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Bringing Up Father

1928

I think silent film is the best way to adapt a comic strip, to be honest.

This one is fun to watch, and goes in some unexpected directions. The casting was superb; Jiggs and Maggie on screen look the way I imagine the comic strip characters would look in real life. The story is a bit lacking, and feels a bit disjointed, more like it's a series of vignettes than a full story. Still, there is an overall arc of a sort: Jiggs and Maggie's relationship is quite strained over their many years of marriage, and Jiggs likes to get away from Maggie whenever he can. Their daughter Ellen meets Dennis, some kind of rich duke from somewhere, at a swim meet of some kind, I guess? They invite him over, and Maggie tries to impress him by acting like they belong in high society, and have money, and by claiming Jiggs isn't her husband but just takes care of their dog. Dennis, of course, sees through all this, but he doesn't mind, and seems to enjoy his time with a more down-to-earth family.

Jiggs buys an expensive house on Long Island for them (which if you hadn't read the comic strip would seem very odd, as it isn't ever explained in the movie how they came into so much money), and tries again to impress the young duke and other guests by inviting them to Ellen's birthday party. Maggie is embarrassed at the party by Jiggs' sister Annie, and tells Jiggs they have to get divorced. This drives Jiggs to contemplate suicide (yes, this is a comedy film) and he writes out a suicide note. Annie finds him and tells him just to fake a suicide to teach Maggie a lesson (yes, that will make it better).

Meanwhile, Ellen and Dennis have some alone time where she admits to him that Jiggs actually is her father and not just the dog-walker. He gives her a ring, and they're happy together, until the maid comes in and tells Ellen what's happened to her father. When she finds him and finds out what's really going on, she helps Jiggs continue the ruse, as Annie gets Maggie to swear that she would be the best wife she could be if Jiggs would come back to life. As he sits up and reveals he's been alive the whole time, Maggie goes back on her promise and throws a hammer at his head (which somehow doesn't kill him). And they live happily ever after. I guess.

Look, it's not a great film, but it's fun in parts, and it's definitely worth a watch. It's a lot better if you don't pay attention to the plot and just enjoy the characters.