Here’s to the first movie I watched that was new to me in 2021! A suggestion by Sally after seeing clips on a Classic Hollywood instagram account, How To Marry A Millionaire (1953) was a bright, funny romantic comedy set in New York City, one of the first movies from 20th Century Fox shot in Cinemascope. The widescreen framing is clear in how they pose the three leads together at points – Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable – or a key shot will be one of them lounging on a recliner on the phone, their full figure in frame. The plot revolves around three department store models led by Bacall’s sardonic ringleader, Schatze Page (great names in this one), who has a plan – they rent out an expensive apartment, hocking the furnished items for money, and doing all they can to hook a millionaire – basically to marry for money, not love. Monroe’s character, Pola Debevoise, is afraid to wear her glasses and thus is always walking into things while Grable, Loco Dempsey, dreams of food and misreads situations very easily. The movie keeps the one liners and gags coming, the situations are never too convoluted, and the costumes and sets are all suitably eye-catching and fancy. Also features cowboy star Rory Calhoun as one of the potential suitors, William Powell from The Thin Man series as the oldest and nicest millionaire suitor around, and Cameron Mitchell whose “greaser” look obscures the fact he is also very wealthy (it was actually interesting to see Mitchell in matinee idol mode in his youth than the older supporting actor of so many B-grade movies from the 70s/80s, the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 variety). I had a lot of fun, particularly if you enjoy classic Hollywood comedies, and the chance to see icons like Bacall, Grable and Monroe give winning performances. Rented on iTunes. Recommended.
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