When I used to show this hilarious musical in the late 70s (and with a new print too!) I often ran it with another funny 1953 musical GIVE A GIRL A BREAK which starred Bob Fosse and Debbie Reynolds. Customers phoning the cinema ALWAYS thought I said "Tonight we have...err...Give a Girl a Break..and .I Love Melbourne" which of course they all thought was my personal comment. The programme was such fun and it did sell a lot of tickets too! Both new prints looked so good on a movie screen! The alternative version of "The lady Loves" as the opening dance number in I LOVE MELVIN can be found in THATS ENTERTAINMENT PART 3. ....and suggest you find it .......I can see why it was changed....can you?.....I LOVE MELVIN is perfect small town (girl) MGM quality ....and must have been one of their last Technicolour filmed musicals....they made everything in ansco or metro color after 1953.
29 Reviews
Undervalued little gem
TheLittleSongbird8 February 2017
That it was a musical, with comedy and romance, with Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds reunited after the much deserved success of 'Singin' in the Rain' was more than enough reason to check out 'I Love Melvin'.
While 'I Love Melvin' may not quite be up there with the classic musicals and is not quite a masterpiece, it's immensely fun and charming still and very difficult to dislike. It is also very well-made and performed and worthy of much more praise and more people seeing it. If anybody enjoys musicals, there's no real reason why 'I Love Melvin' can't be enjoyed.
Sure 'I Love Melvin' could have been a little better, with a less rushed and pat ending and the lyrics for a few of the songs not as corny and vapid.
However, it looks great, being beautifully shot in big, bold and richly colourful Technicolor where the colours dazzle without being too garish or too busy. The songs are not exactly hits but there are also no duds, instead they are melodically pleasant songs beautifully performed though a few of them would have benefited more from better lyric writing.
The choreography is energetic and graceful, with O'Connor's breathless roller-skating routine being the highlight and fondly recalling the immense exuberance of 'Singin' in the Rain's "Make Em Laugh". While the dream sequence with the men is somewhat bizarre it's a fascinating sort of bizarre and not the uncomfortable sort.
Musicals are often criticised for the story, and it is true that this component is rarely a strong point even in the classics, but in the best musicals one forgets that when everything else is so good (when there are musicals that are executed in a mixed-bag or bad way it's less forgivable). Here the story is slight, but is so full of fun, energy, charm and heart that it still engages, it's easy to follow and there is a nostalgic value to be had. The witty spark of the script is also worthy of note. The direction is very sure-footed throughout.
Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds both excel superbly in roles that play to their strengths as performers. Their chemistry sparkles like bubbles in a glass of champagne. O'Connor has a mischievous charm and bundles of energy, his dancing also a dream. Reynolds is bright, lively and perky and sings like an angel. Jim Bacchus is hilariously demented.
All in all, an undervalued if imperfect little gem. 8/10 Bethany Cox
While 'I Love Melvin' may not quite be up there with the classic musicals and is not quite a masterpiece, it's immensely fun and charming still and very difficult to dislike. It is also very well-made and performed and worthy of much more praise and more people seeing it. If anybody enjoys musicals, there's no real reason why 'I Love Melvin' can't be enjoyed.
Sure 'I Love Melvin' could have been a little better, with a less rushed and pat ending and the lyrics for a few of the songs not as corny and vapid.
However, it looks great, being beautifully shot in big, bold and richly colourful Technicolor where the colours dazzle without being too garish or too busy. The songs are not exactly hits but there are also no duds, instead they are melodically pleasant songs beautifully performed though a few of them would have benefited more from better lyric writing.
The choreography is energetic and graceful, with O'Connor's breathless roller-skating routine being the highlight and fondly recalling the immense exuberance of 'Singin' in the Rain's "Make Em Laugh". While the dream sequence with the men is somewhat bizarre it's a fascinating sort of bizarre and not the uncomfortable sort.
Musicals are often criticised for the story, and it is true that this component is rarely a strong point even in the classics, but in the best musicals one forgets that when everything else is so good (when there are musicals that are executed in a mixed-bag or bad way it's less forgivable). Here the story is slight, but is so full of fun, energy, charm and heart that it still engages, it's easy to follow and there is a nostalgic value to be had. The witty spark of the script is also worthy of note. The direction is very sure-footed throughout.
Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds both excel superbly in roles that play to their strengths as performers. Their chemistry sparkles like bubbles in a glass of champagne. O'Connor has a mischievous charm and bundles of energy, his dancing also a dream. Reynolds is bright, lively and perky and sings like an angel. Jim Bacchus is hilariously demented.
All in all, an undervalued if imperfect little gem. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Great talent - confusing and bizarre plot
cammonteath19 April 2020
I did enjoy this film, especially watching the talent of Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds. When looking at this film, one has to take into account the talent of the screen performers as well as the plot/storyline etc.
Overall I don't know why people are saying these musical numbers in this film aren't as good as 'Singin' in the Rain.' In my opinion, while the melodies aren't quite as memorable, the way the music is constructed(harmonies etc) is far superior to that of it's more famous cousin.
There are plenty of strange moments throughout the movie, however. So strange that they create unexpected humour. For one, Donald's solo dance number while cleaning the studio only made sense after I read about it. When watching it, I couldn't understand what was going on. Furthermore, the football scene with Debbie in it was so bizarre that you had to laugh. I think this unintended humour made things a little better, but knowing it was unintended put a little downer on things.
What the story does well is create an emotional investment in the characters - I felt for Debbie's character as I knew how much she wanted to be on the cover of the magazine. I also felt for Donald's character as he tried to set things right. However that's about the only thing I liked about the plot.
Debbie and Donald are both great here - Donald already well established, and Debbie trying to make her break since Singin in the Rain. It's obvious these two have more chemistry than the Reynolds/Kelly combination, probably due to age differences and things(Debbie would have been around 20 and Donald around 27, whereas Gene was already 40)
While the film is short, the ending seemed extremely rushed to me, and could have benefitted from a few extra minutes of footage. What happened afterwards? A lot of unanswered questions were left. Furthermore, the very end shot of Debbie frantically fondling Donald didn't leave a great taste to end. Something more calm would have made the ending seem less frantic and rushed.
Also, there are plenty of script moments which seem very strange to a modern viewer(this is all part of historical relativism I assume) - such as a random man approaching Debbie and asking her if he could walk her places, which she just calmly responds 'No, thank you.' whereas today, this would seem extremely bizarre. Similarly, the 50's housewife persona is capitalised here - e.g. 'I'll cook just like my mother taught me'(Debbie) contrasting with the more dominant male persona(her father) is very apparent here. There is nothing necessarily wrong with this, it's just a point that I noticed.
Some of the script was extremely unconvincing - a mere 30 minutes in, Donald confesses his love for her in a car, and then says 'if you marry this other boy, I'll be very frank, I'll kill myself.' I have to commend Donald for selling such an unconvincing piece of dialogue barely a third of the way through.
It has been said that both Debbie and Donald did not enjoy the process of making this film, and it's easy to see that the plot, narrative and script were not as well thought out as it could have been. However, the talent of the two main actors show how much of a triple threat they both were.
