National Building Museum
 

Film - Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
Presented at AFI Silver Theater

“There’s no place like home.” – Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz

The idea of what makes a house a home, and explorations of how and where Americans live, have powerfully informed many significant films over the years, in ways both subtly thought-provoking and farcically over-the-top. The National Building Museum is proud to partner with the American Film Institute (AFI) Silver Theatre and Cultural Center to present a film series associated with the Museum’s exhibition House & Home. "Reel Estate: The American Home on Film" presents a wide-ranging series of films focusing on the American home, from nostalgic classics like Gone With the Wind, to post-WWII suburban melodramas like No Down Payment, and to subversive comedies like Hal Ashby’s The Landlord.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House*
February 16, Saturday, 3 pm
Introduction by Chrysanthe B. Broikos, curator of Do-It-Yourself: Home Improvement in 20th Century America, National Building Museum, on DIY aspirations post WWII, and the reality of knowing when to hire a professional.

With his cramped New York apartment crimping his style, advertising exec Jim Blandings (Cary Grant) decides to move his wife Muriel (Myrna Loy), two daughters and housekeeper Gussie (Louise Beavers) to a more spacious home in Connecticut. Foolishly overpaying for a crumbling old farmhouse, Blandings soon discovers that his “dream” home cannot be repaired but must be rebuilt, setting into motion a series of increasingly expensive—and hilarious—events as he must hire contractors to fix problem after problem. The film’s source originated as a story in a housing-focused issue of Fortune Magazine, (April 1946), which was based on author Eric Hodgins’ costly misadventures in realizing his own dream home. Over 70 families eventually occupied  “Blandings” homes that were built to promote the film, sponsored by RKO and outfitted exclusively with GE kitchen appliances.
DIR H.C. Potter; SCR/PROD Norman Panama, Melvin Frank, from the novel by Eric Hodgins. US, 1948, b&w, 94 min. NOT RATED

*Additional screening times available at AFI.com/Silver.

Ticket Information:
BUY TICKETS THROUGH AFI.com/Silver. $8.50 AFI and NBM members | $11.50 General Admission | $9 Seniors (65+), Students (with valid ID), and Military | $7 Children (12 and under).  Tickets may also be purchased at the box office (opens 30 minutes before the first show of the day).  Please note that tickets are not available for purchase through the National Building Museum.

The AFI Silver Theatre is located at 8633 Colesville Road in Silver Spring, Maryland, Silver Spring Metro, Red Line. 


Support for House & Home and related education programming is provided by The Home Depot Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Hanley Wood, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Andersen Corporate Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, MASCO Corporation Foundation, and AARP, among others.

Date:
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

This event does not require an RSVP. Registered users can request event reminders.
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