"Love is a Ball" has two things going for it - a cast of wonderful actors of the day, and marvelous scenery. As a comedy this is very light weight and entirely in the situations. The script is nearly bereft of any funny, clever or comical dialog. Even the romance is mostly cold fish until the very end. So, without the two pluses first mentioned, this would be a real turkey. The cast itself, with these mostly well-known actors who entertained movie audiences for decades, makes the film just interesting enough. Adding the fantastic scenery along the Riviera, makes the film watchable.
Charles Boyer could charm the snake away from a snake-charmer, and his role here, while much tamer than usual, still brings smiles to anyone who has seen a number of his other comedy or romance films. His tamer charming persona is as much because of the persona of the character that Telly Savalas plays. Dr. Christian Gump (Savalas) is the most willing target of Etienne Pimm's grand scam of match-making, for his rich niece, Millie Mehaffey. Savalas's role is so out of his norm as the rough and tough guy, that it's a hoot all by itself. And he plays it to the hilt, so that he and Boyer make some of the best comedy of this film.
Then, much of the rest of the comedy is provided by Ricardo Montalban, who is playing - and with the looks, of a young, somewhat dashing Grand Duke Gaspard Ducluzeau. Montalban also plays his part superbly, beginning as a clumsy, fumbling, misfit of real nobility, whom Pimm has taken under wing to train and educate in the culture and manners needed to snatch, er, match with the right wealthy young American heiress. Gaspard's guffaws in the early stages give way gradually to a smooth, gentle and gentlemanly soul. This does not go unnoticed (chemically, that is) by Ulla Jacobsson's Janine. She is one of Pimm's constant associates in his elaborate match-making enterprise, and helps to train the young and poor aristocrats who will one day be wealthy.
Glen Ford's John Davis becomes one of three men added to Pimm's staff for this specific conquest, each with a special talent or skill. They are to mold Gaspard's culture, or provide the means of entry into the wealthy American family's circle.
Ford and Hope Lange as Millicent Mehaffey, are the two leads in the film and have slightly more screen time than the others. But they are really along for the ride in the comedy aspects. They provide a small bit of the humor, and their roles are the focal point of the plot in the first place. Their roles okay, but if this film were to float or sink on the basis of a romance, it wouldn't make it to shore.
Then, there's the beautiful French Riviera - from Cannes to Monaco. The aerial scene of the "Promenade Anglais" along the Nice waterfront brings back memories. This movie was released in late April of 1963. While it might have been filmed in March, it most likely was filmed the previous summer. I was on the Riviera, at Nice, in both summers of 1962 and 1963. Then serving in the U. S. Army in Germany, I spent some long vacations (leaves) with another GI friend in Italy, France and Spain. We spent three weeks both summers in Nice. Of course we were just enlisted men, so we didn't stay in the spendy hotels.
During that time, the U. S. Navy's Sixth Fleet flag ship operated out of Villefranche. It's the small bay community next to and between Nice and Monaco. And the USO had a Club In Nice for servicemen. We could get lockers for our clothing and shower there, which we did. We met some very nice and attractive French hostesses at the club. We could shop at the commissary in Villefranche and for a couple of beach parties, we provided ice cream and introduced them to s'mores. Back then, one could light a fire in some beach areas that were outside the main public beaches along the Nice promenade.
The movie shows the boat basin of the Harbor of Villefranche-sur-mer. John Davis's boat is in drydock there, with the hole in its bow. The U. S. Navy commissary used to be just up from the boat basin. This movie was based on a 1959 novel by Lindsay Hardy, "The Grand Duke and Mr. Pimm." Apparently, it's one of those films that hardly resembles the book. Ms. Hardy was reported as saying that the film bears no resemblance to her book, "neither the plot, nor the people."
People who first go to the Riviera are a little surprised by the beaches. They aren't the natural soft sandy beaches of the U. S. Atlantic and Pacific coasts. They are gravel and stony beaches that take some getting used to walking on barefoot. Some private beaches put sand over the base, to accommodate the tourists and promenade hotel guests. But the French locals were quite used to and comfortable with the coarser beaches.
One other reviewer commented on a glaring faux pas in the film - when the real estate lady is showing Pimm and his group the elaborate estate they are going to rent. She clearly says the rent is 7.5 million Francs a month. As the other reviewer noted, that would be $1.5 million - per month. In 1922, that would be more than $40 million - per month.
Here are a couple favorite lines from the film.
Etienne Pimm, "It's so easy to make money when you're clever. It's embarrassing."
