There was a time when I looked at pictures of Ava Gardner, and thought "What's all the fuss? She's not so hot." But this is one of the pictures that makes me "get it". Her face and figure are undeniably exquisite in this, and her voice exudes sultry, smoldering sexuality. I'm talking about her speaking voice, of course. I assume her singing voice was dubbed. The movie as a whole is ok. It's a fantasy comedy about a man who kisses a statue of the goddess Venus, which magically comes to life. Robert Walker is ok as the befuddled department store employee who kisses the statue, and initially wants nothing to do with the goddess, since he has a girlfriend. Eventually, however, he succumbs to her charms ( who wouldn't?), and her mere presence in the city causes many people to fall in love, including Walker's boss, the owner of the department store. Eve Arden is her usual excellent wise cracking self, who gets a chance for once to find love, thanks to Venus. The song Speak Low is nice.
Review of One Touch of Venus