Overall, this film has some very bizarre moments, with a few plot holes, unconvincing scriptwriting and a rushed conclusion. To save it, the talent of the two main actors plus the great musical numbers and the emotional story help out.
Overall I don't know why people are saying these musical numbers in this film aren't as good as 'Singin' in the Rain.' In my opinion, while the melodies aren't quite as memorable, the way the music is constructed(harmonies etc) is far superior to that of it's more famous cousin.
There are plenty of strange moments throughout the movie, however. So strange that they create unexpected humour. For one, Donald's solo dance number while cleaning the studio only made sense after I read about it. When watching it, I couldn't understand what was going on. Furthermore, the football scene with Debbie in it was so bizarre that you had to laugh. I think this unintended humour made things a little better, but knowing it was unintended put a little downer on things.
What the story does well is create an emotional investment in the characters - I felt for Debbie's character as I knew how much she wanted to be on the cover of the magazine. I also felt for Donald's character as he tried to set things right. However that's about the only thing I liked about the plot.
Debbie and Donald are both great here - Donald already well established, and Debbie trying to make her break since Singin in the Rain. It's obvious these two have more chemistry than the Reynolds/Kelly combination, probably due to age differences and things(Debbie would have been around 20 and Donald around 27, whereas Gene was already 40)
While the film is short, the ending seemed extremely rushed to me, and could have benefitted from a few extra minutes of footage. What happened afterwards? A lot of unanswered questions were left. Furthermore, the very end shot of Debbie frantically fondling Donald didn't leave a great taste to end. Something more calm would have made the ending seem less frantic and rushed.
Also, there are plenty of script moments which seem very strange to a modern viewer(this is all part of historical relativism I assume) - such as a random man approaching Debbie and asking her if he could walk her places, which she just calmly responds 'No, thank you.' whereas today, this would seem extremely bizarre. Similarly, the 50's housewife persona is capitalised here - e.g. 'I'll cook just like my mother taught me'(Debbie) contrasting with the more dominant male persona(her father) is very apparent here. There is nothing necessarily wrong with this, it's just a point that I noticed.
Some of the script was extremely unconvincing - a mere 30 minutes in, Donald confesses his love for her in a car, and then says 'if you marry this other boy, I'll be very frank, I'll kill myself.' I have to commend Donald for selling such an unconvincing piece of dialogue barely a third of the way through.
It has been said that both Debbie and Donald did not enjoy the process of making this film, and it's easy to see that the plot, narrative and script were not as well thought out as it could have been. However, the talent of the two main actors show how much of a triple threat they both were.
Overall, this film has some very bizarre moments, with a few plot holes, unconvincing scriptwriting and a rushed conclusion. To save it, the talent of the two main actors plus the great musical numbers and the emotional story help out.
A real surprise package.
David-2408 September 1999
This film is an absolute delight from the pre-credit sequence where Debbie Reynolds writes the title of the film in lipstick on a mirror to the hilarious chase through Central Park at the end. In between Debbie dreams of becoming a Hollywood star in some magnificently staged dream sequences, thanks to the genius of Cedric Gibbons, in one of which she meets Robert Taylor as Robert Taylor! In another sequence she dances with three dancers in Fred Astaire masks and three in Gene Kelly masks - before winning an Oscar! Great stuff.
Debbie is perfect as both great movie star and girl next door. Her Broadway performance as a football is a riot. Equally good is Donald O'Connor as her lover and aspiring photographer. His roller-skate sequence is brilliant, as is a dance sequence in which he travels the world and plays numerous characters (again thanks to Gibbons). There is great support from Allyn Joslyn, as Debbie's exasperated father, and from Jim Backus as a crabby photographer. And the little girl has a good song too.
The score is jazzy and upbeat, and it's great to see the real Central Park and other New York locations, shot in gorgeous technicolor. I think this terrific musical is very under-rated.
Debbie is perfect as both great movie star and girl next door. Her Broadway performance as a football is a riot. Equally good is Donald O'Connor as her lover and aspiring photographer. His roller-skate sequence is brilliant, as is a dance sequence in which he travels the world and plays numerous characters (again thanks to Gibbons). There is great support from Allyn Joslyn, as Debbie's exasperated father, and from Jim Backus as a crabby photographer. And the little girl has a good song too.
The score is jazzy and upbeat, and it's great to see the real Central Park and other New York locations, shot in gorgeous technicolor. I think this terrific musical is very under-rated.
Man With A Mission
bkoganbing27 January 2010
I Love Melvin is a bright, but dated musical starring Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor fresh from Singing In The Rain. It's hardly as groundbreaking a film as Singing In The Rain, but it does show off its stars to best advantage with their dancing talent.
It's dated because that era of photo journalism as personified by the magazines Life and Look is long gone now. But Look Magazine certainly got a very big plug in this film. Donald O'Connor is a photographer's assistant in the film and he meets and falls for dancer Debbie Reynolds from a Broadway show. Both are looking for the big break in their respective professions and when they fall for each other it's only right that O'Connor should try to help Reynolds.
Of course getting on the cover of Look Magazine is no easy proposition, you've got to be somewhat famous for that. Still O'Connor is a persistent fellow and since he's in love he becomes a man with a mission.
Dancing, lots of dancing is what I Love Melvin has the most of. You'll be out of breath watching the stars perform a lot of dance routines in the 76 minute running time of the movie. No great song hits from the score of Josef Myrow and Mack Gordon, but lot's of dancing routines built around it.
The supporting cast fits comfortably in their roles. Best in the supporting cast in my opinion is Jim Backus who is O'Connor's boss and mentor. If being slightly demented qualifies you to be a magazine photographer, Backus certainly fills the bill. Also Robert Taylor makes a brief appearance as Reynolds dreams of going to Hollywood.
I Love Melvin is dated because of the passing of Look Magazine. I'm wiling to bet that the younger folks watching this film will think that Look Magazine was something made up for the film. Believe me, it wasn't and I Love Melvin might just be it's tribute film.
It's dated because that era of photo journalism as personified by the magazines Life and Look is long gone now. But Look Magazine certainly got a very big plug in this film. Donald O'Connor is a photographer's assistant in the film and he meets and falls for dancer Debbie Reynolds from a Broadway show. Both are looking for the big break in their respective professions and when they fall for each other it's only right that O'Connor should try to help Reynolds.
Of course getting on the cover of Look Magazine is no easy proposition, you've got to be somewhat famous for that. Still O'Connor is a persistent fellow and since he's in love he becomes a man with a mission.
Dancing, lots of dancing is what I Love Melvin has the most of. You'll be out of breath watching the stars perform a lot of dance routines in the 76 minute running time of the movie. No great song hits from the score of Josef Myrow and Mack Gordon, but lot's of dancing routines built around it.
The supporting cast fits comfortably in their roles. Best in the supporting cast in my opinion is Jim Backus who is O'Connor's boss and mentor. If being slightly demented qualifies you to be a magazine photographer, Backus certainly fills the bill. Also Robert Taylor makes a brief appearance as Reynolds dreams of going to Hollywood.