John Davis, "Oh, yes, your name is gonna go on a plaque all right. And you know what it's gonna say? It's gonna say, 'Here lies Millicent the nut, who... did it on a turn, and broke her butt." Millie Mehafffey: "Oh, you're so smart aren't you? What would you know about racing?"
Charles Boyer could charm the snake away from a snake-charmer, and his role here, while much tamer than usual, still brings smiles to anyone who has seen a number of his other comedy or romance films. His tamer charming persona is as much because of the persona of the character that Telly Savalas plays. Dr. Christian Gump (Savalas) is the most willing target of Etienne Pimm's grand scam of match-making, for his rich niece, Millie Mehaffey. Savalas's role is so out of his norm as the rough and tough guy, that it's a hoot all by itself. And he plays it to the hilt, so that he and Boyer make some of the best comedy of this film.
Then, much of the rest of the comedy is provided by Ricardo Montalban, who is playing - and with the looks, of a young, somewhat dashing Grand Duke Gaspard Ducluzeau. Montalban also plays his part superbly, beginning as a clumsy, fumbling, misfit of real nobility, whom Pimm has taken under wing to train and educate in the culture and manners needed to snatch, er, match with the right wealthy young American heiress. Gaspard's guffaws in the early stages give way gradually to a smooth, gentle and gentlemanly soul. This does not go unnoticed (chemically, that is) by Ulla Jacobsson's Janine. She is one of Pimm's constant associates in his elaborate match-making enterprise, and helps to train the young and poor aristocrats who will one day be wealthy.
Glen Ford's John Davis becomes one of three men added to Pimm's staff for this specific conquest, each with a special talent or skill. They are to mold Gaspard's culture, or provide the means of entry into the wealthy American family's circle.
Ford and Hope Lange as Millicent Mehaffey, are the two leads in the film and have slightly more screen time than the others. But they are really along for the ride in the comedy aspects. They provide a small bit of the humor, and their roles are the focal point of the plot in the first place. Their roles okay, but if this film were to float or sink on the basis of a romance, it wouldn't make it to shore.
Then, there's the beautiful French Riviera - from Cannes to Monaco. The aerial scene of the "Promenade Anglais" along the Nice waterfront brings back memories. This movie was released in late April of 1963. While it might have been filmed in March, it most likely was filmed the previous summer. I was on the Riviera, at Nice, in both summers of 1962 and 1963. Then serving in the U. S. Army in Germany, I spent some long vacations (leaves) with another GI friend in Italy, France and Spain. We spent three weeks both summers in Nice. Of course we were just enlisted men, so we didn't stay in the spendy hotels.
During that time, the U. S. Navy's Sixth Fleet flag ship operated out of Villefranche. It's the small bay community next to and between Nice and Monaco. And the USO had a Club In Nice for servicemen. We could get lockers for our clothing and shower there, which we did. We met some very nice and attractive French hostesses at the club. We could shop at the commissary in Villefranche and for a couple of beach parties, we provided ice cream and introduced them to s'mores. Back then, one could light a fire in some beach areas that were outside the main public beaches along the Nice promenade.
The movie shows the boat basin of the Harbor of Villefranche-sur-mer. John Davis's boat is in drydock there, with the hole in its bow. The U. S. Navy commissary used to be just up from the boat basin. This movie was based on a 1959 novel by Lindsay Hardy, "The Grand Duke and Mr. Pimm." Apparently, it's one of those films that hardly resembles the book. Ms. Hardy was reported as saying that the film bears no resemblance to her book, "neither the plot, nor the people."
People who first go to the Riviera are a little surprised by the beaches. They aren't the natural soft sandy beaches of the U. S. Atlantic and Pacific coasts. They are gravel and stony beaches that take some getting used to walking on barefoot. Some private beaches put sand over the base, to accommodate the tourists and promenade hotel guests. But the French locals were quite used to and comfortable with the coarser beaches.
One other reviewer commented on a glaring faux pas in the film - when the real estate lady is showing Pimm and his group the elaborate estate they are going to rent. She clearly says the rent is 7.5 million Francs a month. As the other reviewer noted, that would be $1.5 million - per month. In 1922, that would be more than $40 million - per month.
Here are a couple favorite lines from the film.
Etienne Pimm, "It's so easy to make money when you're clever. It's embarrassing."
John Davis, "Oh, yes, your name is gonna go on a plaque all right. And you know what it's gonna say? It's gonna say, 'Here lies Millicent the nut, who... did it on a turn, and broke her butt." Millie Mehafffey: "Oh, you're so smart aren't you? What would you know about racing?"