Das gewisse Etwas

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.

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.

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

Scolding reviewers who go on and on urging you to "see the original" and "this is a bad remake" are ponderous and not too bright, in my opinion. I can separate performances and stories in my mind without any trouble whatsoever. This is a fun movie with lots of clever scenes and great interplay between Tierney and Power, who clearly had personal affection for one another. The supporting cast does a good job of getting out of the way and letting Gene and Tyrone shine. Chill Wills is great as a crooked judge and has many funny one-liners. Its fun and enjoyable! The scenery, whether in Sun Valley or New York is realistic and a history lesson in 40's era lifestyles. I mean, its Gene Tierney and Tyrone Power, for crying out loud! They aren't making movie stars like those two anymore, are they? Enjoy!

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.