MUSINGS, PONDERINGS, RUMINATIONS AND FANCIES

[Bronxgirl48]

Connie Stevens Campy Film Alert!

Early tomorrow Sunday, TWO ON A GUILLOTINE and SUSAN SLADE!

[Dargo]

I was very embarrassed for poor Dave Karger this evening.

"Fred C. Hobbs"

Gee, I hadn't noticed TCM was showing that Jimmy Stewart family comedy tonight?!!!

You know! The one where he takes a vacation.

(...so Bronxie, please don't tell me Dave actually referred to Bogie's character in the Sierra Madre movie as "Hobbs"...but I guess you just have, huh)

[Dargo]

...ONE TOUCH OF VENUS just concluded, and I remembered almost every line of dialogue. I've always however thought how unfortunate this movie was not given a lush MGM color treatment but instead is low budget black-and-white, making the whole production look a bit drab overall. Eve Arden still steals every scene!

Ya know what else was unfortunate about this movie, Bronxie?

That Eve Arden's real life squeeze during the time this movie was being filmed didn't play the lead in it instead of Robert Walker.

I'm talkin' Danny Kaye here, of course. Yep, as I watched this so-so little comedy tonight, I started thinking that Danny would've been better cast in it and perhaps would had enlivened it a bit more.

(...well, during the times I wasn't transfixed upon Ava's glorious beauty, anyway)

[txfilmfan]

(in the vernacular of Nat from THE LOST WEEKEND): Did you polish all of them off by now?

Oh yes, they're now just a sweet delicious memory. We have a bagel place here that sells
chocolate chip cream cheese. Very tasty. I was going to skip One Touch of Venus, doesn't
sound like my cup of tea, but at only 82 minutes I'll give it a shot. For some reason the
TCM schedule doesn't have it listed, going straight from Blood on the Moon to Violence.
Whatever.

When needing a quick dessert I sometimes mix chocolate chip morsels into my Philadelphia cream cheese and then just gobble it up on a plate. A bagel isn't even necessary!

ONE TOUCH OF VENUS just concluded, and I remembered almost every line of dialogue. I've always however thought how unfortunate this movie was not given a lush MGM color treatment but instead is low budget black-and-white, making the whole production look a bit drab overall. Eve Arden still steals every scene!

Mary Pickford bought the stage musical rights and had planned on a United Artists Technicolor production starring Mary Martin (who originated the Venus role on stage), along with Sinatra (who was new to film). There are various stories as to why she sold the rights to Universal. Either she got bitten by the old Hollywood bugaboo of needing a big-name star as headliner, or Mary Martin's pregnancy caused a change in plans.

The film that resulted bears little resemblance to the original. Almost all the songs were cut, and the basic premise was changed, along with character names.

Here's a photo of Ms. Martin as Venus:

[Andree]

When needing a quick dessert I sometimes mix chocolate chip morsels into my Philadelphia cream cheese and then just gobble it up on a plate. A bagel isn't even necessary!

ONE TOUCH OF VENUS just concluded, and I remembered almost every line of dialogue. I've always however thought how unfortunate this movie was not given a lush MGM color treatment but instead is low budget black-and-white, making the whole production look a bit drab overall. Eve Arden still steals every scene!

That's basically what these folks do. And it is good all by itself. When I was a
kid I used to mix Ovaltine with a little milk to make a very thick ice cream
topping.

I found OTOV to be very charming for the first half hour and then the musical
numbers started, some of which were on the corny side. That diminished the
film a little, but didn't spoil it. Overall, fairly enjoyable.

Fred C. Hobbs pans for gold in the Pacific ocean. Didn't find any, but it sure
beats getting hacked to death by Mexican bandits.

[Dargo]

That's basically what these folks do. And it is good all by itself. When I was a
kid I used to mix Ovaltine with a little milk to make a very thick ice cream
topping.

I found OTOV to be very charming for the first half hour and then the musical
numbers started, some of which were on the corny side. That diminished the
film a little, but didn't spoil it. Overall, fairly enjoyable.