I Love Melvin is dated because of the passing of Look Magazine. I'm wiling to bet that the younger folks watching this film will think that Look Magazine was something made up for the film. Believe me, it wasn't and I Love Melvin might just be it's tribute film.
**1/2
edwagreen18 June 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The singing and dancing are great but after Singin' In the Rain, the year before, it's just too hard to top that with Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor back together again on the big screen.
Allyn Joslyn and Una Merkel make the perfect plain parents to Reynolds, who is aspiring for a show business career, and of course there is always the precocious sister who comes along.
The plot is average to somewhat below average. O'Connor as Hoover meets Reynolds as Judy in the film and naturally he becomes smitten with her and uses his photography skills to snap a variety of photos for her to accelerate her career and keep an interest in him.
Allyn Joslyn and Una Merkel make the perfect plain parents to Reynolds, who is aspiring for a show business career, and of course there is always the precocious sister who comes along.
The plot is average to somewhat below average. O'Connor as Hoover meets Reynolds as Judy in the film and naturally he becomes smitten with her and uses his photography skills to snap a variety of photos for her to accelerate her career and keep an interest in him.
Donald And Debbie Shine
atlasmb27 August 2023
This is no "Singin' in the Rain", but it's a good follow-up for Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor. It might not have the greatest soundtrack, but the tunes are serviceable and it does have Reynolds and O'Connor, who contribute such energy to the story.
Also, the Technicolor is a treat, the dancing is quite good, the production values are strong, and---surprisingly---the writing is actually good. In the end, this film is fun.
The story is about a young actress who desires success, and a photographer's assistant who desires the girl. He uses his credentials to impress the girl, but eventually his efforts land him in trouble. It's a simple story, but it is merely the framework for the entertainment dished out by the stars.
Also, the Technicolor is a treat, the dancing is quite good, the production values are strong, and---surprisingly---the writing is actually good. In the end, this film is fun.
The story is about a young actress who desires success, and a photographer's assistant who desires the girl. He uses his credentials to impress the girl, but eventually his efforts land him in trouble. It's a simple story, but it is merely the framework for the entertainment dished out by the stars.
Fantasy and artifice as weapons against repressive reality (possibly spoilers)
the red duchess14 September 2000
Warning: Spoilers
It is a commonplace that the 1950s was the Golden Age of the Hollywood musical, especially the MGM model. This not only means a profusion of classics such as 'An American in Paris', 'Singin' in the Rain', 'the Band Wagon' and 'Gigi', but also a string of second-order films of exceptional quality. 'I love Melvin' is one of these. Compared to the first films I mentioned, it is definitely an inferior product - Don Weis has neither the visual flourish or emotional realism of a Minnelli or a Donen; the stars, Donald O'Conner and Debbie Reynolds, pleasant verging on irritating, are not of the first rank, and seem exposed without their most-famous co-star, Gene Kelly, while the supporting cast is generally unmemorable; the songs are mediocre and the choreography routine; the sets are clever and pretty, but do not reveal any great truths about characters' feelings. I mention all this to show the difference between a great MGM musical and a good one. 'Melvin' is a good musical, but a very entertaining film, especially in the era of Kazan and 'Marty'.
'Melvin' boasts two knockout numbers (well, three, but the amazing football dance is more clever than exhilirating). The film opens with a beautiful film-within-a-film sequence, as a crew wait for Julie LeRoy to perform her musical number. This is basically a sexless variation on 'Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend', but the gorgeous bright colours, Debbie's flaming dress against a cool yellow background, and inventive-within-its-limits choreography, are lovely.
The second elaborate sequence involves Melvin mooning about an empty photographers' set, also yellow, surreptitiously sticking up pictures of Judy in the hope that she'll be noticed and put on the cover. He goes through a variety of routines and costume changes which reveal the transfigurative effect his love for Julie has on him. The set is beautiful to look at, but vacuous in emotional terms; Weis' direction is too grounded, his camera movements laboriously signalled, rather than the urges of an overspilling heart; O'Conner's personality has become considerably less charming since 'Make 'Em Laugh', but it's all good stuff.
These two numbers are crucially connected in that they are both fantasy sequences, dreamed by characters with huge ambitions, but hemmed in by economic circumstances. This treatment of the working class is rare in the Hollywood musical, rare in that, unlike 'West Side Story', class isn't a suffocating trauma, but a very real barrier to prosperity and happiness. Judy's change of name from Schneider to leRoy maybe simply a desire for the exotic, but also suggests a reaction to an anti-Semitism very prominent in the American society of the 1950s.
it would be stretching things to compare 'Melvin' to a full-blown critique of the family and conformist AMerica such as 'Bigger than life' or 'Written on the wind', but the film doesn't shy away from tensions, such as the generational gap between a mother who meekly serves her husband, and a daughter determined to earn a career for herself; or an employment situation where workers are expected to take any old rubbish from their employers (plus ca change...). It is significant that Melvin should have no family background - this freedom is surely part of his attraction for Judy. They are connected by a different bond, the symmetry of the plot and mise-en-scene, which is continually playing them off one another, always reuniting them, like lines of a triangle.
This structural artifice complicates an apparently simple dichotomy between authenticity/nature and capitalism/consumerism/fakery - Judy and Melvin meet in a park and eventually reunite there; their love is endangered by Melvin creating a fake magazine for her. His job as a photographers' assistant, his taking 'thousands' of pictures of Judy, his pretending to be someone else, create a world where identity is unstable, perhaps a riposte to a society where everybody is expected to be the same. At any rate, that park is pure artifice, the yellow and green of the hedge matched by the dresses of its users. In such a world fantasy (and the whole climax is possibly Judy's concussed delusion) is the only suppository for individuality and imagination.
'Melvin' boasts two knockout numbers (well, three, but the amazing football dance is more clever than exhilirating). The film opens with a beautiful film-within-a-film sequence, as a crew wait for Julie LeRoy to perform her musical number. This is basically a sexless variation on 'Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend', but the gorgeous bright colours, Debbie's flaming dress against a cool yellow background, and inventive-within-its-limits choreography, are lovely.
The second elaborate sequence involves Melvin mooning about an empty photographers' set, also yellow, surreptitiously sticking up pictures of Judy in the hope that she'll be noticed and put on the cover. He goes through a variety of routines and costume changes which reveal the transfigurative effect his love for Julie has on him. The set is beautiful to look at, but vacuous in emotional terms; Weis' direction is too grounded, his camera movements laboriously signalled, rather than the urges of an overspilling heart; O'Conner's personality has become considerably less charming since 'Make 'Em Laugh', but it's all good stuff.
