Chicken Every Sunday (1949) User Reviews

Room And Board

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 27 December 2009]

Chicken Every Sunday plays like a combination of It's A Wonderful Life and Papa's Delicate Condition. Based on the memoirs of Rosemary Taylor growing up in Tucson, Arizona at the turn of the last century, it tells the story of her parents played by Dan Dailey and Celeste Holm and how this loving family nearly came apart.

The narrative is in flashback as Celeste Holm is relating to an attorney why she wants after so many years of marriage to Dan Dailey with three children to show for it, a divorce. Celeste has put up with quite a lot and in fact is the one who is really keeping the family together.

Dailey is a product of his time, a firm believer in the idea with the right scheme promoting the right product, he can get himself a permanent address on easy street. He resents the fact that Celeste Holm has decided to go into a little business of her own, a boardinghouse. But that boardinghouse and the income from it has kept the family from being on the street.

It looked to me like Chicken Every Sunday might have been thought of as a musical when first on the drawing boards at 20th Century Fox. It certainly was a waste not have musical performers like Dailey and Holm do at least one number together for posterity. Watching the film you can practically drop in the where the numbers should be.

20th Century Fox gave Holm and Dailey a good supporting cast with such pleasure to watch professionals like William Frawley, Alan Young, Porter Hall, Katherine Emery and Whit Bissell as some of the various people in their lives. The best two without a doubt are Veda Ann Borg who is Frawley's estranged wife and Connie Gilchrist as her mother. Gilchrist's drunk act is the hit of the film.

Chicken Every Sunday is a pleasant piece of diversion from some musical performers in non-musical roles.

Unexpectedly touching

[marcslope · 7/10 · 8 November 2016]

It's interesting to see the very mixed reception this 20th Century Fox Americana receives among reviewers. It's very typical of the studio's output around that time--nostalgic, suffused with old, cheap songs, sentimental, and you're never in much doubt as to whether Celeste Holm and Dan Dailey will end up together. They're a loving married couple in turn-of-the-century Tucson, and his frequent get-rich-quick schemes usually end in ruin, but he's popular with the townsfolk. And why wouldn't he be, with Dailey using every ounce of his underrated charm, reveling in private jokes and convincingly playing an errant but very loving husband. Holm rather overdoes her character's quirk of lapsing into Southern accent when asked to charm somebody (she's from an old Dixie family of means), but she completes Dailey as a couple in a way few screen couples do. Unlike some other reviewers, I found this marriage very persuasive and even touching, and though it's not a sterling supporting cast, there are a couple of standouts--Connie Gilchrist, always good for a laugh, is a hoot as a drunken mother-in-law to William Frawley. George Seaton and Valentine Davies intended this as a sort of follow-up to "Miracle on 34th Street," a love story for John Payne and Maureen O'Hara, but both were busy (Natalie Wood wasn't, and has a couple of scenes of cute). It wraps up quickly and not altogether credibly, but emotionally, it's very satisfying.

Enjoyable AND frustrating at the same time.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 17 September 2023]

When the film begins, Emily (Celeste Holm) is visiting with a lawyer, as she wants a divorce from her husband of 20 years. What follows is a long account of their marriage...and why Emily is fed up and finally has had enough. It seems that although Jim (Dan Daily) has a good job as the vice president of the bank, he's always throwing away their money on various get rich quick schemes. None of them ever work out and to make ends meet, Emily turns their home into a boarding house. This makes up the first 10-15 minutes of the story...the rests are about a variety of things, but mostly Jim's schemes. The final one is the last straw, as at this point, they are about to lose pretty much everything because of Jim's stupidity.

On one hand, it's an enjoyable film because the various side stories about the boarders are fun and interesting. On the other, it's not fun watching a louse like Jim...and frustrating. He is a horrible man and it's hard to enjoy the rest of the film because of this. I really think, in hindsight, it would have been better had they softened Jim a bit. As it is, it's a very mixed bag...and the film's message that women should put up with all this...well it's a lousy message. I sure hope folks who watched the film didn't fall for this!

Cute, old-fashioned movie

[brtaylor50 · 7/10 · 5 November 2016]

I stumbled across this offering on TCM during a Natalie Wood movie night. I wasn't certain I'd stay with it till the end, but I wound up doing so. It's a great example of the kind of movies "they don't make anymore". Corny & schmaltzy in spots...OK a lot of spots...it nevertheless was amusing, downright comical at times, & the actors made it work. It was great to see Alan Young, as all I recall him from is Mr. Ed. Celeste Holm is a gem, as is Dan Dailey. This could be a very effective stage play. I was a bit disappointed that Natalie Wood had such a small role, but I would recommend this flick for an evening of sheer escapism!