Fred C. Hobbs pans for gold in the Pacific ocean. Didn't find any, but it sure
beats getting hacked to death by Mexican bandits.

So Andree, considering that I respect your opinion about things (and not to mention usually find myself agreeing with 'em), what did you think of my thought that Danny Kaye might've enlivened the proceedings in that Venus flick, and so making it just a wee bit better and more entertaining than it was?

[Andree]

So Andree, considering that I respect your opinion about things (and not to mention usually find myself agreeing with 'em), what did you think of my thought that Danny Kaye might've enlivened the proceedings in that Venus flick, and so making it just a wee bit better and more entertaining than it was?

I don't know about Danny Kaye. With his energetic, sometimes over the top
persona he might have made it more entertaining and comical, but that
might have lessened its charm and made it more like a typical musical.
I think Walker works better as an unassuming, somewhat bumbling everyday
guy and to me that clicks better with the fantasy premise of the movie.
But that's just one opinion. Maybe Danny could have gotten some tips from
his good buddy Larry Olivier.

Maybe my eyes were deceiving me, but Ava Gardner's tunic seemed a bit
too transparent, not that I'm complaining.

[Bronxgirl48]

I was very embarrassed for poor Dave Karger this evening.

"Fred C. Hobbs"

Gee, I hadn't noticed TCM was showing that Jimmy Stewart family comedy tonight?!!!

You know! The one where he takes a vacation.

(...so Bronxie, please don't tell me Dave actually referred to Bogie's character in the Sierra Madre movie as "Hobbs"...but I guess you just have, huh)

Unfortunately, yes, he did say Hobbs. I like Dave (and I do enjoy his Play by Play segments). Karger does have a tendency to do these occasional stumbles, a bit more than the others. I feel bad for him.

Maybe Karger can balance it all out if he's the one introducing MHTAV: "Mr. Dobbs Takes a Vacation"

[Dargo]

Maybe Karger can balance it all out if he's the one introducing MHTAV: "Mr. Dobbs Takes a Vacation"

LOL

OH yeah! That flick where when Bogie gets pulled over for speeding while driving the station wagon with his family in it to the beach, he asks the cop to show him his badge...

(...well, I'm sure you know what the cop then says, don't ya)

[Bronxgirl48]

...ONE TOUCH OF VENUS just concluded, and I remembered almost every line of dialogue. I've always however thought how unfortunate this movie was not given a lush MGM color treatment but instead is low budget black-and-white, making the whole production look a bit drab overall. Eve Arden still steals every scene!

Ya know what else was unfortunate about this movie, Bronxie?

That Eve Arden's real life squeeze during the time this movie was being filmed didn't play the lead in it instead of Robert Walker.

I'm talkin' Danny Kaye here, of course. Yep, as I watched this so-so little comedy tonight, I started thinking that Danny would've been better cast in it and perhaps would had enlivened it a bit more.

(...well, during the times I wasn't transfixed upon Ava's glorious beauty, anyway)

Dargo, I agree 100 per cent with Andree's astute post about Danny Kaye instead of Robert Walker. And couldn't have stated it any better than him.

[Dargo]

...ONE TOUCH OF VENUS just concluded, and I remembered almost every line of dialogue. I've always however thought how unfortunate this movie was not given a lush MGM color treatment but instead is low budget black-and-white, making the whole production look a bit drab overall. Eve Arden still steals every scene!

Ya know what else was unfortunate about this movie, Bronxie?

That Eve Arden's real life squeeze during the time this movie was being filmed didn't play the lead in it instead of Robert Walker.

I'm talkin' Danny Kaye here, of course. Yep, as I watched this so-so little comedy tonight, I started thinking that Danny would've been better cast in it and perhaps would had enlivened it a bit more.

(...well, during the times I wasn't transfixed upon Ava's glorious beauty, anyway)

Dargo, I agree 100 per cent with Andree's astute post about Danny Kaye instead of Robert Walker. And couldn't have stated it any better than him.

