Yours, Mine, and Ours on Blu ray!

[lplucyfan]

Finally, coming from Olive films.  https://www.amazon.com/Yours-Mine-Ours-Blu-ray-Lucille/dp/B01HNBX07I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467169441&sr=8-1&keywords=lucille+ball

[Freddie2]

Yay! Our second Lucy movie on Blu Ray- and one of the best!

[wilderfan]

Is anyone able to confirm that the new version will be available in the WIDESCREEN format originally shown in theaters?

[nertz2mertz]

Is anyone able to confirm that the new version will be available in the WIDESCREEN format originally shown in theaters?

 

I'd like to know that as well. I hope it has, if any, extras.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

I'd like to know that as well. I hope it has, if any, extras.

 

According to Olive Film's website for this title, which happily notes that this will be released in its OAR:

 

Yours, Mine And Ours

Directed by: Melville Shavelson

 

Yours, Mine and Ours, based on the book Who Gets the Drumstick, stars Lucille Ball (The Facts of Life) and Henry Fonda (The Grapes of Wrath) as Frank and Helen Beardsley, parents to a blended family of twenty.

 

When Navy officer Frank Beardsley meets nurse Helen North (with a little help from mutual friend Darrel Harrison, played by Van Johnson, Brigadoon) there’s an undeniable attraction although both are apprehensive about any potential romantic involvement, having recently lost their spouses leaving them responsible for raising ten children and eight children respectively. When they decide to wed, unconventionality turns into hilarity in the wacky Yours, Mine and Ours.

 

Directed by Melville Shavelson (Houseboat) from a screenplay by Mort Lachman and Shavelson and a story by Bob Carroll Jr. and Madelyn Davis based on the Helen Beardsley book, Yours, Mine and Ours features supporting performances by Tim Matheson (Animal House), Tom Bosley (TV’s Happy Days), Gary Goetzman (Married to the Mob), Morgan Brittany (Gypsy) and Tracy Nelson (Down and Out in Beverly Hills).

 

Actors: Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Van Johnson, Tim Matheson, Tom Bosley

Release Date: September 13, 2016

Rated: N/R

Country: United States

Runtime: 111 mins minutes

Year Filmed: 1968

Screen: 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio; COLOR

Languages: ENGLISH

Subtitles: ENGLISH

UPC: 887090127219

Olive Price: $21.99

Suggested Retail Price: $29.95

 

http://www.olivefilms.com/films/yours-mine-and-ours-blu-ray/

 

Interestingly, it's also already available for pre-order on Amazon.com for a higher price!

 

https://www.amazon.com/Yours-Mine-Ours-Blu-ray-Lucille/dp/B01HNBX07I?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&tag=panandscathed-20

[Freddie2]

Isn't this the same company that released Facts of Life on BR? Do they have a good track record when it comes to this?

[JoeySanJoaquin]

Isn't this the same company that released Facts of Life on BR? Do they have a good track record when it comes to this?

Good catch, as a matter of fact it is.  What's heartening to me is that these seem to be coming out in their original aspect ratios and not "pan and scan". 

 

I don't have TFOL on blu yet (coincidentally as I write this, it's 50% off on Amazon.com for those so inclined, not sure how long that'll last!) but Blu-Ray.com gives it an overall good review and is "Recommended."  (I'm guessing it would have rated higher had their been any significant extras -- they only include the trailer for the film -- but I think that's one reason these catalog titles are being released relatively inexpensively: no "goodies"!

 

Here's a link to the full text of the review of the release for further inspection if so inclined.  They rated its Video Quality 4 out of 5 stars, the Audio 4 out of 5 and the extras just one "half"; which explains why the overall rating is 3.5. Check it out here:

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Facts-of-Life-Blu-ray/122398/#Review

[Luvsbway]

The outtakes were shown on a Bob Hope show. So would love if they would haven been added. Lucy keeps giggling in multiple takes after kissing Bob on the boat.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

Yours, Mine, and Ours (1968) (Blu-ray) DVDTalk.com Review

  Olive Films // Unrated // September 13, 2016 // Region A List Price: $24.95 [buy now and save at Amazon]

