Yours, Mine and Ours (1968): Dir: Melville Shavelson / Cast: Henry Fonda, Lucille Ball, Tom Bosley, Van Johnson, Walter Brooke: Seems like a remake of Cheaper by the Dozen but director Melville Shavelson manages to heighten a theme of family and togetherness. Henry Fonda plays a Navy veteran while Lucille Ball plays a nurse and their stories come together in a detailed narrative where we learn that they're both widowed and he has ten children while she has eight. That is more sex combined than a whole slew of porn stars, and more labour pain than one human body should desire. Although insightful and clever it is also very obvious. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that they will marry and the children will struggle to adapt. What does work is the two leads. Fonda is terrific as a devoted father yet he misses he place within the Navy. Ball is hilarious particularly during a drunken dinner segment. Supporting roles are flat but then again who can keep track of these children? It is mind boggling to ponder someone having this many children. Tom Bosley is given a few witty lines as a doctor but even his appearance is pretty much standard issue. The kids are so many that one would think that popcorn had more personality. The film stresses the ordeal of raising a family and building bridges when something is missing...Such as why so many children? Score: 5 / 10

OK, the movie is really quite dated. Perhaps this is why the movie sells for less than $9.99 on DVD. But in spite of its being dated, the movie is still very funny. Maybe it's funny because it is outdated. The movie was made a long, long time ago, in a day when "comedy" took priority over "politically correct". With Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr writing the script, it couldn't be anything but a sure fire winner. The two also provided their talents on I LOVE LUCY. (Madelyn Davis was known as Madelyn PUGH during the I LOVE LUCY era).Lucille Ball, in this movie, has really taken a big risk in stepping out of her domain where she truly reigned as the queen of comedy. Her brilliance as a comedian has always been in her ability to act like the perfect scatterbrain, driving a totally frustrated straight man well past his breaking point with her totally insane schemes. On TV, this straight man was played by Desi Arnaz and later, by Gale Gordon.In this movie, Lucille Ball shone brighter than ever, showing an ability to go from "scatterbrain" to "serious to the point of tears" and back, so effortlessly. And there was no "straight man" to bounce her brand of comedy off of.Tom Bosely was hilarious as the family doctor, with his deadpan approach. Seeing him later as Howard Cunningham in HAPPY DAYS, I wonder if he was really acting or was he simply being himself? He certainly has that dry wit down to an art.Oh, and then, there is that issue of age. Lucille Ball was 57 and Henry Fonda was around 61 when the movie was made. This issue is obviously irrelevant. The movie was a hit when it was released in 1968. And it obviously beats that remake in 2005, hands down, in spite of the age of leading roles in the remake.Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda rule!

Early in the film, Eric Shea, "Phillip" is getting a spanking and has all his front teeth. Later, after the marriage, he is shown with both his top and bottom front teeth missing and he says: "Maybe if he'd helped me sooner they wouldn't be falling out." I wish that the DVD had more information because I want to know if the actor, Eric Shea, lost his teeth during filming. Did they adapt his lines to fit his loss of teeth or did they give him false teeth for the earlier shot.I would like to see this movie with additional features. I wonder if the actors ever come here and read these comments. If so, they should leave some comments for the fans. Maybe Eric will see this and let us know what he remembers.

While TONS of folks have noted the appearance of Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson in this film, as well as Tim Matheson, Morgan Brittany, et al, I have not found anyone who remembers that Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson much later co-starred in "The Father Dowling Mysteries." Imagine, they costarred 20 years previously when Tracy was under 3! I have never seen Robert Osborne note this in his intro to the film on TCM. (Sorry if this HAS been noted but I looked thru all the reviews and I checked the topic headings on the YM&O board.)As for the film, I enjoy it although I was later disappointed to find that nearly all the scenes were Hollywood contrivances that some hacks felt were necessary to "punch up the script". What a shame. Read the book.