Join Preservation Houston, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and Bayou Bend for a special outdoor screening of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. We’re co-presenting this beloved 1948 comedy in the Diana Garden tent on the grounds of Ima Hogg’s 1928 estate — a fitting setting for a film about the eternal quest for domestic perfection.

Cary Grant and Myrna Loy star as a New York couple whose dream of country living in Connecticut quickly collapses into a hilarious homebuilding nightmare. From runaway renovation costs to dubious contractors, every step of their “dream house” project goes delightfully wrong. Directed by H.C. Potter and adapted by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank from a bestselling 1946 novel, the film remains one of Hollywood’s most enduring takes on the chaos and comedy of making a house a home.

More than 75 years after its release, Mr. Blandings still rings true for anyone who’s ever tackled a renovation or built a dream from the ground up.

Light refreshments will be available. Tickets are $20 for members of PH and the MFAH, and $25 for the general public. Reserve yours today →

Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutes / rated PG