influence has a child had in your life?
The first story features James Stewart and Henry Fonda as a pair of musicians, band leaders who had seen better days. Their performances are hilariously relaxed, almost sedated. They make it all look so effortless. The second story involves an actress (Dorothy Lamour), for whom working with a precocious child actress facilitated her big break. This plot gets a little tiresome by the time a rather long musical number hits. The third story features Fred MacMurray and William Demarest, quite funny as a pair of losing con men who encounter a real troublemaker of a boy.
For me, the real strength of the film lies in the framing story featuring Burgess Meredith, whose performance among this all-star cast really steals the show. This is in part because the three episodes sometimes drag on a bit, they become tiresome because you find yourself wanting to return to Meredith and the framing narrative. His character and situation are so compelling, that the other stories feel more like amusing asides to his more engaging narrative. Definitely a film to enjoy.
Member Reviews
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The winning charm of Burgess Meredith - rdees
First, a few corrections: On our Merry Way was directed by Leslie Fenton and King Vidor, with uncredited contributions by John Huston and George Stevens. It features three stories, or vignettes, of which the plot featuring James Stewart and Henry Fonda is ...