Review by Adam Tyner | posted September 22, 2016

Here's the story of a lovely lady who was bringing up threefour very lovely girls...and four boys. Recently-widowed Helen (Lucille Ball) is instantly taken with handsome Navy warrant officer Frank Beardsley (Henry Fonda) when they meet-cute at the commissary, but she'd love to get through at least one night out before breaking the news that she's the mother of eight children. Little does she know that Frank, himself a widower, has her beat: he's a father of ten and woefully out of his depth. Forget about the "...and they knew that it was much more than a hunch" part of the song; Helen and Frank both agree that this should be their first and last date. Eighteen kids between 'em? That'd be nuts! ...but, well, maybe "nuts" is just what the doctor ordered.

Based on the real-life North and Beardsley broods, Yours, Mine, and Ours was a colossal success when it roared into theaters in 1968, and it's not at all hard to see why. I love the way it shatters the fourth wall, with Frank and fellow Naval officer Darrel Harrison (Van Johnson) both staring directly into the camera and addressing the audience. It's neat to see how tightly the Navy is woven into this narrative, complete with spectacular shots of jets taking off and an aerial view of an aircraft carrier, with Henry Fonda sharing the frame all the while.

 

The only way to successfully manage a household this massive is through discipline and organization, and there are some clever ways in which Frank draws from his Naval experiences to help with that. Yours, Mine, and Ours is wonderfully cast, as if you need more than Ball, Fonda, and Johnson's names on the bill to tell you that. The central romance is never less than convincing, and it's wonderful to see the two of them seek a relationship because that's what they truly want from one another rather than simply filling the role of mother or father.

 

As many, many children as the film has to juggle, quite a few of them have distinct personalities and don't all blend together in a mush. It's a tricky balance, making younger characters precocious without being annoying, cute without being cloying, or approaching adulthood without sounding as if a fortysomething year old writer's voice is coming out of their mouths. Yours, Mine, and Ours strikes it brilliantly. (...and golly, what a scene stealer Eric Shea is!)

 

I appreciate the way the kids try to derail any sort of relationship between Frank and Helen without coming across as mean-spirited villains. The film's sense of humor is warm and inviting, and, even all these decades later, it still had me in stitches. There's always a heck of a lot going on, from head-on collisions of blind dates to (repeatedly!) spiked drinks to rice fights to the Vietnam draft to sleazy boyfriends to cementing what it really means to be a family.

 

Sometimes the topics are light, and sometimes they're extremely serious, but they're always handled with thought, consideration, and love. It also deftly touches on the subject of sex, in ways that will coax a knowing smirk from many viewers and go over the heads of those too young to appreciate those gags. Unlike the Beardsley's home, Yours, Mine, and Ours never feels overstuffed, and the pace is so brisk that I would never have guessed that its runtime approaches two hours in length.

 

Yours, Mine, and Ours is a family comedy in every sense of the word...errr, words. I appreciate the (eventual, anyway) solidarity. This is a story about two families coming together as one, and crises make them stronger rather than threaten to tear them apart. Sweet, smart, chaotic in the best possible ways, and still packing a heckuva sense of humor nearly sixty years later, Yours, Mine, and Ours is making its long-overdue debut on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films. The movie itself is timeless, but this high definition presentation certainly shows its age. Still Highly Recommended, of course.

 

Video

In a word: erratic.

There are moments when Yours, Mine, and Ours looks reasonably well-defined and nicely detailed. Its colors can be fairly bright and vivid, or at least as much as the film's production design would allow. This is the late '60s, after all, with all the earthen browns and oranges you'd expect.

