Despite a previous poster's claims, Young's character in AND BABY MAKES THREE is fairly conniving and noticeably different from his iconic FATHER KNOWS BEST persona. Among other things, Young toys with the emotions of several women he could care less about in order to make his wife jealous. He pretends to like children to trick that same ex-wife into coming back. His ex suspects he's had an affair and Young spends most of the picture trying to manipulate her, though the tables get predictably turned in light fashion. Young's not a heel as much as he's trying to win his girl back ("All's fair in love and war"), but he's definitely far from FKB's wholesome Jim Anderson.
Fellow future TV-stalwart Barbara Hale (Perry Mason) is okay if bland as the object of Young's flailing efforts. Still, as things unfold she does a little scheming of her own. Her transformation from hating Young to trying to win him back is pretty sudden and not particularly justified by the plot. Really there aren't a lot of innocent or particularly likable people in this offering, though it's all fairly harmless and by-the-numbers charming.
The production benefits from an obviously generous budget and a decent supporting cast. Among others, Billie Burke is immediately recognizable from her Wizard of Oz Glenda the Good Witch voice, though she's ten years older here. Of particular note is sometime-noir-femme Janis Carter as Hale's rival for Young's affections. Sexy, radiant and playing her own angles, Carter steals some of Hale's thunder (and Young's new fiancée near the denouement.)
Though not out on DVD, the movie is not lost; it runs now and again on TCM. The forties was the golden age of romantic comedies, so even though this isn't in the class of the best of the era, it's still watchable with enough twists to keep things moving as long as you don't think too hard.
Fellow future TV-stalwart Barbara Hale (Perry Mason) is okay if bland as the object of Young's flailing efforts. Still, as things unfold she does a little scheming of her own. Her transformation from hating Young to trying to win him back is pretty sudden and not particularly justified by the plot. Really there aren't a lot of innocent or particularly likable people in this offering, though it's all fairly harmless and by-the-numbers charming.
The production benefits from an obviously generous budget and a decent supporting cast. Among others, Billie Burke is immediately recognizable from her Wizard of Oz Glenda the Good Witch voice, though she's ten years older here. Of particular note is sometime-noir-femme Janis Carter as Hale's rival for Young's affections. Sexy, radiant and playing her own angles, Carter steals some of Hale's thunder (and Young's new fiancée near the denouement.)
Though not out on DVD, the movie is not lost; it runs now and again on TCM. The forties was the golden age of romantic comedies, so even though this isn't in the class of the best of the era, it's still watchable with enough twists to keep things moving as long as you don't think too hard.