These two numbers are crucially connected in that they are both fantasy sequences, dreamed by characters with huge ambitions, but hemmed in by economic circumstances. This treatment of the working class is rare in the Hollywood musical, rare in that, unlike 'West Side Story', class isn't a suffocating trauma, but a very real barrier to prosperity and happiness. Judy's change of name from Schneider to leRoy maybe simply a desire for the exotic, but also suggests a reaction to an anti-Semitism very prominent in the American society of the 1950s.
it would be stretching things to compare 'Melvin' to a full-blown critique of the family and conformist AMerica such as 'Bigger than life' or 'Written on the wind', but the film doesn't shy away from tensions, such as the generational gap between a mother who meekly serves her husband, and a daughter determined to earn a career for herself; or an employment situation where workers are expected to take any old rubbish from their employers (plus ca change...). It is significant that Melvin should have no family background - this freedom is surely part of his attraction for Judy. They are connected by a different bond, the symmetry of the plot and mise-en-scene, which is continually playing them off one another, always reuniting them, like lines of a triangle.
This structural artifice complicates an apparently simple dichotomy between authenticity/nature and capitalism/consumerism/fakery - Judy and Melvin meet in a park and eventually reunite there; their love is endangered by Melvin creating a fake magazine for her. His job as a photographers' assistant, his taking 'thousands' of pictures of Judy, his pretending to be someone else, create a world where identity is unstable, perhaps a riposte to a society where everybody is expected to be the same. At any rate, that park is pure artifice, the yellow and green of the hedge matched by the dresses of its users. In such a world fantasy (and the whole climax is possibly Judy's concussed delusion) is the only suppository for individuality and imagination.
Given short shrift in the pantheon of MGM musicals, this is one of the best...
sdiner8226 January 2003
Delightful follow-up to "Singing in the Rain" (minus Gene Kelly, which is fine with me), "I Love Melvin" is a snappy(76 minutes), tuneful Technicolored treat with one show-stopping musical number after another. A serviceable plot (Donald O'Connor plays a free-lance photographer who becomes so enamored with aspiring singer/dancer Debbie Reynolds that he promises he'll get her the cover of Look Magazine) provides a nifty frame for a series of first-rate, beautifully choreographed musical numbers that make one wonder why this terrific little MGM gem has been overlooked. The music is sensational (thank you, Joseph Myrow), the evocation of the Manhattan setting is a visual delight (MGM actually went on location for a few scenes--watching Ms. Reynolds walk across Central Park South is a time-capsule come to life.) And O'Connor and Ms. Reynolds have probably tbe best displays of their singing & dancing talents in their entire careers (their frenetic "Where Did You Learn to Dance?" is a knockout; O'Connor's solo "I Want to Wander" is a classic; and Debbie's opening dream number, "The Lady Loves," wherein she is attired in slithering pink as she delivers the sultry lyrics, hint at the dreamy sexiness she was allowed to exude in future films.) MGM produced so many classic musicals in the early 1950s that "I Love Melvin" has been unjustly neglected. Too bad, because it's a sparkling, melodious, toe-tapping treat that ranks among MGM's finest and is long-overdue for the accolades it deserves.
A sleeper of a show if there ever was one.
mark.waltz19 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Yes, "I Love Melvin" is formula, but sometimes formula provides nutrition. If indeed that is true, then the cast of this pleasing musical comedy is overdosing on nutrients. Donald O'Connor plays a Look Magazine Employee, assistant to photographer Jim Backus, who longs to make the grade and cease running errands for his boss. He takes pictures of rising Broadway ingénue Debbie Reynolds whom he slowly falls in love with in spite of the fact that her father (Allyn Joslyn) is trying to push her together with the boringly handsome Richard Anderson. But O'Connor tries to win over pop Joslyn and mama Una Merkel's affections by presenting a fake cover of "Look" with Reynolds on the cover. How will he explain when "Philly of the Month" ends up being a prizefighter?
There are more musical numbers in this that actually seem to be moving the plot along than "drop-ins" or on-stage numbers, although Reynolds humorously portrays a football in one, her Broadway show which appears to be the "Good News" of its day. She also has two dream sequences where she's a movie star (I guess a Broadway one isn't big enough in MGM's eyes) including one where she resembles Ginger Rogers while dancing with several men in hideous Fred Astaire masks. They are delightful spoofs of the Hollywood image, and the over-the-top grotesqueness is appropriate. Impish Donna Corcoran playfully sings a delightful ditty, "Life Has Its Funny Little Ups and Down", which O'Connor does a roller skate dance to that just about equals his "Make Em' Laugh" in the previous year's "Singin' in the Rain". Then, he has his big solo, "I Wanna Wander", during which you'll expect him to pass out from due to exhaustion. In typical MGM fashion, all ends happy (as MGM musicals should) and smiles are guaranteed.
There are more musical numbers in this that actually seem to be moving the plot along than "drop-ins" or on-stage numbers, although Reynolds humorously portrays a football in one, her Broadway show which appears to be the "Good News" of its day. She also has two dream sequences where she's a movie star (I guess a Broadway one isn't big enough in MGM's eyes) including one where she resembles Ginger Rogers while dancing with several men in hideous Fred Astaire masks. They are delightful spoofs of the Hollywood image, and the over-the-top grotesqueness is appropriate. Impish Donna Corcoran playfully sings a delightful ditty, "Life Has Its Funny Little Ups and Down", which O'Connor does a roller skate dance to that just about equals his "Make Em' Laugh" in the previous year's "Singin' in the Rain". Then, he has his big solo, "I Wanna Wander", during which you'll expect him to pass out from due to exhaustion. In typical MGM fashion, all ends happy (as MGM musicals should) and smiles are guaranteed.
cute but forced
ronfernandezsf3 August 2020
Cute B musical with a so-so plot. Best thing is the dancing by O'conner and Reynolds. His big solo number would be better if it were a dream sequence or fantasy. No one could do a number like that with those numerous costume changes in real time. Ending is quite abrupt. When Donald goes missing for three weeks he's actually living in Central Park??? How could he survive with no food or change of clothes. He should have held up in his home or Apartment. That's the big mistake in this otherwise cute little musical.
Kudos for little Noreen Corcoran as Debbies sister.
How sad that the 'age of the movie musicals' has been allowed to fade into the sunset.
MADUMOND21 April 2004
I was eleven years old when I saw "I Love Melvin" and, immediately, fell in love with Donald O'Connor. He was teamed with Debbie Reynolds and I was sooooo jealous of her. It was my dream to become a dancer/singer/actor when I 'grew up'. But, for then, I lived for those visits to the local theatre where I could fill my soul with the glitz, glamour and wonder of it all. At that time, I had no way of knowing that this wonderful genre would, over the years, fade away from absolute glory to the dusty archives of today. Thank God for these websites, where we surviving lovers can rekindle those old flames by buying or renting our favorites. How comforting to know the actors will be forever young, in our eyes; and, in our hearts, so will we.
adorably super sweet energy except for a bit of old fashion racism
SnoopyStyle21 September 2021
Judy Schneider (Debbie Reynolds) dreams of being a Hollywood star but she's only a chorus girl. She gets a part on Broadway but it's playing a football. In Central Park, she bumps into Melvin Hoover (Donald O'Connor), assistant to a magazine photographer. At the musical, he exaggerates his job and promises her a magazine spread of an up-and-coming actress.