 

It goes without saying that shots with opticals degrade severely: a split-screen phone call, freeze-frames, optical zooms, wipes, a matted-in television screen. I'm not sure I've ever come across a film that used this many dissolves, and entire shots on either side of each transition are signficantly softer, lacking in fine detail, and saddled with duller colors as a result. Because of the staggering number of dissolves, a massive percentage of Yours, Mine, and Ours' nearly two hour runtime is affected. Beyond this, there's one stretch where the quality completely tumbles off a cliff; even the audio sounds significantly worse than the remainder of the film:

 

Peppered with flecks of dust, it's not the most polished presentation, and film grain isn't resolved as well as I would've liked to have seen either. Color timing can be wildly uneven, particularly in the lead up to the finalé. There's a mad dash to get Helen out the door, and her bright green coat is a completely different hue in every shot. I'm guessing this is a master that MGM has had on the shelf for a long, long while, and the film would've benefitted from a fresh scan before being trotted out on Blu-ray. Still very watchable but disappointing just the same.

Yours, Mine, and Ours is lightly letterboxed to preserve its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and Olive Films has filled this single layer Blu-ray disc to the brim.

Audio

Presented in 24-bit, two-channel mono, this DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is somewhat uneven as well. The levels are surprisingly low, and I really had to crank up the volume for it to sound anywhere close to normal. The voiceover work is boxy and canned, although most of that is limited to the early moments of the film, and the dialogue recorded on-set fares quite a bit better.

 

The bouncy, playful score sounds terrific, but the unexpected earworm of a title track comes across as so meek and timid by comparison. Around 36 minutes in, Yours, Mine, and Ours all of a sudden looks as if it had been shot on 16mm, and the audio is jarringly awash in reverb. This thankfully doesn't last too long.

 

There are a couple of abrupt dropouts in the film's final moments, but because they correspond with cuts, I imagine that's the way Yours, Mine, and Ours may always have sounded. This lossless soundtrack doesn't hit the marks I'd hoped it would, but this lack of consistency doesn't meaningfully get in the way of my enjoyment of such a wonderful family comedy.

Also included is a set of optional English (SDH) subtitles.

Extras

The only extra is an upscaled trailer (4 min.).

The Final Word

Warm, extremely funny, smarter than you might think, and nutty in all the right ways, Yours, Mine, and Ours is a bear-hug of a family comedy. I wish its seemingly dated high definition presentation had aged as gracefully as the film itself, but Yours, Mine, and Ours is so wonderful that this Blu-ray release still comes Highly Recommended anyway.

 

C O N T E N T

V I D E O

A U D I O

E X T R A S

R E P L A Y

A D V I C E Highly Recommended

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/71308/yours-mine-and-ours-1968/

[JoeySanJoaquin]

Yours, Mine and Ours (1968) – Blu-ray Review

http://redvdit.com

by Doug · September 11, 2016

 

 

Yours, Mine and Ours is an American family film, originally released in 1968 featuring the ever-loving Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda.  Prior its debut, this film had three working titles and is very loosely based on the life story of Frank and Helen Beardsley.

 

As mentioned in the first paragraph, Yours, Mine and Ours tells us the story of Frank and Helen Beardsley and is loosely based on Helen’s biographical memoirs titled Who Gets The Drumstick? After the release of the book, an original screenplay was written so that it featured several I Love Lucy styled sequences.  

 

Finally, after the film’s release, it was considered to be rather popular and a commercial success.  It is also reported that the Beardsley family had a real appreciation for the film and the story that it presented.

 

Yours, Mine and Ours tells us the story of two naval employees (in some capacity); who, between the two of them have nineteen children.  The two are found to be struggling to make it on their own, especially while managing so many children each.  One thing leads to another and they become one gigantic family, and that’s when the real insanity starts to take place.

 

The Film Itself (5/5):

I really wasn’t sure what to expect going into the original Yours, Mine and Ours.  With having only seen the 2005 remake with Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo once, and only knowing of the legacies of Ball and Fonda; I was really excited for this opportunity.

 

As I progressed through the story this film had to offer, I found myself laughing at what some would consider to be antiquated antics.  I was kind of surprised to learn that the writing crew for this film had been completely changed during the pre-production stages for various reasons, with the largest being the fact the original script didn’t really represent the Beardsley family.  The new writing team did what felt like a fantastic job at maintaining the I Love Lucy feeling and sequences that the original crew threw together.