Okay, fair enough.

(...but I still say the movie needed a bit of a "punch-up" and that Danny Boy would've been just the man to do it)

[Bronxgirl48]

So Andree, considering that I respect your opinion about things (and not to mention usually find myself agreeing with 'em), what did you think of my thought that Danny Kaye might've enlivened the proceedings in that Venus flick, and so making it just a wee bit better and more entertaining than it was?

I don't know about Danny Kaye. With his energetic, sometimes over the top
persona he might have made it more entertaining and comical, but that
might have lessened its charm and made it more like a typical musical.
I think Walker works better as an unassuming, somewhat bumbling everyday
guy and to me that clicks better with the fantasy premise of the movie.
But that's just one opinion. Maybe Danny could have gotten some tips from
his good buddy Larry Olivier.

Maybe my eyes were deceiving me, but Ava Gardner's tunic seemed a bit
too transparent, not that I'm complaining.
[/quote

Could not agree more with your opinion about Danny Kaye in ONE TOUCH OF VENUS, Andree.

I've heard about Danny's friendship with Olivier. Aside from anything else, the English were big fans of Kaye during his heyday so it doesn't seem all that, well, odd to me that one of their "classy" actors would think it beneath them to bond with a famous American comedian.

[Bronxgirl48]

So Andree, considering that I respect your opinion about things (and not to mention usually find myself agreeing with 'em), what did you think of my thought that Danny Kaye might've enlivened the proceedings in that Venus flick, and so making it just a wee bit better and more entertaining than it was?

I don't know about Danny Kaye. With his energetic, sometimes over the top
persona he might have made it more entertaining and comical, but that
might have lessened its charm and made it more like a typical musical.
I think Walker works better as an unassuming, somewhat bumbling everyday
guy and to me that clicks better with the fantasy premise of the movie.
But that's just one opinion. Maybe Danny could have gotten some tips from
his good buddy Larry Olivier.

Maybe my eyes were deceiving me, but Ava Gardner's tunic seemed a bit
too transparent, not that I'm complaining.
[/quote

Could not agree more with your opinion about Danny Kaye in ONE TOUCH OF VENUS, Andree.

I've heard about Danny's friendship with Olivier. Aside from anything else, the English were big fans of Kaye during his heyday so it doesn't seem all that, well, odd to me that one of their "classy" actors would think it beneath them to bond with a famous American comedian.

[Bronxgirl48]

When needing a quick dessert I sometimes mix chocolate chip morsels into my Philadelphia cream cheese and then just gobble it up on a plate. A bagel isn't even necessary!

ONE TOUCH OF VENUS just concluded, and I remembered almost every line of dialogue. I've always however thought how unfortunate this movie was not given a lush MGM color treatment but instead is low budget black-and-white, making the whole production look a bit drab overall. Eve Arden still steals every scene!

That's basically what these folks do. And it is good all by itself. When I was a
kid I used to mix Ovaltine with a little milk to make a very thick ice cream
topping.

I found OTOV to be very charming for the first half hour and then the musical
numbers started, some of which were on the corny side. That diminished the
film a little, but didn't spoil it. Overall, fairly enjoyable.

Fred C. Hobbs pans for gold in the Pacific ocean. Didn't find any, but it sure
beats getting hacked to death by Mexican bandits.

I love Ovaltine!

I thought the scant VENUS musical numbers actually added to its charm but is almost cancelled out by the "B" comedy antics of Walker trying to escape from the detectives, which gave the film a definite low-grade juvenile aspect.

[Dargo]

Could not agree more with your opinion about Danny Kaye in ONE TOUCH OF VENUS, Andree.

I've heard about Danny's friendship with Olivier. Aside from anything else, the English were big fans of Kaye during his heyday so it doesn't seem all that, well, odd to me that one of their "classy" actors would think it beneath them to bond with a famous American comedian.

Actually here Bronxie, I think what Andree was subtly suggesting with his mention of Olivier was more the idea of the rumors that once swirled that their "friendship" was more than just that.