Honestly, this is the sexiest football I've ever seen. When they talked about a football, I assumed it to be a bulky costume like a little kid's Halloween costume. She is arguably the star of the show which negates the premise of the movie. She would be funnier with a chunky costume. This is all about Debbie Reynolds' bubbly smiley personality. Donald O'Connor has some good physical comedy. The fleeting old fashion racism does get awkward. Aside from those moments, this is adorably cute like the little girl's song.
Honestly, this is the sexiest football I've ever seen. When they talked about a football, I assumed it to be a bulky costume like a little kid's Halloween costume. She is arguably the star of the show which negates the premise of the movie. She would be funnier with a chunky costume. This is all about Debbie Reynolds' bubbly smiley personality. Donald O'Connor has some good physical comedy. The fleeting old fashion racism does get awkward. Aside from those moments, this is adorably cute like the little girl's song.
Tap dancing on roller skates
HotToastyRag7 January 2019
I'm not a Debbie Reynolds fan, so I only sat through I Love Melvin for Donald O'Connor. It turned out to be worth it, even though the film itself was very silly, because I got to see Donald tap dance in roller skates, something Fred Astaire had done, and something Gene Kelly decided to do two years later. Speaking of Gene Kelly, during Donald's entrance song, he leaps onto a lamppost a la Singin' in the Rain, as if reminding audiences that he was the other fellow in that movie and that this time around, he's going to get Debbie Reynolds. It's a pretty cute song, with each romantic lead describing their ideal whom they haven't met yet, and at the end, they crash into each other.
In another duet, "Where Did You Learn to Dance?" it could be taken another way, if you're not a Debbie Reynolds fan. I guess the producers figured everyone who saw this movie would be a Debbie Reynolds fan, because in another number, she dances with six men: three in Fred Astaire masks and three in Gene Kelly masks. Anyone who looks at her feet when she does a turn can tell she's not a very well-trained dancer, so it's a debatable point as to whether she deserves to dance with three Freds and three Genes.
But, if you want to watch Donald O'Connor tap dancing on roller skates, which is very impressive, you can rent this movie. It's not the best out there, though, so if you're looking for that, check out Call Me Madam.
In another duet, "Where Did You Learn to Dance?" it could be taken another way, if you're not a Debbie Reynolds fan. I guess the producers figured everyone who saw this movie would be a Debbie Reynolds fan, because in another number, she dances with six men: three in Fred Astaire masks and three in Gene Kelly masks. Anyone who looks at her feet when she does a turn can tell she's not a very well-trained dancer, so it's a debatable point as to whether she deserves to dance with three Freds and three Genes.
But, if you want to watch Donald O'Connor tap dancing on roller skates, which is very impressive, you can rent this movie. It's not the best out there, though, so if you're looking for that, check out Call Me Madam.
Sparkling
dougdoepke6 February 2010
Talk about an energy crisis! None of that here. Reynolds and O'Connor generate enough sheer bounce to light up a city. This is Reynolds at her most likable, a chorus girl with ambitions beyond being a human football. It's also O'Connor at his nimble toed best. They're an ideal pairing. There's not much plot, but when did a musical need much story. Melvin loves Judy, Judy loves Melvin, but first poor Mel must get past cranky Dad and then past rival Harry Flack. Good thing he's a photographer for Look magazine. Okay, if you remember Look and Life, you probably saw the movie in a theatre. The year is 1953, the Korean War is over, Ike's in the White House, and the economy has taken off. It's the 50's of Ozzie and Harriet, and happily, that carefree spirit percolates throughout the movie's candy box colors.
It's also the kind of movie dream factory MGM specialized in, a chance for their younger performers to show their stuff. But catch oldster Jim Backus as O'Connor's boss. His array of comedic expressions are a real hoot. The music may be forgettable, but the dancing is infectious. Thanks to the kids' charm and sparkle, plus fast-moving direction, the movie's an unheralded little gem. Then too, if you like this musical, catch up with The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953). It's with Reynolds and Bobby Van, and is just as sparkling as this companion sleeper.
It's also the kind of movie dream factory MGM specialized in, a chance for their younger performers to show their stuff. But catch oldster Jim Backus as O'Connor's boss. His array of comedic expressions are a real hoot. The music may be forgettable, but the dancing is infectious. Thanks to the kids' charm and sparkle, plus fast-moving direction, the movie's an unheralded little gem. Then too, if you like this musical, catch up with The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953). It's with Reynolds and Bobby Van, and is just as sparkling as this companion sleeper.
Shoot the Lyracist
masercot31 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
There is a lot right about this movie. Great dance numbers, good music, great personalities and a rival played by the Six Million Dollar Man's boss. The plot was pretty inventive for a musical as well.
But, two things make this a mediocre movie. The song lyrics are just... awful. Seriously bad. And, the ending is wrapped up too neatly and with no real explanation...
I have to say, though, that this movie changed my life. I've discovered that I'm actually turned on by women dressing and acting like footballs. The sad thing is, I CAN'T FIND ANY WEB SITES WERE THIS IS A THING. And, it's ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT!!! But, that's my issue, not yours.
My advice is to fast forward through the singing until the dancing kicks in... O'Conner and Reynolds are great to watch and some more modern stuff is peppered in...
But, two things make this a mediocre movie. The song lyrics are just... awful. Seriously bad. And, the ending is wrapped up too neatly and with no real explanation...
I have to say, though, that this movie changed my life. I've discovered that I'm actually turned on by women dressing and acting like footballs. The sad thing is, I CAN'T FIND ANY WEB SITES WERE THIS IS A THING. And, it's ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT!!! But, that's my issue, not yours.
My advice is to fast forward through the singing until the dancing kicks in... O'Conner and Reynolds are great to watch and some more modern stuff is peppered in...
If you like big, fancy production numbers, this one's for you.
planktonrules18 September 2021
I am not the biggest fan of most musicals, so you might enjoy this one much more than I did. Much of this is because there are a few huge production numbers...which folks might love or hate. I really hated the one with guys wearing Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly masks...it was REALLY creepy. I personally prefer less fancy costumes and music...but again, this is just personal preference.
The story focuses on Judy (Debbie Reynolds) a struggling chorus girl who aspires to become a singing and dancing star. Her chance at getting noriced occurs when a junior photographer from "Look" comes to take photos...and he immediately falls for her. What's next? See the film...or not.
I enjoyed seeing Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor...they were both agreeable and likeable. I also enjoyed the little sister...she was rather funny. Overall, it is a film I could enjoy but didn't love but the quality of the film was quite nice.
The story focuses on Judy (Debbie Reynolds) a struggling chorus girl who aspires to become a singing and dancing star. Her chance at getting noriced occurs when a junior photographer from "Look" comes to take photos...and he immediately falls for her. What's next? See the film...or not.
I enjoyed seeing Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor...they were both agreeable and likeable. I also enjoyed the little sister...she was rather funny. Overall, it is a film I could enjoy but didn't love but the quality of the film was quite nice.