 

Yours, Mine and Ours does a fantastic job at presenting the craziness it is with being a parent.  While I’m not a parent myself, I’ve seen what it’s like to have one or two children while spending time with my colleagues.  I couldn’t fathom what it would be like to live with nineteen children and trying to maintain a quiet, sane and stable household.

 

Picture Quality (5/5):

Presented in the ever-loving 1080p, Yours, Mine and Ours looked absolutely fantastic.  For a film that originally came out in the late 60’s, this release had the visual appearance that would be comparable to the quality of work that Criterion does.  Featuring an all new transfer, I was able to truly appreciate this film for everything that it had to offer.

 

As I watched Yours, Mine and Ours, it really felt as if I were right there in the late 60’s/early 70’s.  The color palette within this film was a perfect representation of the era that this story takes place in.

 

Audio Quality (3/5):

Despite featuring a 2-channel audio track, Yours, Mine and Ours sounded really well coming through my home theater system.  I was able to completely hear and understand everything as it unfolded on my TV without having to perform any manual adjustments to the volume levels.

 

I decided to give this portion a 3 simply because I still am a firm believer that if you’re going to go through the work to make a spectacular visual presentation, there should be some work done on the audio too.  While it may have not been within the budget for this release, I don’t know, but considering what it does have to offer it wasn’t a horrible experience by any means.

 

The Packaging (3/5):

Yours, Mine and Ours comes packaged in your standard Blu-ray amaray case.  Within the case, you are provided with the Blu-ray disc as well as your standard promotional material that is commonly found with Olive Films’ releases.  There is no DVD included nor is there a digital copy redemption pamphlet.

 

As I continue to explore the films that Olive has to offer, it seems that this is common with their films to only include a Blu-ray copy. While I would have loved to include this within my digital collection, I think I’m going to ultimately stop hoping for these releases to include a digital copy of any kind.

 

Special Features (2/5):

Much like any other Olive Films release, Yours, Mine and Ours comes packaged with its original theatrical trailer and nothing else in terms of additional content.  Considering the name that Ball and Fonda had for themselves, and the I Love Lucy feel this film gave us, I would’ve absolutely loved to see some outtake material from its filming.  I can almost guarantee you there were some laughs shared as this film was being made, and those of us who love the occasional Ball or Fonda film would have a true appreciation for some of the backstage antics the crew had!

 

Technical Specs:

Video

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Resolution: 1080p

Original Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Audio

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

Subtitles English

Runtime Original Film: 111 Minutes

 

Final Thoughts:

Having known this version of Yours, Mine and Ours existed before and not seen it is truly a travesty, I must admit.  Olive Films has decided to release it on Blu-ray and I certainly am glad that I hadn’t seen it until now.  This film is loaded with classic comedic experiences.  It helps really get the point across in the general difficulty and struggles that most adults go through when trying to raise a family, let alone one that includes nineteen children.

 

The audio and visual presentation of this release were well done, with the visual presentation being absolutely phenomenal.  After some of the more recent releases that I have had the pleasure of reviewing from Olive Films, I just want to publicly say that I am glad to have them on board with this review site because they really do a great job with their releases; despite some of the titles being “off-the-wall” or something that I know I wouldn’t normally give a chance.

 

If you are a fan of classic films, older style comedy routines and some good old-fashioned family fun, you should certainly grab this release of Yours, Mine and Ours this week from Amazon!

 

http://redvdit.com/reviews/yours-mine-ours-1968/

[JoeySanJoaquin]

Posted on 20 September 2016.

http://www.iconvsicon.com/2016/09/20/blu-ray-review-melville-shavelsons-yours-mine-and-ours-a-family-comedy-classic/

 

Blu-ray Review: Melville Shavelson’s “Yours, Mine And Ours” — A Family Comedy Classic!

It’s time for another episode of Flashback Cinema with Jeremy Morrison! This week he triumphantly returns with a look back at Melville Shavelson’s “Yours, Mine And Ours.” The film just hit Blu-Ray via the fine folks over at Olive Films. 

