weezeralfalfa
Unlike many reviewers, I haven't seen the '36 "Libeled Lady", except for a preview, to which the present film is commonly unfavorably compared. Movie studios of the late '40s and '50s chose to redo some popular films of the late '20s and '30s, usually in color, contrasting with the B&W of the original, sometimes converting a pure comedy or drama into a musical, or completely redoing the music, and often making substantial alterations of the screenplay. In the present case, apparently, relatively few alterations of the screenplay were made. However, duck shooting, rather than fishing, is scripted as the hobby of the debutante's father, and thus the skill that Bill Chandler(Van Johnson) feels he must pretend he knows about and quickly learn the basics about, in order to facilitate getting his foot in the door of presenting himself as a desirable romantic partner for his debutante daughter(Esther Williams). I won't bother reviewing the screenplay in much detail, as this has been done enough. I will note that, with the exception of the Lucy-Jean Harlow comparison, the main character actors in this film are all approximately 5 years younger than their counterparts in the '36 film, and thus they seem like a younger bunch, more appropriately single. Even Lucy seems younger than Jean, although she was considerably older.Van and Esther were very popular, separately or together, with film audiences during the mid-'40s to mid-'50s period. Van had the vaudevillian skills of light comedy, song and dance, as well as being suitable for serious roles, such as in "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo". Esther came across as an ideal 'all-American' girl, most famous for her water ballets, but also with decent talent as an actress, sometimes singing a song or two. Too often, she was portrayed by others as being a poor actress, only of interest to audiences in swimming pools. Here, her performance is commonly very unfavorably compared to that of her costar: Lucille Ball, and predecessor, Myna Loy. Well, Lucy, long time costar of mostly 'B' films , for various studies, was rightly cast as a dizzy showgirl, who is swept up into the complicated romantic plot of a temporary shotgun marriage-of-convenience to a man she initially labels as a baboon or ape(hardly an apt description of handsome, mild-mannered, blond, Van!). She gets to lead a chorus in the stage song and dance number "The Continental Polka", which serves as Van's chance to initially evaluate her, as a prospective temporary 'wife', in order to create a scandal when he hopefully attracts the amorous attention of socialite Connie(Esther), in order to induce her father to drop a libel charge against the newspaper his friend Warren(Keenan Wynn) works for. Lucy is given a rare opportunity during her Hollywood period to display repeated scenes of zaniness, rather like those characteristic of Betty Hutton or Martha Raye, for example, and she well succeeds in them. In contrast, Esther's character is supposed to be snobbish man bait, who routinely turns down proposals. Initially, she sees Van as just another wannabe gold digger. But, she's eventually impressed with his persistence, imagination, and winning boyish personality, and lowers her guard. Her humor is more subtle than Lucy's, but appropriate for her character. Van displays his gift for parlor dialogue, comedy(especially relating to duck shooting),and a couple of musical numbers with Esther, as part of a stage production in one case.Columbian singing sensation, Carlos Ramirez, contracted to MGM during the mid-40s, solos one song, as part of a Mexican floor show, later privately reprised by Esther and Van. Near the end, is an impressive dance production, again with Latin American costumes and music, and including Esther and Van, in a portion. Ethel Smith is also on hand to entertain with her famous jazzy organ music, during the two Latin-themed productions. Both she and Carlos had been included, more prominently, in Esther's first water-themed film: "Bathing Beauty".I don't understand why Van's character has the parson sign the marriage certificate, instead of the agreed upon detail that he doesn't sign it, thus rendering Van's marriage -of-convenience to Lucy's character not legally binding. Thus, in the ending, when Van's and Esther's characters want to get married, they have to dig up the detail that Lucy's supposed divorce from her previous husband wasn't legal, thus also was her unconsummated marriage to Van's character. But Lucy spoils the apparently happy ending by revealing that she subsequently obtained a legal divorce, not included in the records Van checked, thus apparently invalidating the just legalized marriage of Van's and Esther's characters. Lucy gives quite an impressive speech about her feelings about the matrimonial mess. The film ends with this marriage-go-round still unresolved, unclear whether Lucy's character can be induced to cooperate, even with possible monetary reward, in dissolving her sham marriage to Van's character, and perhaps agreeing to a marriage with Keenan Wynn's character, as the others wish, and was her original intention.Van had costarred with Esther the previous year in the very popular "Thrill of a Romance", and would later costar with her in "Duchess of Idaho", and "Easy to Love", by which time noted baritone Howard Keel was also a frequent costar. Most of her films we would classify as minor musicals, in which very few of the songs were intended to become standards. Although many of Esther's films included a water ballet or two, in place of dance productions, some, including this one didn't(It had a dance production, instead). However, she does manage an impressive underwater clinch and kiss with Van!
mark.waltz
During the hey-day of Hollywood, remakes came fast and furious, but most of the great screwball comedies weren't touched for 20 years. MGM obviously couldn't wait and remade one of its best only 10 years after the original. There is no topping the original cast of this tale, and the replacements point out the B category this fell into, even on an A budget. As charming as Esther Williams is, she can't compare to Myrna Loy, and Van Johnson and Keenan Wynn are as far down the totem pole from William Powell and Spencer Tracy as they can be. The real delight is that Lucille Ball can't miss here in the Jean Harlow part, showing off her flaming red hair here in Technicolor. Only Lucy could get away with accusing someone of arson, meaning bigamy.The musical numbers seem pretty superfluous, with Lucy utilizing her hips to literally blow the hats off the chorus boys without even touching them, in one number. Organist Ethel Smith heats things up, even banging on conga drums in another. Ms. Williams pretty much avoids the water, although a funny duck hunting scene with her, papa Cecil Kellaway and Johnson (altered from the original hysterical fishing sequence) is set on a river. The presence of the annoying socialite and her dizzy daughter seems out of place here. This isn't for purists but isn't a dud, either.
wes-connors
After "The Morning Star" prints a gossipy item on beautiful socialite Esther Williams (as Connie Allenbury), she decides to sue the paper for $2,000,000 in libel damages. Their business manager Keenan Wynn (as Warren Haggerty) interrupts his impending wedding to brassy redhead Lucille Ball (as Gladys Benton) to work on countering Ms. Williams' suit. Mr. Wynn hires writer Van Johnson (as Bill Chandler) to battle Williams. He plots to have Mr. Johnson marry Ms. Ball, then pursue Williams. The men hope to create an actual scandal between Williams and a married man, then get her to drop the lawsuit...The script has Johnson asks for a green dress, but he gets blue...This is a re-make of "Libeled Lady" (1936) with the addition of musical and swimming sequences. While pleasant, they add nothing to the story. The four lead performers are not individually unsatisfying and are okay in pairs (Johnson with either Williams or Ball), but the quartet doesn't mix well. Most outstanding is the "Technicolor" photography (Harry Stradling) and costumes (Irene Lentz). Lucy is terrific at the piano when Johnson is practicing his "duck calls" before a date with Williams. Lucy got the last laugh when she made it much funnier on her TV series episode "Lucy Goes Duck Hunting" (1963).****** Easy to Wed (7/11/46) Edward Buzzell ~ Van Johnson, Lucille Ball, Esther Williams, Keenan Wynn