A Great 50's Musical - Talented Cast - Great Song-Writing!
inclass28 August 2000
This movie really lets you know that back in the 50's, they really knew how to make an excellent musical! The cast includes Donald O'Connor as Melvin, a small-time photographer working for "Look" Magazine. He turns his attention and camera to Judy LeRoy, a beautiful dancer who dreams of making it big one day, played by Debbie Reynolds. The songs in this film are wonderfully written and performed, including a very charming outdoor song and dance routine performed by O'Connor and the film's youngest actress, 9 year old Noreen Corcoran, who brightens the many scenes she's in, playing Judy's sister, Clarabelle, who seems to like to be involved in everything. (The songs have very clever lyrics as well!) Melvin seeks to win the hand of Judy, but her usual date, Harry Black (Richard Anderson), who's pretty much a square, is about to pop the question to the delight of Judy's dad, while her dad dislikes Melvin. O'Connnor and Reynolds are brilliant. Jim Backus adds some laughs also. The whole cast comes together to make this a delightful film, which is yet another great one that was overlooked by video & DVD companies! A MUST SEE! Try your favorite movie channels.
Should be a classic!
propchick8 October 2002
Donald O'Connor should be revered as the musicals god he was (and still very probably could be). "I Love Melvin" should be considered a classic, right up with the rest of the musicals. I guess life really isn't fair, lol.
As cute as they come, and with Debbie Reynolds, to boot!
As cute as they come, and with Debbie Reynolds, to boot!
O'Connor and Reynolds Make the Film
Michael_Elliott17 January 2017
I Love Melvin (1953)
*** (out of 4)
Charming Musical-comedy has Donald O'Connor playing Melvin Hoover, a wannabe photographer for Look magazine and someone who just hasn't caught his break. One day he runs into Judy LeRoy (Debbie Reynolds), a small time and unknown dancer and soon the two make it a mission to get her on the cover.
I LOVE MELVIN was released shortly after the huge success of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and we get two of the three stars from that movie. I'm a little surprised that this film doesn't have a bigger following because even though it's not a masterpiece like that movie, it's at least entertaining enough to where more people should know of it. The film runs a rather short 77-minutes and manages to have a rather good story, some fun musical numbers and of course the chemistry between the two stars.
The best thing this film has going for it are the performances of both O'Connor and Reynolds. Both of them are perfectly suited for the roles and this is especially true for Reynolds who easily steals the picture. There's no question that her charm is at 100% and she really manages to make you care for her character and you just want to root her on so that she gets the cover. O'Connor is also extremely enjoyable playing that rather silly but charming role that he'd do quite often. The chemistry between the two is top-notch and they really make for a great and fun couple. Una Merkel, Allyn Joslyn and a cameo by Robert Taylor add to the charm.
The dance sequences are all pretty good but there's no question that the highlight is the roller skate sequence with O'Connor doing some wonderful tricks. The music numbers are also good but I'd argue that the best one happens rather early when we first see the two stars on the screen. I LOVE MELVIN has a great number of laughs and as I've said the chemistry with the stars makes this very much worth watching.
*** (out of 4)
Charming Musical-comedy has Donald O'Connor playing Melvin Hoover, a wannabe photographer for Look magazine and someone who just hasn't caught his break. One day he runs into Judy LeRoy (Debbie Reynolds), a small time and unknown dancer and soon the two make it a mission to get her on the cover.
I LOVE MELVIN was released shortly after the huge success of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and we get two of the three stars from that movie. I'm a little surprised that this film doesn't have a bigger following because even though it's not a masterpiece like that movie, it's at least entertaining enough to where more people should know of it. The film runs a rather short 77-minutes and manages to have a rather good story, some fun musical numbers and of course the chemistry between the two stars.
The best thing this film has going for it are the performances of both O'Connor and Reynolds. Both of them are perfectly suited for the roles and this is especially true for Reynolds who easily steals the picture. There's no question that her charm is at 100% and she really manages to make you care for her character and you just want to root her on so that she gets the cover. O'Connor is also extremely enjoyable playing that rather silly but charming role that he'd do quite often. The chemistry between the two is top-notch and they really make for a great and fun couple. Una Merkel, Allyn Joslyn and a cameo by Robert Taylor add to the charm.
The dance sequences are all pretty good but there's no question that the highlight is the roller skate sequence with O'Connor doing some wonderful tricks. The music numbers are also good but I'd argue that the best one happens rather early when we first see the two stars on the screen. I LOVE MELVIN has a great number of laughs and as I've said the chemistry with the stars makes this very much worth watching.
Photo-Finish
writers_reign30 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
With a little better screenplay this would have been a musical to rival any turned out by MGM. Quickly re-teaming Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds after Singin' In The Rain and wisely jettisoning both Gene Kelly and Comden and Green the studio came up with a plot that fit where it touched then adorned it with some really great numbers by Josef Myrow and Mack Gordon which are light years fresher, wittier and more sophisticated than the stale Freed-Brown numbers in Singin' In The Rain, which veer more towards sentiment than style. The movie gets off to a flying start with the standout A Lady Loves which kills two birds with one stone by establishing Reynolds as a dreamer aspiring wistfully to a career in movies. Donald O'Connor never really attained the stardom which was the rightful due of his talent and charm and he displays both to full advantage here. If ever anything came under the heading 'forgotten gem' this one surely does.
This forgotten gem "Makes Me Feel So Young"
weezeralfalfa25 April 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The sheer energy and delight of Debbie Reynolds and Don O'Connor in their frequent musical/comedy numbers in a rather short (76 min.)film is best summed up in the best remembered song by the film composer-lyricist team of Josef Myrow and Mack Gordon:"You Make Me Feel So Young".Unfortunately, this song, previously composed for another film, was not included. Nonetheless, this team comes up with some quite serviceable songs that express the feelings of the duo or are appropriate for their stage productions. Debbie is in 3 elaborate song and dance or comedy routines, while O'Connor gets 2 solo dance/comedy routines. They only have one song and dance number together, but it's a very energetic 'getting to know you' one, where they bound and bounce all over the furniture in her family's living room. Much reminds me of the "How About You" performance by Mickey and Judy in "Babes on Broadway"(1940). There is also a very clever early scene where Debbie and O'Connor are walking/frolicking on opposite sides of a Manhatten Central Park hedge row, singing about what their ideal mate will be like, before crashing into each other at the end of the hedge row. This hedge will show up again in the final comedic scene of the film. In addition, pint-sized Noreen Corcoran, as Debbie's little sister, Clarabelle, sings "Life Has Its Funny Little Ups and Downs" to O'Connor to cheer him up, after being hold he's not welcome to share dinner with Debbie's family.
Debbie's character,Judy, has two goals:find Mr. Right, and to become a big Hollywood star. She discovers that O'Connor's character, Melvin, may be the answer to both her desires, if he can somehow convince the editor of Look magazine to feature her on their cover, and if she can convince her father to back Melvin as her fiancé, instead of handsome, established, but rather dull Harry Flack. These are both very formidable obstacles for Melvin. But, where there's a will, there's usually a way, even if it involves a bit of trickery, deception, embarrassment, and luck. I leave the details for you to see.
