Das gewisse Etwas

This is an odd film--not because it is a remake but because both the original (LOVE IS NEWS) and the remake star Tyrone Power. It's rare to see a star do this, as the studios often remade films but hardly ever used the same actors. In addition, both films are bundled together on one DVD so you can compare them. After seeing both, I would definitely recommend you see LOVE IS NEWS, as it's superior in every way.

The film is about newspaper man (Power) harassing a rich heiress (Gene Tierney) in order to make headlines. It really didn't seem to matter if his articles were true and when Gene finds out that Tyrone is NOT the man he claims to be but a reporter, she is furious. However, instead of blowing her top, she decides to give him a taste of her own medicine by announcing to all the newspapers that she and Power are married--as she knows that the papers will now make Power's life miserable as well. Oddly, in the original film, the heiress announces they are engaged--here she claims they are married--though this hardly improves the quality of the film (though it does provide a bit of sexual innuendo the original didn't have).

The acting is decent enough, though I really think Loretta Young did a better job in the original--probably because she seemed to have a better gift for comedy. Also, while Tyrone tries, he just doesn't seem to have quite the charm he did in the original. Part of this is naturally because it's a remake and part of this is because the supporting characters weren't nearly as strong. In particular, the Justice of the Peace was a big weak point here, as instead of coming off as comical, he's a sadist and pretty much ignores the law--surefire comedy killers! My advice is see the original. Then, if you insist, see the remake. BUT, don't see the remake first--it just doesn't stack up well and might convince you not to bother with the first film and that would be a big mistake.

Robert Sinclair does not feature in my gallery of preferred directors, and after watching the supposedly screwball comedy that THAT WONDERFUL URGE was publicized as, I doubt I will be looking for his works.

That said, cinematography rates more than just competent, especially on the snowy slopes where tabloid reporter Tyrone has an accident that somehow sees him (allegedly) married to lovely rich heiress Tierney, who donates him $1 million to boot.

Talk about fairy tales, hey? Of course, only US spectators emerging from the losses and hardships of WW II would pay to watch a film resting on such a skiddy and far-fetched script. In Italy, where day to day survival proved dire, neorealism reigned.

What saves it is the star power and chemistry between two beauty-endowed humans, Tyrone and Gene, who apparently did not just act, but privately took their attraction to more physical and emotional levels. In the process, equally lovely Arleen Whelan is just jettisoned after Tyrone tries to marry her so he can prove that Tierney has been lying about her marital status. That is one detail tough to explain: Tyrone is so high-minded that he does not want the $1 million and rejects marriage to Tierney, yet he just uses poor Whelan like garbage.

As for Gardiner, in the role of leaching European aristocrat, it is just impossible to believe that Tierney would take the slightest interest in him, let alone even jokingly take his ring.

As planktonrules points out, the original (LOVE IS NEWS, 1937) is a better film. Still, Tyrone and Gene deserve my 7/10.

... with Gene Tierney as a beautiful heiress who decides to get vengeance on scandalous reporter Tyrone Power, who's been writing gossipy stuff about her, by telling the world they are married. Power gets fired and laughed at and can't prove he didn't marry the lady so decides to turn things around on her.

There are no surprises here, with a supporting cast that includes Reginald Gardiner (wasted as Tierney's boyfriend who takes her out but can't get to first place with her, not that he looks like he really cares) and Lucille Watson (also wasted in a trivial role). I was a little surprised at how obviously fake are the Sun Valley, Idaho backdrops in a few scenes. This is a remake of Love Is News, a 1937 comedy Power had made with Loretta Young, making Power one of the few actors to appear in a remake of one of his own films. Why 20th Century Fox would choose to revive such weak material again over a decade later is beyond me.

Although Power is primarily remembered today for Nightmare Alley and as the hero of a few costume adventures, at the start of his career at Fox he appeared in a number of light weight romantic comedies of a forgettable, frothy nature. That Wonderful Urge, released almost a decade after the last of them, would also be his final venture into screen comedy for, unfortunately, less than memorable results. It was also around this time that he appeared in The Luck of The Irish, a somewhat more engaging affair inasmuch as it mixed the romantic comedy with fantasy by having a leprechaun play the role of matchmaker.

Will get this off the bat briefly, count me in as another person that has seen the original 'Love is News'. Count me in also, to say briefly, as someone that thoroughly enjoyed that film and considers it vastly superior. 'That Wonderful Urge' had quite a lot going for it, with Tyrone Power returning eleven years later and with a great cast on paper being its main attractions (though was intrigued to see how Gene Tierney would fare in comedy), so should have worked a lot better than it did.

It is easy to inevitably compare 'That Wonderful Urge' to 'Love is News', seeing as the former is a remake. In this regard, there is no doubt in my mind which film is much better. Every film that is a remake or sequel of another deserves to be judged on its own terms without being compared too much, have always found it a far better way to judge unless the difference in quality is huge. In this regard, 'That Wonderful Urge' underwhelms just as much. It does have its good things and moments, but it could have been quite a lot more.

'That Wonderful Urge' has good assets. It looks lovely, with photography that is never too filmed play-like or tries to do too much and the costumes are stylish. The music has a nice energy and fits well tonally, not over-scoring or being too chirpy. Nice to hear "It Happened in Sun Valley".

Some of the supporting cast come over very well, Lucile Watson really sparkles as always and Chill Wills is a lot of fun. Both are in roles that suit them very well. Gene Lockhart is well suited to his role too.

Power does his utmost best but had a lot more charm and energy before. Tierney was fine in drama but seemed out of her depth here, her comic timing came over as forced and her interpretation was rather too coy for my liking. Reginald Gardiner's character is very underwritten and he lacks personality, being not menacing enough for a cad while not being suave or charming enough to be likeable. Nobody else stands out. None of the characters are particularly interesting, Watson's comes closest and that is more down to how she played her. The direction is far from amateurish but could have been slicker.

Admittedly the story was very far-fetched and slight in 'Love is News', but both are accentuated here in 'That Wonderful Urge'. The pace really lacks urgency, so the slightness was less forgivable as some of the story felt uneventful which it didn't feel as much before, and the latter stages really stretch credulity (so did the original but not to breaking point like here). The script isn't sharp enough for the wit to work, actually found some of it on the tired side.

In conclusion, has its moments but lacking for me. 4/10

if you're in the mood for a romantic comedy - without anything thought provoking - this might do

the fun comes watching the two potential lovers trying to outwit each other - there were a couple obvious steps that might have been taken - but using them right away would have cut the plot short - so try to resist belaboring them

Gene Tierney & Tyrone Power were the eye candy of the time - they weren't top actors - but by this time - they had developed an easy charm in place of the finesse of the better actors - such as Carol Lombard - Claudette Colbert - William Powell - Cary Grant

the scheming and the repartee were pretty good - but not the best - and the falling in love wasn't so obvious - still the expectation was there to help the audience over the threshold

competent in all departments - which may explain why it isn't cited as one of the great romantic comedy - still - it's a good choice for a bit of light entertainment