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How To Marry A Millionaire

1953, Movie, NR, 95 mins

How To Marry A Millionaire: Review

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After THE ROBE'S appearance as the first CinemaScope production and the great box office response to that Biblical epic, Fox decided to come back on the popular wide screen process with a modern comedy loaded with sex. Three beautiful, dumb blondes try to land millionaire husbands. They are models who put their money together to rent a posh penthouse in Manhattan, a swanky lair into which Monroe, Grable, and Bacall plan to lure their male victims. Grable is returning home with bags of groceries when Mitchell helps carry her burden. He meets Bacall and instantly falls for her, but she spurns him after concluding that he's poor. In fact, Mitchell is a multimillionaire. Just when the money begins running out, Grable digs up oil tycoon Powell, who is also attracted to Bacall. Then Grable agrees to take a trip to a Maine resort with wealthy (but married) Clark. Once there, she comes down with the measles and accidentally meets forest ranger Calhoun, and they tumble for each other. Meanwhile, myopic Monroe is enroute to meet D'Arcy in Atlantic City, but her eyesight is so poor (she refuses to wear glasses because she thinks they spoil her looks) that she gets on the wrong plane and winds up sitting next to wealthy Wayne, owner of her penthouse. He is on his way to find an elusive public accountant who has gotten him into trouble with the IRS. Wayne convinces Monroe that she is just as attractive when wearing her glasses (disproving the Dorothy Parker adage that "men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses"). Bacall, almost broke, decides to marry Powell. Just before the wedding, Grable shows up with Calhoun, and Monroe appears with Wayne. Mitchell also appears, and Powell steps aside for him, realizing that he is the man Bacall really loves. Mitchell and Bacall are reunited, and the three couples go to a restaurant, where all three would-be golddiggers go into a dead faint when Mitchell pulls forth a huge wad of big bills to pay for the check, affirming that he is, indeed, the opulent object of their original intentions, a bona fide millionaire. The dialog by veteran scriptwriter Johnson is spritely and humorous, and Negulesco's direction keeps the antics moving at a brisk pace. It's all frothy and fun. Contrary to gossipy predictions, the two sex goddesses, Grable and Monroe, got along famously. This was Wayne's fourth and last film with Monroe. The CinemaScope process was well used here, with panoramic shots of Manhattan accompanied by Newman's entire orchestra performing his composition "Street Scene" in prolog and epilog shots. The costume design was nominated for an Academy Award. Remake of THE GREEKS HAD A WORD FOR IT. leave a comment
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