Friday, July 10, 2020

Movie review - "Value for Money" (1955) **

So frustrating - because this has terrific central conflict: tight arsed, povertly pleading Yorkshireman John Gregson, and brassy showgirl Diana Dors. That should be the core of this movie - something like Vivacious Lady. Instead it's unsatisfactory. He becomes besotted, which is understandable since Dors is at her loveliest - and her character is friendly, sick of being a showgirl, nice to him. She warns him that she's not his type.

She only decides to marry him for money around an hour in. Gregson is a charming actor but his character is a dill - whining about money. There's this boring woman who is into him  - we don't know why. Money? Growing up together? She's dull too.

They throw in two musical numbers but it's not a musical. It should have been a musical. Gregson needed family to harras him instead of dead dad's painting.

I did laugh at the two scenes were people were having an intimate chat and there was honking noises. The satire of Yorkshire was funny.

This film didn't realise its strengths and potential. Just make it a simple romance between very different people, add songs.

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