Judy has two dream sequences, one before and one after she meets Melvin, where she is a show starlet. Both are quite entertaining. In the first, she sings "A Lady Loves", in a routine tailor-made for Marilyn Monroe, mobbed by a bevy of press photographers and men in cloaks and top hats. In the second, she is clearly a big Hollywood star, initially in imitation of Marilyn Monroe(I assume), then as herself, dancing with 3 men with Fred Astaire masks and 3 men with Gene Kelly masks.She even wins the Academy Award, with a giant statue. Judy also has a spectacular non-dream role as a human football, in a Manhatten Crown Theater show: "Quarterback Kelly", which includes two alternatively dancing/playing teams, which toss, carry and kick her around. Must have been some trick photography involved when she goes tumbling through the goalposts!..There is also an outtake on the current DVD release of a reprise of "A Lady Loves", that I wish they had kept in. It appears to be part of Judy's second dream sequence, with O'Connor as the cinematographer and sometimes dance partner. Certainly, excessive film lengthening wasn't an excuse for deletion!
O'Connor scooped Gene Kelly by about 2 years in his tap dance on roller skates scene, which was part of his overall roller skating act in an elevated gazebo, for the entertainment of little Clarabelle, whose skates he borrowed. Woudn't think her skates would fit him! Reportedly, skates with locked wheels were used for his tap dancing segment, and a string(sometimes slightly visible at slow motion)was tied around his waist to keep him from flying off the gazebo during his speed skating segment, until it was time to land in the shrubbery. Kelly's more extensive and much better known roller skating act was performed in "It's Always Fair Weather", which was done very much like his classic "Singing in the Rain" act, on a crowded street and sidewalk. Actually, the first film roller skating dance, including some tap dancing, I'm aware of was done by the duo of Fred and Ginger, in "Shall We Dance", way back in 1937!
In O'Connor's second solo act, he really goes into his hyperactive mode, first singing and dancing to " I Wanna Wander", before going through a period of frantically changing from one ethnic costume to another, for just a few seconds each. After falling off a Swiss mountain, he becomes a Hollywood version of a cannibal, then played various characters in a bizarre Sherlock Holmes-like skit. Parts were good but, overall,it would have been more entertaining if he had stuck to fewer characters and exploited their potential more.Also, the addition of another person, maybe Debbie, in some parts,would have been a plus. My favorite was his transformation, while hidden in a giant stew cauldron, from a cannibal into an over-the-top version of Carmen Miranda.
Honorable mention should be made of Jim Backus, who played Melvin's ever needling boss, to Richard Anderson, for his thankless role as Melvin's romantic competition for Judy, to Allyn Joslyn, as Judy's one-step-behind-reality father, to Una Merkel, as Judy's mother, and again to Noreen Corcoran, who added much more than her pint size to the enjoyment of the film.
I dare you to watch this film just after "Singing in the Rain" and tell me which was more enjoyable! About equal?
Debbie's character,Judy, has two goals:find Mr. Right, and to become a big Hollywood star. She discovers that O'Connor's character, Melvin, may be the answer to both her desires, if he can somehow convince the editor of Look magazine to feature her on their cover, and if she can convince her father to back Melvin as her fiancé, instead of handsome, established, but rather dull Harry Flack. These are both very formidable obstacles for Melvin. But, where there's a will, there's usually a way, even if it involves a bit of trickery, deception, embarrassment, and luck. I leave the details for you to see.
Judy has two dream sequences, one before and one after she meets Melvin, where she is a show starlet. Both are quite entertaining. In the first, she sings "A Lady Loves", in a routine tailor-made for Marilyn Monroe, mobbed by a bevy of press photographers and men in cloaks and top hats. In the second, she is clearly a big Hollywood star, initially in imitation of Marilyn Monroe(I assume), then as herself, dancing with 3 men with Fred Astaire masks and 3 men with Gene Kelly masks.She even wins the Academy Award, with a giant statue. Judy also has a spectacular non-dream role as a human football, in a Manhatten Crown Theater show: "Quarterback Kelly", which includes two alternatively dancing/playing teams, which toss, carry and kick her around. Must have been some trick photography involved when she goes tumbling through the goalposts!..There is also an outtake on the current DVD release of a reprise of "A Lady Loves", that I wish they had kept in. It appears to be part of Judy's second dream sequence, with O'Connor as the cinematographer and sometimes dance partner. Certainly, excessive film lengthening wasn't an excuse for deletion!
O'Connor scooped Gene Kelly by about 2 years in his tap dance on roller skates scene, which was part of his overall roller skating act in an elevated gazebo, for the entertainment of little Clarabelle, whose skates he borrowed. Woudn't think her skates would fit him! Reportedly, skates with locked wheels were used for his tap dancing segment, and a string(sometimes slightly visible at slow motion)was tied around his waist to keep him from flying off the gazebo during his speed skating segment, until it was time to land in the shrubbery. Kelly's more extensive and much better known roller skating act was performed in "It's Always Fair Weather", which was done very much like his classic "Singing in the Rain" act, on a crowded street and sidewalk. Actually, the first film roller skating dance, including some tap dancing, I'm aware of was done by the duo of Fred and Ginger, in "Shall We Dance", way back in 1937!
In O'Connor's second solo act, he really goes into his hyperactive mode, first singing and dancing to " I Wanna Wander", before going through a period of frantically changing from one ethnic costume to another, for just a few seconds each. After falling off a Swiss mountain, he becomes a Hollywood version of a cannibal, then played various characters in a bizarre Sherlock Holmes-like skit. Parts were good but, overall,it would have been more entertaining if he had stuck to fewer characters and exploited their potential more.Also, the addition of another person, maybe Debbie, in some parts,would have been a plus. My favorite was his transformation, while hidden in a giant stew cauldron, from a cannibal into an over-the-top version of Carmen Miranda.
Honorable mention should be made of Jim Backus, who played Melvin's ever needling boss, to Richard Anderson, for his thankless role as Melvin's romantic competition for Judy, to Allyn Joslyn, as Judy's one-step-behind-reality father, to Una Merkel, as Judy's mother, and again to Noreen Corcoran, who added much more than her pint size to the enjoyment of the film.
I dare you to watch this film just after "Singing in the Rain" and tell me which was more enjoyable! About equal?
slight fun for Donald and Debbie
didi-58 October 2003
Undemanding but energetic fare from MGM teaming the vivacious Debbie Reynolds as the day-dreaming dancing football and the late Donald O'Connor as the goofy magazine gopher who wants to put her on the front cover. It's hardly "Singin' in the Rain" but it does have glorious Technicolor, a snappy dance number set in a park, and a memorable song in "The Lady Loves" (which doubles as a glamour showcase for Reynolds). Nice cameo from Robert Taylor too!
Witty, colorful and fast-paced
lrrap11 December 2023
A couple of comments here mention the superiority of the "Melvin" songs over those of "Singin"...and I would agree. In fact, I think "Singin's" famous title song is one of the most musically vapid, dull and uninteresting tunes I've ever heard (but its little introductory vamp is very nice). Then there's "Moses Supposes", with its fabulous staging but next-to-no melody, and "Make 'em Laugh", an outstanding slapstick tour-de-force, with a last-minute tune, obviously (and admittedly) a rip-off of Irving Berlin's "Be a Clown".
