MovieChat Forums > You Can't Take It with You (1938) Discussion > Why is Mrs. Kirby worse than Mr. Kirby?

Why is Mrs. Kirby worse than Mr. Kirby?

posted 17 years ago by novastar_6
4 replies | jump to latest

I don't get this...it seems to be a running theme in movies and TV that the wife is always the more frigid one than the husband...this was also done in Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm when the inlaws came to visit. The father-in-law warmed up to them nicely with Ma's grits and so, but the mother-in-law wouldn't let anybody near the baby, wouldn't let Pa hold his own grandson, etc. Similarly, why is Mrs. Kirby so much more stuck up than Mr. Kirby? This doesn't make sense to me because you'd think the big serious business man would have more to lose by being human than just the rich bored wife of a serious business man. By the end of it all they're still trying to thaw her out while Anthony's already come around.

[–] TigerlilyBramble_of_WillowBottom 17 years ago

Because the playwright made it so?

Otherwise it's just malfeasance for malfeasance's sake.

[–] novastar_6 17 years ago

No, in the original play I think Mrs. Kirby was more lenient than her husband was regarding the Sycamores...at least she certainly seemed that way during Penny's game.

[–] maddiemoiselle 16 years ago

i haven't seen the movie but my sister's high school did the play and my sister played Mrs. Wellington (Wellington wasn't in the movie). in it, Mr. Kirby seemed more "stuck up" than Mrs. Kirby, the way he reacted to Mrs. Kirby's answers in forget me not. however, my sister said she hated Mrs. Kirby, never said whether it was the actress or the character. however, i'm not sure if the wife thing is true or not......my parents act pretty much the same, and with the Sycamores, Penny seems really laid back, and with the Carmichaels (Ed and Essie), they both seem really laid back as well. maybe it's just that Mrs. Kirby is married to a high society man so she thinks she's better than the average housewife. just my thought.

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[–] justaudrey 15 years ago

I just watched that Ma and Pa Kettle last month. Interesting observation.