Esther Williams whinged in her memoirs that she developed this film and then wasn't cast in it because Dore Schary have her role to Jane Powell. Williams was a whinger but in this case I feel she's right - the concept is very "out there" but would've made a lot more sense in terms of a Williams vehicle, i.e. a story made to justify swimming routines. With more "normal" stars like Powell it doesn't make sense. Well, it does, but it's dumb.
It's a kind of knock off of You Can't Take it With You with uptight lawyer Edmund Purdom getting caught up with a family of health nut bags - pert little Jane Powell, sister Debbie Reynolds, some other sisters, old grandad (Louis Calhern) and body builders (who include Steve Reeves).
I think it's meant to be a satire on the health movement - non smoking, body building, vegetarianism. It doesn't work because it's unfocused - I think the healthy people are meant to be the goodies, or at least admirable, and some of them are, but a body builder who doesn't like Purdom seems to be a villain. The fish out of water comedy doesn't work because Purdom is so uptight - he seems to be someone who would be a non smoking vegetarian (it's not like say Red Skelton or Ma and Pa Kettle dropped in - then you'd get decent conflict). Hanging around these healthy people doesn't make him laugh or less uptight really.
The romance between Purdom and Powell isn't much - she falls in love with him and wants to marry him because their "numbers match" which isn't very romantic. He falls in love with her straight away because... I guess she does look good in short shorts. So does Debbie Reynolds.
But there's no central source of conflict like say the family live on land that is required by someone evil, or the family own a lot of back taxes (like The Mating Season with Reynolds). Purdom's fiancee is set up as this threat (Linda Christian) but when Purdom dumps her all she does is be a bit mean to Powell in the buffet line. I wasn't sure what the point was of the romance between Powell's sister Debbie Reynolds and Vic Damone, Purdom's friend - there's no conflict there, or colour. Purdom wants to run for congress, then doesn't - and that's it. At the end Purdom does some judo on a rival suitor of Powell's - and that's it.
It's a really bad script. No laughs, no point, a bad story. Powell is pretty, bland and can sing. Reynolds is always engaging. Damone can sing but it's a bit bland on screen - mind you he doesn't have a character to play. Purdom can't sing or act - he lumbers around handsomely, totally unsuited to being a star. Louis Calhern's granpa is creepy.
There are some alright tunes but this is plain up a dud film. Joe Pasternak knew what he was doing, normally. How did he make this?
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