Das gewisse Etwas

... 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.

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.

I found this movie entertaining and humorous although the ending was abrupt. I couldn't help thinking how topical it was with the tabloids and celebs in the news these days and even the President being asked about a reality show personality when he was on The View. I don't think this movie would have been suitable during WWII but in the relief of the postwar era a light comedy might have filled the bill, and tabloids were flourishing along with fan magazines and interest in the privileged, whether heiress or royal. (The 1947 wedding of Elizabeth and Philip was a big seller, too.) I hope some day to see the original to compare and contrast but as a stand alone, this movie was pleasant with some good lines, a few laughs, and kept me awake longer than I had intended so I could see the end. If you don't have anything better to do, you might enjoy it as a diversion.

There's nothing so dangerous as a woman on a mission of revenge, and that's what journalist "Tom" (Tyrone Power) discovers when his serialisation of the profligate life of heiress "Sara" (Gene Tierney) in the newspaper earns her enmity. She's a clever woman, and so manages to come up with an unique way of visiting her vengeance on her new prey. She decides to tell the world that they are married! That's just one truth too many for his editor so now out of a job and without many friends, he has to get her to address the situation before he sinks without trace. How, though? She's still pretty livid and no shrinking violet. Of course, the underplay here is all pretty obvious, as is a denouement helped along amiably by Gene Lockhart, but it's really the enjoyable tit-for-tat banter between Power and Tierney that keeps this entertaining battle of the sexes moving along quickly and sometimes quite wittily. It's probably not a film you will recall for long afterwards, but it does it's job fine for eighty minutes.

Just because a performer is attractive, talented and has star power and charm it does not mean they have comedic skills. This farce has few chuckles, let alone belly laughs. It would have been better with comedic actors but not great.

It is worth seeing. Power and Tierney are both attractive and charming. They even gave chemistry. They just aren't funny.