The Josef Myrow/Mack Gordon songs of "Melvin" are (from a musician's standpoint) more interesting...not necessarily great tunes,..but clever and appealing (the opening "The Lady Loves", however, is really terrific...a "high-society" type Broadway tune that the Gershwin brothers would have been proud of). Myrow, BTW, wrote the classic "Autumn Nocturne", one of music's most sophisticated, elegant, and alluring songs.
"Melvin" is great fun and thoroughly engaging; you can sense the MGM staff at work throughout, cleverly devising scenes, situations, characters, and dialogue (some of it very funny) to showcase Donald n' Debbie. Yes, the film has shortcomings, but not serious enough to impact the overall quality. Case-in-point: the big O'Connor showcase number (obviously intended to capitalize on his stunning "Make "Em Laugh") could have easily ended with Donald-as-Carmen-Miranda-jumping -out-of-the-cannibal-kettle. The Sherlock Holmes/mechanical horse stuff could have been saved for a future O'Connor extravaganza (though he sure is amazing to watch!) Too much of a good thing.
I'd like to mention two other leads in the film, the quirky Allyn Joslyn (always fascinating to watch) and 9-year old Noreen Corcoran, clearly one of the most natural, talented child actors of the day (and who barely gets mentioned anywhere).
Her solo number "Life Has It's Funny Little Ups-and-Downs", sung to cheer up Donald, is a charming number that nonetheless gets pretty complicated in its "bridge" (middle) sections, both in terms of the phrase lengths AND its harmonic move through different keys. Trust me on this. But this cute kid..largely unknown in the history of film (certainly compared to MGM's less-talented Margaret O-Brien) sings it EFFORTLESSLY and NATURALLY. Her subsequent onscreen delivery (lip-synching to her vocal playback) is FLAWLESS and, once again, totally natural and unaffected, a skill that many older, more seasoned professionals never quite mastered. Everything about her performance is first-rate.
In addition, her number with Donald at the gazebo is, in a way, the quintessential film memento of the innocent, cheerful 1950's that many of us still remember and treasure. All the more reason to give "Melvin" its due as one of MGM's true, undiscovered gems. LR.
The Josef Myrow/Mack Gordon songs of "Melvin" are (from a musician's standpoint) more interesting...not necessarily great tunes,..but clever and appealing (the opening "The Lady Loves", however, is really terrific...a "high-society" type Broadway tune that the Gershwin brothers would have been proud of). Myrow, BTW, wrote the classic "Autumn Nocturne", one of music's most sophisticated, elegant, and alluring songs.
"Melvin" is great fun and thoroughly engaging; you can sense the MGM staff at work throughout, cleverly devising scenes, situations, characters, and dialogue (some of it very funny) to showcase Donald n' Debbie. Yes, the film has shortcomings, but not serious enough to impact the overall quality. Case-in-point: the big O'Connor showcase number (obviously intended to capitalize on his stunning "Make "Em Laugh") could have easily ended with Donald-as-Carmen-Miranda-jumping -out-of-the-cannibal-kettle. The Sherlock Holmes/mechanical horse stuff could have been saved for a future O'Connor extravaganza (though he sure is amazing to watch!) Too much of a good thing.
I'd like to mention two other leads in the film, the quirky Allyn Joslyn (always fascinating to watch) and 9-year old Noreen Corcoran, clearly one of the most natural, talented child actors of the day (and who barely gets mentioned anywhere).
Her solo number "Life Has It's Funny Little Ups-and-Downs", sung to cheer up Donald, is a charming number that nonetheless gets pretty complicated in its "bridge" (middle) sections, both in terms of the phrase lengths AND its harmonic move through different keys. Trust me on this. But this cute kid..largely unknown in the history of film (certainly compared to MGM's less-talented Margaret O-Brien) sings it EFFORTLESSLY and NATURALLY. Her subsequent onscreen delivery (lip-synching to her vocal playback) is FLAWLESS and, once again, totally natural and unaffected, a skill that many older, more seasoned professionals never quite mastered. Everything about her performance is first-rate.
In addition, her number with Donald at the gazebo is, in a way, the quintessential film memento of the innocent, cheerful 1950's that many of us still remember and treasure. All the more reason to give "Melvin" its due as one of MGM's true, undiscovered gems. LR.
Magical and Delightful Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor Have Chemistry
tr-834954 April 2019
This is a magical and wonderful movie musical with great chemistry between Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds.
In this vehicle, we are finally free of the egotistical Gene Kelly and are introduced to the talented and delightful Donald O'Connor who dances to entertain us; not to prove to us how great he is. Debbie Reynolds is delightful as well as talented and there is genuine chemistry between O'Connor and Reynolds.
This MGM musical was, by far and away, better than "Singin' in the Rain" but audiences have tuned into the title of "Rain" -- which was written several decades before the movie ever came out -- and there is no great title song associated with "I Love Melvin" like there should be. That was a huge mistake on MGM's part, leaving this great movie musical in the dark when it should have been at the forefront of the studio's best productions.
"I Love Melvin" is a masterpiece of the movie musical genre and should have served as a model for future successes.
Try watching "I Love Melvin" and then "Singin' in the Rain" -- it's obvious that Melvin is much superior in almost every way. In Melvin, you are caught up in the characters, the music, the action, and the plot and you feel uplifted, as a good movie musical should make you feel. You won't get that same feeling from the inferior "Rain".
"Melvin" is one of the best examples of a good Hollywood musical. If they had kept making them this way, they would still be making them. O'Connor and Reynolds and the supporting cast work well together. There is no showboating here or trying to outshine the other actor. We have a cast of people willing to share in the spotlight so that the audience can enjoy what is happening.
This is the one of the best movie musicals of all time. .
In this vehicle, we are finally free of the egotistical Gene Kelly and are introduced to the talented and delightful Donald O'Connor who dances to entertain us; not to prove to us how great he is. Debbie Reynolds is delightful as well as talented and there is genuine chemistry between O'Connor and Reynolds.
This MGM musical was, by far and away, better than "Singin' in the Rain" but audiences have tuned into the title of "Rain" -- which was written several decades before the movie ever came out -- and there is no great title song associated with "I Love Melvin" like there should be. That was a huge mistake on MGM's part, leaving this great movie musical in the dark when it should have been at the forefront of the studio's best productions.
"I Love Melvin" is a masterpiece of the movie musical genre and should have served as a model for future successes.
Try watching "I Love Melvin" and then "Singin' in the Rain" -- it's obvious that Melvin is much superior in almost every way. In Melvin, you are caught up in the characters, the music, the action, and the plot and you feel uplifted, as a good movie musical should make you feel. You won't get that same feeling from the inferior "Rain".
"Melvin" is one of the best examples of a good Hollywood musical. If they had kept making them this way, they would still be making them. O'Connor and Reynolds and the supporting cast work well together. There is no showboating here or trying to outshine the other actor. We have a cast of people willing to share in the spotlight so that the audience can enjoy what is happening.
This is the one of the best movie musicals of all time. .
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