 

Here is a quick look at what the film is all about and the players involved: Yours, Mine and Ours based on the book Who Gets the Drumstick, stars Lucille Ball (The Facts of Life) and Henry Fonda (The Grapes of Wrath) as Frank and Helen Beardsley, parents to a blended family of twenty.

 

When Navy officer Frank Beardsley meets nurse Helen North (with a little help from mutual friend Darrel Harrison, played by Van Johnson, Brigadoon) there’s an undeniable attraction although both are apprehensive about any potential romantic involvement, having recently lost their spouses leaving them responsible for raising ten children and eight children respectively. When they decide to wed, unconventionality turns into hilarity in the wacky Yours, Mine and Ours.

 

Directed by Melville Shavelson (Houseboat) from a screenplay by Mort Lachman and Shavelson and a story by Bob Carroll Jr. and Madelyn Davis based on the Helen Beardsley book, Yours, Mine and Ours features supporting performances by Tim Matheson (Animal House), Tom Bosley (TV’s Happy Days), Gary Goetzman (Married to the Mob), Morgan Brittany (Gypsy) and Tracy Nelson (Down and Out in Beverly Hills).

 

THE REVIEW: Yours, Mine and Ours is just as charming as ever. Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda are nothing short of fantastic together in this hip, edgy comedy from 1968. The cast is loaded with incredible talent from top to bottom. Among the 21 children are names like Tim Matheson, Gary Goetzman, Kimberly Beck, Gil Rogers, Morgan Brittany and Tracy Brown, and amongst the “holy crap, they were in this” group are Tom Bosley and Larry Hankin.

 

Yours, Mine and Ours is full of great sight gags from the always hilarious Lucille Ball. A role it seems Lucy was destined to play, Ball actually bought the rights to Helen Beardsley’s book, “Who Gets The Drumstick” and became rather close with the family (thanks, IMDb Trivia).

 

Even with all of these powerhouse names in Yours, Mine and Ours the real scene stealer goes to the very young and oh so adorable, Eric Shea. Shea plays Phillip, the often overlooked North child. Shea is one of the very first links to the families actually getting along. He admires Tim Matheson’s Mike and dearly wants to be apart of one family unit.

 

THE VERDICT: One of the greatest family comedies to ever grace the screen. A work of pure cinematic genius.

Oh, and one last fun fact observed in this film…a bill of groceries for a 23 person household rang up to $126.63.

That’s about half of what a 6 person household taps out at today. Christ.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

Yours, Mine and Ours – Blu-ray Review

thenerdmentality.com

written by Dusty Stokes September 17, 2016

 

We all know the “too-many-kids-family-comedy” movies out there. I mean there are so many, they are Cheaper by the Dozen. (I know, I know, I’m here all week, folks). Heck, there are sequels, ripoffs, and remakes out there; it’s a popular genre. And speaking of remakes, Yours, Mine and Ours, the movie that Olive has released on blu-ray has it’s own remake with Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo. But we’ll cover that one another time.

 

Today we will talk about the 1968 original, one of the earliest pioneers of the genre.

 

Yours, Mine and Ours is the story of two military widows with children who find each other in the dating scene and hit it off real well together. The only problem is that she has 8 kids and he has a whopping 10!

 

This movie is a really well done and heartwarming comedy that perfectly casts Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda as the parents of an incredible number of children. We follow these two love birds (he is a Navy man who’s come ashore to be with his kids, and she is a nurse) as they face the difficulties of dating at an older age, while putting up with the unhappy offspring that they each have. This of course comes with it’s own pranks and tough situations, but with his discipline and resolve, and her kindness and understanding, they are able to make things work — for the most part.

 

While some of the humor is quite dated (as are views of women in the work place and dating world), the film is still highly entertaining and surprisingly funny, even by today’s standards. The acting is a bit over the top, which gives it charm, and for having so many characters in the house, you get a surprising amount of unique characters in the children as well.

 

Older comedy movies can be really hit and miss, as a lot of the jokes lose their luster over the years, but Yours, Mine and Ours holds up really well.