Lots of sentimentality; little substance

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 5 November 2016]

This is a watchable film...on the low end of my "7" scale. It's mostly fluff through the first half of the film, although things get better later in the film. The chief reason for watching this film is that it stars 2 actors who weren't usually at the top of the star rosters at the time -- Dan Dailey and Celeste Holme. I always found Daily to be a pretty agreeable actor, though not particularly deep, and I enjoyed him here. Holme seems just right for her part, too. The story involves the couple struggling through life with the husband causing most of the tension through his grandiose business schemes which often fall short, while the wife holds things together. Then, as you might expect, the husband goes too far and the marriage beings to collapse. But, this is a family film, so they do all live relatively happy ever after as they both realize that they have more to lose than gain by divorcing.

While Natalie Wood plays one of the younger children in the film, she is seen only occasionally. More prominent is Colleen Townsend as the older daughter who has a crush on Alan Young (without Mr. Ed...although there is a cow in the film). They both do very nicely. William Frawley is funny as a businessman with a terrible wig. All the other characters do their parts.

One of the more interesting aspects of this film is where it is set -- early Tucson, Arizona.

Go ahead...watch it once. It's a pleasant (though soft) diversion.

Classic American cinema, circa mid-20th century

[B24 · 10/10 · 11 August 2003]

From the novel by Rosemary Drachman Taylor -- who wrote some sequels as well -- this film more or less accurately portrays the life of a pioneer Tucson family at the turn of the last century. As such, it cannot survive much fictional tampering or other kinds of cinematic tricks. It has to be taken strictly as a straightforward tale of ordinary people engaged in ordinary life struggles.

What sets it apart from other stories of its kind is the unique character of the entrepreneurial father, as played moderately well by the late Dan Dailey. An engaging man who was known as well as an accomplished dancer, he played the role of the author's father always looking for but never quite arriving on "Easy Street." Celeste Holm, who has come to be almost a legend in her own time, is the long-suffering but constant and practical mother.

Certain license is involved with some outdoor takes, but on the whole I recommend the film highly as an amusing and true story. Don't be put off by the absence of any clever or unusual plot twists or weird characters. This is the very definition of "G" rated.

I grew up a few houses down from the actual Drachman house. It was only one story, but capacious.

Exasperating corn

[moonspinner55 · 3/10 · 6 August 2016]

Faintly ridiculous piece of nostalgic film-flam concerning newlywed couple in early 1900s Tucson; he's the vice-president of the bank and she's the jovial sort of housewife who prides herself on knowing her husband better than he knows himself. Due to the husband's investments and charity, the twosome are forced to take in boarders immediately following their wedding and, as the years progress, their household turns into the neighborhood room-and-board, complete with children of their own. Nothing more than a contract picture for Fox, cheaply-made and cheaply-felt. Valentine Davies and director George Seaton based their script on both Rosemary Taylor's book and the later play by Julius J. and Philip Epstein, which some critics have since compared to the 1970s television series "The Waltons". But even "The Waltons" had a bit of vinegar underneath its homespun scenario; here, beaming wife Celeste Holm plays mommy to her ne'er-do-well hubby, her children, her boarders...she even plays matchmaker for her high-strung daughter and the bashful kid upstairs who can't dance. Natalie Wood appears briefly as one of the tykes, and William Frawley adds some zip as a potential investor in a copper mine, but otherwise this rosy-hued hokum fails to stay the course. *1/2 from ****

A Delicious Slice of Americana

[Aldanoli · 9/10 · 31 July 2002]

Based on Rosemary Taylor's memoir of life in turn-of-the-century (i.e., circa 1900) Tucson, the book's subtitle tells much of the story -- "My Life with Mama's Boarders." Rosemary's mother was a practical businesswoman who wasn't above renting out every available square foot of her home to make ends meet. This movie, though, like the book, is a delightful look backward at life in a frontier city in the century's first two decades, featuring Celeste Holm as her mother and Dan Dailey as her more fly-by-night father, who always has a get-rich-quick scheme that, somehow, doesn't pan out. In addition to Dailey (who had several short-lived TV series in the 1970s), later generations will enjoy spotting cast members like Alan Young (quite the rising star in 1948, but remembered now mostly as Wilbur Post from "Mr. Ed" and as the voice of Uncle Scrooge in Disney's "Ducktales"), William Frawley (remembered, of course, from "I Love Lucy" and "My Three Sons"), and ubiquitous character actor Whit Bissell, who appeared in everything from "Star Trek" to "I was a Teenage Werewolf."

