The 50s were full of colour musical remakes of old screwball comedies – The Opposite Sex (a remake of The Women), Let’s Do It Again (The Awful Truth), High Society (The Philadelphia Story), You Can’t Run Away From It (It Happened One Night), The Girl Most Likely (Tom, Dick and Harry), The Birds and the Bees (The Lady Eve), Living It Up (Nothing Sacred), Rock a Bye Baby (The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek), Silk Stockings (Ninotchka). This was an update of Bachelor Mother starring the husband and wife team of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. Eddie is actually billed over Debbie – presumably this is something negotiated between husband and wife. He was a nice head of hair and wonderful voice but is a bit awkward and unsure on screen. I think the description “wet” would not be inappropriate.
Debbie does her Debbie stuff very well although she doesn’t have great on-screen chemistry with her hubby. Both stars are very much in the shadow of David Niven and Ginger Rogers. And Adolphe Menjou, who sounds like ideal casting and doesn’t give a horrible performance, isn’t as terrifying, funny and touching as Charles Coburn was in the original. Look at his reading at the end of the line “I don’t care who the father is, I’m the grandfather” – he totally stuffs it.
Norman Krasna is still credited as one of the writers, along with some new names. There are some not so good script changes from the original – Reyolds is fired here because of over-aggressive selling techniques instead of simple cost cutting (thereby making her less sympathetic). The world within which the characters live is more benign, less cutthroat – not a good thing. Additions like Reynolds seeing Fisher on TV don’t work, or does the fantasy sequence where they go shopping. Most crucially, musicals need a reason for the characters to sing, and it never feels emotionally like there’s such a reason.
It is colourful at least, it’s fascinating to see one of the most famous couples of the 50s act together, the basic story remains strong, and Tom Noonan delivers a bright supporting performance. There are worst ways of spending a Saturday afternoon. This was one of the last films from RKO. The last they shot there was The Girl Most Likely, a musical comedy remake of Tom Dick and Harry.
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