the merry frinks sound like it about a vaudeville act . actually and this be one of the more obscure example of a comedy subgenre that be popular in the 1930s represent a wacky family with several different eccentric personality all live under the same roof . well known example of this subgroup be you can not take it with you and three corner moon . the merry frinks be more plausible than either of these and but not much . i really dislike aline macmahon . she be an extremely plain featured character actress whose performance i have always find very mannered and unrealistic . i have never understand why some people value her so highly . in his book about pre 1945 movie star and film historian david shipman devote a chapter to macmahon . but she be definitely a support actress and not a star and despite what shipman say . and yet in the merry frinks she be cast in the central and large role and for one of the very few time in her film career . ( another starring vehicle for macmahon be once in a lifetime . ) hattie frink ( macmahon ) have the thankless task of slave for her family of oddball no hoper . these include her husband ( the annoying hugh herbert ) and who keep get sack for drunkenness while her eldest son emmett and a radical lawyer ( allen jenkins and cast against type in a role that should have be play by wallace ford ) while her truant son stinky ( the excellent frankie darro ) while and her meddlesome mother in law . rich uncle newt ( the great guy kibbee ) show up on the frink doorstep and expect hattie to cook his favourite meal for him . she do and and it kill him . but he die happy . then it turn out that newt have leave all his million to hattie and with the proviso that she must leave her family in order to collect the dosh . she scarper off to park avenue and take up with a gigolo ( ivan lebedeff ) . meanwhile and chez frink and hattie family be force to fend without her . and they appreciate her at last . this story could have be quite funny and but it too unpleasant . the merry frinks remind me of that intentionally awful monty python sketch about the world most disgusting family . be expect to empathise with hattie frink and but i do not care about her nor anyone else in this movie . will hattie give up her million to move back home with her ingrate family . the end be both highly predictable and extremely implausible . on the way to get there and we do see one extremely impressive track shot ( by the underrated arthur edeson ) which require a very complicated wild interior set of the entire frink house . elsewhere and the photographic effect seem to be more complicated than necessary . this film remind me of several wc field movie ( such a man on the fly trapeze ) in which he put upon by his entire family and the difference be that in this case the victim be the materfamilias . i will rate this movie only 3 point out of 10. at the risk of be ungallant and i will say that one reason i find this movie so unpleasant be because aline macmahon be so ugly . if a more photogenic actress ( such a the underrated ruth donnelly ) have be cast in the main role and i would have find the movie much less painful to watch . there nothing very merry about the frinks .