Venus, as played by Ava Gardner, is a real mischief maker in this delightful adaptation of a hit Broadway musical comedy. She plays a beautiful marble statue that experiences a transmutation of sorts. After coming to life, she causes trouble for a hapless window dresser (Robert Walker).
Though Mary Pickford's production company and Universal-International, which co-financed the project and exhibited the film, have removed much of the music from the stage hit, some of the key songs are retained. For whatever reason, Gardner's voice is dubbed in these renditions, though her costars, Dick Haymes, Olga San Juan and Eve Arden, are not dubbed.
Gardner was borrowed from home studio MGM along with top-billed Walker who plays the less-than-ideal romantic male lead. Walker is an expert at bumbling comedy routines, making his character so ultimately endearing, that we cannot help but cheer him on, even though in real life we know a figure like Gardner, whether she's a statue or a live flesh being, would probably never choose a guy like him!
The original production featured Mary Martin and Kenny Baker. Martin was a last-minute replacement for Marlene Dietrich, and Venus became a breakthrough role for Martin, turning her into a bonafide Broadway star. Martin had been offered the part in the film by Pickford, but pregnancy made her bow out. Personally, I think this was a good bit of luck for the film, as it forced Pickford and Universal execs to seek Gardner's services, and she is perfect for the part.
Eve Arden is her usual wisecracking self and steals every scene she is in. This becomes a cliche after writing countless reviews of films in which she appears, but she is that good. Ironically, I would argue Arden gives the most fleshed out performance. We sympathize with her Girl Friday routine as the ultra efficient eternally overlooked secretary of a department store owner (Tom Conway).
Conway's character becomes so enamored with statue Gardner coming to life that it causes Arden to take action. Faced with the idea that Arden will quit and dessert him, Conway comes to his senses and eventually agrees to marry Arden. Only in the movies! Of course this means Gardner will now end up with Walker.
Haymes and San Juan are on hand as Walker's pal and initial girlfriend, who eventually hook up themselves, or so it is implied, since their screen time wanes as the story goes on. I found Haymes quite believable in a second banana role, though when it comes time to do the musical numbers, Haymes is clearly lead material in his own right.
The Broadway version of the story takes place inside a museum, where the statue comes to life after the hapless joe slips a ring on her finger. Here, the story has been transplanted to a department store which has a model home inside it; thus, allowing the writers to comment more on postwar suburban housing patterns. The department store setting also allows us to examine business practices, when Conway's blames Walker in the beginning for the disappearance of the statue.
For the most part it's a smooth adaptation, though it did not fare well with contemporary audiences. Some of the dialogue is a bit forced; not every scene plays perfectly because the characters are often saying things to be funny instead of saying things in a realistic way. But I do think this is a thoroughly enjoyable motion picture, and I did like how the occasional tunes bridged the various subplots and connected the scenes.
Though Mary Pickford's production company and Universal-International, which co-financed the project and exhibited the film, have removed much of the music from the stage hit, some of the key songs are retained. For whatever reason, Gardner's voice is dubbed in these renditions, though her costars, Dick Haymes, Olga San Juan and Eve Arden, are not dubbed.
Gardner was borrowed from home studio MGM along with top-billed Walker who plays the less-than-ideal romantic male lead. Walker is an expert at bumbling comedy routines, making his character so ultimately endearing, that we cannot help but cheer him on, even though in real life we know a figure like Gardner, whether she's a statue or a live flesh being, would probably never choose a guy like him!
The original production featured Mary Martin and Kenny Baker. Martin was a last-minute replacement for Marlene Dietrich, and Venus became a breakthrough role for Martin, turning her into a bonafide Broadway star. Martin had been offered the part in the film by Pickford, but pregnancy made her bow out. Personally, I think this was a good bit of luck for the film, as it forced Pickford and Universal execs to seek Gardner's services, and she is perfect for the part.
Eve Arden is her usual wisecracking self and steals every scene she is in. This becomes a cliche after writing countless reviews of films in which she appears, but she is that good. Ironically, I would argue Arden gives the most fleshed out performance. We sympathize with her Girl Friday routine as the ultra efficient eternally overlooked secretary of a department store owner (Tom Conway).
Conway's character becomes so enamored with statue Gardner coming to life that it causes Arden to take action. Faced with the idea that Arden will quit and dessert him, Conway comes to his senses and eventually agrees to marry Arden. Only in the movies! Of course this means Gardner will now end up with Walker.
Haymes and San Juan are on hand as Walker's pal and initial girlfriend, who eventually hook up themselves, or so it is implied, since their screen time wanes as the story goes on. I found Haymes quite believable in a second banana role, though when it comes time to do the musical numbers, Haymes is clearly lead material in his own right.
The Broadway version of the story takes place inside a museum, where the statue comes to life after the hapless joe slips a ring on her finger. Here, the story has been transplanted to a department store which has a model home inside it; thus, allowing the writers to comment more on postwar suburban housing patterns. The department store setting also allows us to examine business practices, when Conway's blames Walker in the beginning for the disappearance of the statue.
For the most part it's a smooth adaptation, though it did not fare well with contemporary audiences. Some of the dialogue is a bit forced; not every scene plays perfectly because the characters are often saying things to be funny instead of saying things in a realistic way. But I do think this is a thoroughly enjoyable motion picture, and I did like how the occasional tunes bridged the various subplots and connected the scenes.
Tell Your Friends