After 1950’s Father of the Bride became a hit, MGM wasted no time and set a sequel into motion virtually immediately. This led to 1951’s Father’s Little Dividend, a flick that hit screens a mere 10 months after the release of its predecessor.

Newlyweds Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) and Buckley Dunstan (Don Taylor) announce that she quickly popped a bun into her oven. Barely over all the stress involved with Kay’s wedding, his impending status as a grandfather sends Kay’s dad Stanley T. Banks (Spencer Tracy) into something of an identity crisis.

While Kay’s mom Ellie (Joan Bennett) and in-laws Herbert (Moroni Olsen) and Doris (Billie Burke) all feel delighted, Stanley seems less than enthused about this impending arrival. He goes through a mix of comedic adventures as he comes to terms with his new status.

Going into Dividend, I guess “and baby makes three” offered the only logical next chapter. Sure, I suppose that the sequel could’ve focused on a wedding for Kay’s younger brother Ben (Tom Irish).

However, that wouldn’t come with the same emotional bite of the daughter’s nuptials. Whether accurately or not, weddings always seem focused on brides, so Father of the Groom wouldn’t work in the same way.

As contrived as Dividend’s plot seems, it actually delivers a more universal concept. Whereas Bride’s plot connected solely to fathers and daughters, Stanley’s mid-life crisis extends across genders and other connections.

I definitely can grasp it myself. While I have no kids, I still hurtle rapidly toward “grandpa age”, a notion that horrifies me.

Actually, I’m older than Tracy was at the time of the shoot. Granted, then 50-year-old Tracy looked more like 70, but it still freaks me out to see him cast as the new grandpa – even if Taylor was only 18 during the shoot so obviously a very young mom.

Anyway, the film’s “midlife crisis” theme makes it much more identifiable to a broad audience – in theory, at least. As executed, unfortunately, Dividend becomes muddled and less than coherent.

That occurs at least partly because Dividend fails to stick with the main theme. While it opens with Stanley’s concerns, it soon broadens its net.

This doesn’t work, mainly because Dividend lacks any real unifying concept. Once it essentially forgets Stanley’s age-related woes, it simply throws a series of minor episodes at us without true clarity.

These still focus on Stanley, a choice I understand from the POV that Tracy was the star. However, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in the context of the narrative.

Honestly, Kay should become the focal point – it’s her baby! – and I could actually see Ellie as a more logical protagonist than her husband. Though I don’t think the movies specify character ages, Bennett was only 40 during the shoot, so it feels much more sensible to make her the one who struggles to deal with grandparenthood.

Yes, I get that women theoretically value babies more than men do. Nonetheless, I still find it tough to imagine that many 40-year-old women would so eagerly embrace grandmother status.

Again, I understand that Stanley acted as the lead of Bride and Tracy offered its unquestioned movie star. While Taylor’s career was on the rise at the time, she wasn’t yet the major idol she would soon become.

That said, May plays a surprisingly small role in Dividend, given that the whole story revolves around her pregnancy and baby. Still, I guess those involved concentrated on Stanley due to the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mode, as they likely figured Tracy’s charms made the first film a hit.

Unfortunately, Dividend’s rushed production shows. As noted, the movie feels more like a compilation of random scenes than a real narrative, and it lacks much charm.

Bride came with a warmth and purpose that Dividend simply fails to deliver. It feels like the “cinematic product” that it is, as it shows no reason to exist beyond the pursuit of box office dollars.

Of course, most sequels come into being mainly to earn money, so I can’t call that a sin. However, this one just doesn’t click, so it turns into a feeble attempt to cash in and nothing more.

Father’s Little Dividend appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.37:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The movie came with a positive presentation.

For the most part, sharpness worked fine. Occasional shots felt a bit on the soft side, but these stayed in the minority, so the film largely appeared accurate.

I saw no signs of jagged edges or moiré effects, and edge haloes failed to mar the proceedings. Grain seemed light but natural, and print flaws never popped up along the way.

Blacks seemed deep and dense, while shadows appeared smooth. I wouldn’t call this a dazzling image, but it held up more than fine.

While the movie’s DTS-HD MA monaural soundtrack showed its age, it still came across as more than acceptable given its age. Speech occasionally betrayed some sibilance and the lines tended to feel tinny, but they appeared perfectly intelligible.

Music and effects also showed somewhat metallic tones, but they lacked distortion and seemed appropriate for recordings from 1951. The audio seemed suitable for a film of this one’s vintage.

In addition to the film’s trailer, three circa 1951 theatrical shorts appear. We get two animated tales via Just Ducky (6:50) and Jerry and the Goldfish (7:22) as well as a “Pete Smith Specialty” called Bargain Madness (9:29).

Both Ducky and Goldfish offer Tom and Jerry antics. As usual, they prove more cute than funny, but they seem reasonably engaging.

As for Madness, it follows the “Pete Smith” MO: semi-“documentaries” with a comedic bent. This one looks at women who hunt for bargains.

More than 70 years later, this feels intensely sexist. It also “body shames” up the wazoo, as Smith relentlessly mocks an overweight woman he even calls “Fatso”.

All of this was perfectly normal for 1951, but I can’t make the leap of faith to view Madness through 1950s eyes and find amusement here. It’s just too crass and witless.

Although Father of the Bride proved charming, Father’s Little Dividend lacks the same sense of warmth and humor. Instead, the sequel feels forced and contrived. The Blu-ray offers very good picture, acceptable audio and minor bonus materials. This turns into a disappointing follow-up film.