This movie is another small gem from director George Seaton and his writing partner, Valentine Davies, who also gave the world the original "Miracle on 34th Street," "The Country Girl," and "The Song of Bernadette." Seaton isn't that well-known today, unfortunately, even though almost everyone has seen at least "Miracle on 34th Street," but like Frank Capra, his movies have a quiet humanity that, even when he used a lighter touch (as here), show Seaton's faith in human resilience. When people say that "they don't make them like they used to," they're talking about movies like this.

She borrows from the chickens to take care of the cows, and vice versa.....

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 26 August 2015]

For boarding house co-owner Celeste Holm, that's her way of knowing which farm animal she makes more money for, exasperating husband Dan Dailey who is desperately trying to find a successful business to make it big in the small community where it seems that they were the very first settlers. The boarding house was her idea, and over the years, she is more successful getting married couples to rent rooms (while they often sleep in the living room) than he is going from business to business. First seen searching for a divorce lawyer, Holm tells the town's newcomer of all the businesses he's tried to start which he quickly sold when they didn't financially pan out to his expectations. Holm's a bit of a nag, so as a leading lady, she doesn't quite have the warmth it takes to make her character sympathetic, even though she was quite effervescent in supporting roles. Their three children are over-shadowed in the plot line by the various boarders who come and go over the years, and that is where the little comedy comes in during this film which is more of a drama with comic moments rather than a straight out comedy.

The funniest bits come from the oddly married couple of Veda Ann Borg and William Frawley, wearing a toupee that has to be seen to be believed. At one point, Borg tells Frawley that "the pancake is about to slide off the griddle" when his hair starts skidding (as Mae West once put it to Victor Moore in a similar situation), and Borg's drunken vaudeville mother, Connie Gilchrist, shows up, re-living her show business days which are long behind her. Another amusing episode concerns Holm's bringing young tenant Alan Young out of his shell by teaching him to dance so he can escort her daughter (Colleen Townsend) to a local dance. Music of the period (heard over and over again in many movies of this nature) does give a flavor to the atmosphere, but unlike the title, there is never any mention of chicken being served (other than the cow reference I mention above), and certainly not on a Sunday. The whole film is predictable, rather pointless, and only on occasionally amusing.

****

[edwagreen · 10/10 · 5 November 2016]

Another film showcasing Americana at its best during the turn of the 20th century.

Celeste Holm and Dan Dailey are wonderful together, as she seeks divorce after 20 years of marriage due to his bumbling finances.

Though a bank president, Dailey has ventured into some risky unsuccessful investments and as a result, Holm takes in boarders to pay off the mortgage.

In flashback sequence, Holm recounts that the investments may have failed, but the town was lifted by them-especially the hospital.

An assortment of boarders to remember include Connie Gilchrist as a drunken former diva who thinks she is still performing, Veda Ann Borg, her wayward daughter, who does an excellent imitation of Mae West. (Borg is best remembered for being the waitress who told Susan Hayward to keep a flask of booze in "I'll Cry Tomorrow." William Frawley as her husband, of all people, who Dailey decides to have reconcile with Borg so that he can get Frawley into his latest investment scheme, a milk-toast young asthmatic man, held back by his mother who feigns heart illness each time he tries to be independent and a biology spinster maiden teacher trying to find love with a fellow boarder. The scene where they all interact at once is hilarious.

A taste of tradition, and Americana at its utter best.

Celeste Holm's valiant struggle as pioneer and actress

[Irie212 · 3/10 · 27 December 2009]

Celeste Holm is superb as the center of this film, which is truly sky-high praise for her skills, because the character she plays deserves a sound kick in the pants. She is the wife of an ambitious and relentlessly self-seeking blow-hard (perfectly cast Dan Dailey) who would be homeless if it were not for her frugality, industry-- and vanity. Oh, she may not seem vain on the surface, but what other reason could there be for her to stand by, year after year, as her husband fails at get-rich-quick schemes, forcing her to take in boarders to pay the mortgage and support the family. Every time he schemes, she points out the practical problems, only to succumb when he gives her a compliment. Yes, singular. One. One compliment is enough to make her cave every time.

Marriages aren't like that. Flattery does not overcome a daily struggle to make ends meet—certainly not among Western settlers, which these characters purport to be. Which is another problem with this minimally filmed stage play. It tries to be tough-minded but can't raise itself above the sentimental.

Author Rosemary Taylor admits her memoir was mostly fiction. Which, of course, it has to be. What moron would accept this story as fact? Oh, right — Robert Osborne, the round old duffer with the slurred speech who introduces TCM movies. It's not the first time I thought he was nothing more than a starry-eyed fan with trivia-level knowledge, but no original thoughts, not an iota of insight, or even the suggestion of objective critical skills.

