Liebe auf den zweiten Blick

The wartime housing shortage for returning veterans gets an amusing and telling look from one of Gene Kelly's lesser known pictures, Living In A Big Way. Kelly plays a GI who marries Marie McDonald on impulse before going overseas. They don't even have time to get down to business. They're not even that well acquainted.

This film is directed by Gregory LaCava who gave us two screen comedy classics, Stage Door and My Man Godfrey. This film bares more than a passing resemblance to the latter. Living In A Big Way turned out to be LaCava's last completed film.

The big shock that Kelly gets when he returns home to claim his bride with pal Bill Phipps is to discover she's rich. And she's got a stuffy fiancé in John Warburton whom she hasn't bothered to tell about that unconsummated marriage. Being married to 'The Body' that's the part most unbelievable about Living In A Big Way.

In fact it is the main weakness of Living In A Big Way. Had someone like Lana Turner or Carole Lombard been cast in the role of the unfulfilled wife some of the comedy aspects in her character would have been handled a lot better. Living In A Big Way might have become a classic. It might not have needed the musical numbers Kelly did which were creative and fun, but kind of forced into the film. The wife's role truly was one made for Carole Lombard who was beyond casting.

Charles Winninger and Spring Byington as the parents are carbon copies of Eugene Palette and Alice Brady from My Man Godfrey. There's also a nice performance by Jean Adair as McDonald's grandmother.

And one role to note, that of Phyllis Thaxter as a war widow who joins Kelly's and Phipps's community of veterans. She's the kind of girl that every GI would love to have come home to.

Living In A Big Way is an amusing enough film, but hardly one of the great films of Gene Kelly or Gregory LaCava.

I thought this movie was fun. I have never really watched old movies before and this one was a really great first date film. It had warmth and heart and spirit. Was kind of cheesy but in today's film industry, cheesy is cute. I gave it a ten and I highly suggest renting, buying or seeing the movie anyway you can. Gene Kelly was very dreamy and a little bit sarcastic and you knew the character thought that he was gonna have it all. The female lead was cast perfect because their two personalities had spark and you wanted to hold on and see what would happen. The grandma in the movie was priceless. The perfect addition to a great old movie. I love the fact it was black and white and Gene Kelly is so sweet with all the kids in the movie that you can't help liking him. See It.

Love Gene Kelly and musicals, but 'Living in a Big Way' is somewhat of a lesser film in Kelly's filmography and while there are definitely far worse film musicals out there while watchable there are far better as well.

There are pleasures here. The best thing about 'Living in a Big Way' is the dancing, which is memorable and a sheer delight. The sequence on the construction site sends up an absolute storm, and it is difficult to resist the adorable one with the dog. Kelly is charismatic in the lead and dances a dream as always, he's never put a foot wrong when it comes to dancing and has dazzled more often than not as a choreographer. Jean Adair and Spring Byington are breaths of fresh air in support, and Phyllis Thaxter charms even with a limited character and a subplot that is not developed that well.

You can't talk about a musical without mentioning the music/songs, and while only "It Had to Be You" is a classic all of them are very pleasant to listen to with nothing coming over as a dud. Gregory La Cava does reliably direction-wise with what there is, and the production values are lovingly done if not spectacular.

On the other hand, Clinton Sundberg falls completely flat and is not funny at all, what was intended as sardonic comes over as mean-spirited and Sundberg just grates to maximum effect. Outside of the musical numbers and the dance sequences, the story is nowhere near as memorable and can drag, suffering also from a lack of chemistry between Kelly and Marie McDonald, who is very sympathetic and cold with little charm or range.

Coming off worst is the script, which tonally is very confused, inept at worst, and doesn't seem to be able to decide what it wanted to be. It tries to be comedy, drama, a musical and social message film, and only really succeeds at the musical. The comedy has fleeting good moments, mainly with Adair, but frequently grates and lacks wit particularly with Sundberg. The drama lays it heavy with the sentimentality and the over-maudlin quality is hard to stomach on occasions, while the social message element was forced and unnecessary.

On the whole, an obscure with pleasures, like the memorable dancing, but because the script is as poor as it is, is worth it for curiosity value and for Kelly completests but not much else. 5/10 Bethany Cox

"Living in a Big Way" is a film with portions I liked but overall I don't recommend it because there is a fatal flaw in the writing....you don't like one of the main characters and it's supposed to be a romance!

The story begins during WWII. Leo (Gene Kelly) and Margo (Marie McDonald) falling in love. But since it is the war and Leo is soon shipping out, they impulsively get married despite barely knowing each other....and he's sent overseas before they can even consummate the marriage.

The story now skips to just after the war has ended. Leo is looking forward to a life of wedded bliss with Margo. But when he seeks her out, he finds she's NOT the poor girl he thought she was...she's a rich model used to a life of ease.

Now at this point, the story was quite good. But Margo's reaction to her husband's return is bizarre and shows her to be an awful person. She apparently already has a NEW fiance picked out and informs Leo he's unwanted and he should get a divorce. Now, I CAN understand a woman thinking they made a bad and impulsive choice...that's understandable. But not even wanting to talk with him makes her seem like a real jerk. Soon, you learn she ALSO had a very cute mutt...and got bored with it and gave it away. So, you've got a leading character who is selfish and self-absorbed.... NOT what you'd want in a leading lady in a romance. Can the film be saved?

The story gets better later....so I still gave it a 5. But Margo was just unlikable....very unlikable. Also, while there were some dance numbers here and there, they weren't integrated into the story well at all and just seemed slapped there in order to give Kelly a chance to show off his talents. Overall, not the worst sort of romance but not a very good one either.

I thought this movie was quite good. It was on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) at three am one night, and its offbeat humor kept me up til five. Kelly performs beautifully in this role, especially with the Grandma (whose quip almost caused me to laugh out of my seat). The main actress was alright, but the father was able to keep his character isolated from the marriage conflict and kept the humor coming. If you like a good offbeat, older movie, I would recommend it. Unlike the other comment, I do like Gene Kelly. He was the perfect leading actor for many of the early musicals and I think in this role, he oozes his charisma. One drawback is the dance scenes get a little long-winded, but if you can get through those, you're in the clear.