Papa's Delicate Condition (1963)

A gregarious railroad man (Jackie Gleason) loves two things in life, his family and the bottle. His drinking (the "delicate condition" of the film's title) which causes irresponsible actions (like buying a failing circus) causes a rift in his marriage. It frustrates his wife (Glynis Johns) but his youngest daughter (Linda Bruhl) adores him unconditionally. Based on a memoir by Corinne Griffith (a well known actress in the silent film era) and directed by George Marshall (DESTRY RIDES AGAIN). For a brief period following his success in THE HUSTLER, Jackie Gleason was a movie star but this film comes off as TV sitcom material. Indeed, there's no plot as such and the movie feels like watching three episodes in a row of a sitcom. On the plus side, the small town milieu feels authentic and Edith Head's costumes are striking. The film won the best song Oscar for Call Me Irresponsible which went on to become a popular standard. With Charles Ruggles, Murray Hamilton, Laurel Goodwin, Ned Glass and Elisha Cook Jr.