A chicken in every pot

[estherwalker-34710 · 9/10 · 12 July 2022]

A reviewer is wrong, claiming the title is never said in the film. Dan Dailey(Jim Hefferan) says it when trying to impress a prospective tenant for their boarding house with the quality of the food............Based upon the 1944 play, which is based on the 1943 novel by Rosemary Taylor, it chronicles the first 20 years of the marriage of Jim and Emily(Celeste Holm) Hefferan, around 1900-20, beginning with a surrey, with a fringe on top, graduating to a presumed Model T. Jim is the ever optimistic financial scheme dreamer, with no starting cash, hence often has to resort to devious ways to finance his obsessions, becoming sort of a flim flam man. Emily is his long-suffering , but loyal, wife, who tries to keep the pair, and later family, solvent with her rooming house business. At film's end, we have to ask ourselves whether Jim's unique life has been a success or a failure, or somewhere between. Before I try to answer that question, I would like to explain my review title. If you remember your US history, this was a slogan by the 1928 Republican presidential campaign, which was also used by Huey Long, in his his 1932 bid for governor of Louisiana. Remembering that chicken was mostly served at special occasions from 1900-1930, mostly being raised in small flocks, and mostly for eggs, this slogan was meant to imply that if they won the election, they would bring greater prosperity to the nation than their opponent would. I'm saying that the title of the book, play, and film could be interpreted in the same way, but applied to Jim's financial schemes, as well as to Emely's culinary prowess.

Jim was good at seeing a business need in the fledgling city of turn-of-the century Tucson, AZ. But, he generally didn't have the financial resources nor the patience to see them through to profitability. Hence, he usually sold the fledgling business, to provide seed money for his next project. Often, he had to beg or extort money from Emily's business, or a friend or the bank. He even spearheaded the building of the Tucson hospital, by hook or crook. Some of his schemes eventually worked out for others. Others, like his last 'get rich' scheme : digging for copper ore, were abject failures for everyone(although that region of AZ does have some of the best copper mines in the US).

How many inventors of important technologies or creators of important works of art, died as relative or absolute paupers? How many important inventions were preceded by many failed experiments? How many new small businesses are ultimately financial failures?(most). I see Jim as being among such pioneers. Just, he was unfortunate to not be blessed with starting capital and in having a wanderlust personality. Emily knew Jim was like that when she married him, so why did she marry him? Perhaps she hoped that at least one of his schemes would bring them some wealth. Perhaps she intuitively knew that he needed someone like her to keep him from ending up on skid row. Or, maybe she just loved him, in spite of his faults. At least, their marriageable daughter, Rosemary(Collen Townsend) considered her father an important contributor to a number of local businesses, as well as spearheading the construction of the town hospital, where she was born, with Emily the very first patient! Expressing her feelings toward her father changes an apparent sad ending, with Jim leaving home in disgrace, into a provisionally happy ending.

A house with so many boarders is bound to include some interesting characters, and to generate some conflicts and romances. Perhaps the most pitiful is the young man Geoffrey Lawson(Alan Young), psychologically crippled by his fearful, overbearing, mother whom he lives with. As a result, he believes he has no talent for doing common things, including dancing(I don't know how he ever got through school?). Regardless, for some reason?, Rosemary shows some interest in him as a possible boyfriend, and Emely encourages this. Emely tries to teach him how to waltz, with some success. Unwisely, she pushes him to ask Rosemary to dance at a big event. Unfortunately, the band plays a fast-tempo number he has no idea how to dance to. Another young man : Harold, sees this and takes the opportunity to take Rosemary away from him. Later, Harold asks Rosemary to marry him, but she tentatively balks. Later, Harold and Geoffrey have quite a brawl over Rosemary. Surprisingly, Geoffrey eventually prevails, knocking Herald down the stairs, making him run away for good. Incredibly, based mostly on this one incident, Rosemary agrees to an engagement with Geoffrey! Poor Rosemary!

Unfortunely, beautiful Collen Townsend, who played Rosemary, rather soon afterward 'got religion', and gave up her fledgling Hollywood career, but not before another film staring Dan Dailey. Speaking of Dan, it's always fun to have Dan as a leading actor, even if he doesn't do any vaudevillian-styled singing and dancing, as he often did. Celeste was also good in her role.......... I can definitely recommend this film, if you like old times family dramas/ comedies. Judging by the sparseness of fairly recent reviews here, you probably won't see it on TV, nor YouTube. Unfortunately, the DVD is rather expensive, but worth it to me. Would be nice if it were streamed.