The Picture 4/5

I was very pleased with the picture quality in this release. The colors popped out and were very inviting, which is relatively uncommon in older films in my experience. The film grain was noticeable, but the image remains highly detailed and quite clear. Some scenes suffer from old age a little more than others, but overall this was an enjoyable watch.

The Sound 3/5

As is the case with most older films, the sound is nothing spectacular. The lack of technology at the time makes for a more centered listening experience, but they make do with what they’ve got. The movie sounded perfectly passable, and I never had to adjust the volumes to hear every line, which is more than I can say for some older movies I’ve seen.

The Features & Packaging 1.5/5

Olive Films has a very consistent packaging for their releases. As always, we get their sturdy blu-ray case with art on one side of the sleeve and art on the disc. Inside you will find an insert for other Olive releases.

 

Unfortunately, the only special feature on this release is a trailer for the film. It’s nice to have, but with nothing else, this is basically a bare bones release.

The Verdict 3.5/5

While the lack of special features is highly disappointing, this movie has aged very well and is surprisingly fun to watch. I can definitely recommend this as family viewing or for a trip down memory lane.

 

http://www.thenerdmentality.com/movies/mine-blu-ray-review/

[JoeySanJoaquin]

Blu-Ray Review: YOURS, MINE AND OURS (1968)

http://freekittensmovieguide.blogspot.com

 

Starring Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Van Johnson, Walter Brooke, Nancy Howard, Tom Bosley, Tim Matheson, Morgan Brittany, Tracy Nelson, Jennifer Leak, Kimberly Beck, Ben Murphy. Directed by Melville Shavelson. (1968, 111 min).  OLIVE FILMS

 

There's a scene about halfway through Yours, Mine and Ours that depressed the hell out of me. Frank and Helen Beardsley (Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball) are grocery shopping for their 18 children, loading up four carts' worth of food. The grand total of their bill comes to $123.

 

$123!!! That's about seventy bucks less than I currently spend to keep my family fed for a week, and there's only four of us. What's really sad is I vaguely remember my sister watching this when it first aired on TV in the early 70s, when $123 was a ridiculous amount to waste on mere groceries. That scene must have been quite amusing back then, but now...man, I haven't cried like that since seeing Marley the dog die.

 

Other than that, for a 48-year-old film, Yours, Mine and Ours has held up pretty well. Even my millennial daughters were engaged enough to see it through to the end.

 

Naval officer Frank Beardsley is a widower with 10 kids who ends his duties onboard a ship to take care of them. Helen North is also recently widowed with 8 kids of their own. The two eventually meet, fall in love and, despite the ominous implications of raising 18 children, get married. None of the kids are too happy about this at first, leading to some amusing (and occasionally annoying) moments in which they express their disapproval. Much of the humor comes from the Beardsleys' efforts to function as a family without going crazy, though far funnier is Frank and Helen's courting period, where both characters dread informing each other of how many children they have and Ball lets her gifts as a physical comedian shine.

 

Lucille Ball & Henry Fonda have great chemistry together, making one wish they had done more films together. Van Johnson also has some amusing moments as Frank's best friend, while Tom Bosley steals the few scenes he appears in. As for the child characters...they range from likeable and charming to truly obnoxious. You might recognize a few of them, such as a very young Tim Matheson as Mike, the oldest and angriest. Sharper cinephiles will spot Eric Shea, a truly irritating kid who'd go on to play an even more irritating kid in The Poseidon Adventure.

 

Yours, Mine and Ours is another nostalgic blast from the past. Despite some goofy bits of "hip" dialogue and some mild sex talk, the film probably seemed old fashioned even in 1968. But it never crosses the line into pure corniness, which is a chief reason it we still laugh with it, not at it.

 

EXTRA KIBBLES:

None

 

KITTY CONSENSUS: PURR...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

 

http://freekittensmovieguide.blogspot.com/2016/09/blu-ray-review-yours-mine-and-ours-1968.html

 

[JoeySanJoaquin]

Tonight's Movie: Yours, Mine and Ours (1968) - An Olive Films Blu-ray Review 

Laura's Miscellaneous Musings

laurasmiscmusings.blogspot.com

 

 

Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball star in the family comedy YOURS, MINE AND OURS (1968), released on DVD and Blu-ray last week by Olive Films.

