That Wonderful Urge

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.

I found this little gem on Hulu while in the mood for a movie in black and white. For some reason all of the movies showing on TCM were made in the 1970's (yuck).

So, not being a regular viewer of Tyrone Power, I didn't know what to expect. About mid way through the movie I thought it would really be great if this were Myna Loy and Cary Grant or William Powell.

The stars of this movie were missing that certain spark that lifts a thin storyline into something more. While the stars were very likable and attractive they had very little chemistry. Some of the dialogue was rather funny and the supporting cast was good. It definitely wasn't a waste of time.

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

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.

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.