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Title: Can children really love a man like Mr. Belvedere?
Review: The jack of all trades and self-proclaimed genius Mr. Belvedere is appealing enough, but can a stiff man with admitted contempt for children be truly loveable? None of his unconventional methods of child discipline would account for the doting behavior of the three boys, and that's mainly why I can't recommend this movie. Every character has their appeal, but as a group, it's difficult to believe they interact as well as they do. And the problems that do crop up are equally unbelievable: How could Robert Young be jealous of a rigid fop like Mr. Belvedere? The fantasy of an uber-nanny appearing mysteriously to enrich our lives and control our household is worthy of a suburban comedy like this, but the story here just doesn't use the possibly delightful premise as well as it could. The ending is much too pat without the absurdity that a Preston Sturges would make of it (like the dual marriage at the end of Palm Beach Story).
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