 

I've seen the movie a number of times over the years, and the good-looking Blu-ray edition made revisiting the film a particularly enjoyable experience.

 

Growing up I enjoyed numerous books and movies inspired by true stories about large families, such as CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (1950), ROOM FOR ONE MORE, or THE FAMILY NOBODY WANTED, to name just a few.

 

YOURS, MINE AND OURS is another story in that vein, based on Helen (North) Beardsley's book WHO GETS THE DRUMSTICK? Helen North was a widow with eight children who married Frank Beardsley, a widower with ten children. They went on to have two children together, though only one is shown in the film

 

Fonda and Ball star as the Beardsleys. The film was a reunion for the actors, who had starred in THE BIG STREET in 1942. They're pros, of course, although I must say I really noticed this time around they were getting on in years to be playing these roles; according to his obituary, Frank was 45 when they married. Helen was 31. Fonda and Ball were...let's just say not 45 and 31!

 

YOURS, MINE AND OURS is a highly watchable if imperfect movie. It's hard not being entertained by a couple trying to work out a relationship while surrounded by 18 children and the attendant challenges of raising them, plus Van Johnson adds some wry humor as Fonda's best friend.

 

At the same time, the film has moments of exasperating silliness and at times verges on the crass. That said, despite the fact that it's a flawed film it's drawn me back to rewatch it multiple times over the past decades, a testimonial to the film's staying power. Viewers who like the actors or share my enjoyment of "big family" stories will probably enjoy it as well.

The most recognizable children and teens in the cast are Morgan Brittany (billed Suzanne Cupito), Kimberly Beck, Tim Matheson, and a very young Tracy Nelson. Some of the other children, including Mitch Vogel, Eric Shea, and Michelle Tobin, were familiar episodic TV faces "back in the day." The cast also includes Tom Bosley as the family doctor and Ben Murphy as a boyfriend.

 

YOURS, MINE AND OURS was directed by Melville Shavelson, who was also one of several people who worked on the script. It was filmed by Charles F. Wheeler. The movie runs 111 minutes.

 

Incidentally, I've not seen the 2005 remake with Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo, but understand it changed the story and characters considerably.

 

As a postscript, one of Helen's children has written a book alleging that reality was a far cry from that portrayed in his mother's book and in the movie.

 

I own the previous MGM DVD which was released a number of years ago, and the widescreen Olive Films Blu-ray is a nice step up from that older fullscreen-only DVD. I put the DVD in the player for a quick comparison of a few scenes; the fullscreen version of the 1.85 film isn't as bad as one might anticipate, but the new widescreen print is definitely more desirable, whether it's a shot of an aircraft carrier or a gazillion children crowding into a kitchen. The Blu-ray also has a noticeably crisper picture.

 

The Blu-ray includes the trailer.

 

http://www.blogarama.com/blogs/397316-lauras-miscellaneous-musings-blog/12333583-tonights-movie-yours-mine-and-ours-1968-olive-films-blu-ray-review

[Mot Morenzi]

Good catch, as a matter of fact it is.  What's heartening to me is that these seem to be coming out in their original aspect ratios and not "pan and scan". 

I don't have TFOL on blu yet (coincidentally as I write this, it's 50% off on Amazon.com for those so inclined, not sure how long that'll last!) but Blu-Ray.com gives it an overall good review and is "Recommended."  (I'm guessing it would have rated higher had their been any significant extras -- they only include the trailer for the film -- but I think that's one reason these catalog titles are being released relatively inexpensively: no "goodies"!

 

Here's a link to the full text of the review of the release for further inspection if so inclined.  They rated its Video Quality 4 out of 5 stars, the Audio 4 out of 5 and the extras just one "half"; which explains why the overall rating is 3.5. Check it out here:

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Facts-of-Life-Blu-ray/122398/#Review

Blu-Rays are never pan and scan; unless the film was created in the 4x3 ratio, they're always in widescreen. Sometimes 4x3 television product is retrofitted into widescreen for updated releases as well.