I Love Melvin

When I used to show this hilarious musical in the late 70s (and with a new print too!) I often ran it with another funny 1953 musical GIVE A GIRL A BREAK which starred Bob Fosse and Debbie Reynolds. Customers phoning the cinema ALWAYS thought I said "Tonight we have...err...Give a Girl a Break..and .I Love Melbourne" which of course they all thought was my personal comment. The programme was such fun and it did sell a lot of tickets too! Both new prints looked so good on a movie screen! The alternative version of "The lady Loves" as the opening dance number in I LOVE MELVIN can be found in THATS ENTERTAINMENT PART 3. ....and suggest you find it .......I can see why it was changed....can you?.....I LOVE MELVIN is perfect small town (girl) MGM quality ....and must have been one of their last Technicolour filmed musicals....they made everything in ansco or metro color after 1953.

Talk about an energy crisis! None of that here. Reynolds and O'Connor generate enough sheer bounce to light up a city. This is Reynolds at her most likable, a chorus girl with ambitions beyond being a human football. It's also O'Connor at his nimble toed best. They're an ideal pairing. There's not much plot, but when did a musical need much story. Melvin loves Judy, Judy loves Melvin, but first poor Mel must get past cranky Dad and then past rival Harry Flack. Good thing he's a photographer for Look magazine. Okay, if you remember Look and Life, you probably saw the movie in a theatre. The year is 1953, the Korean War is over, Ike's in the White House, and the economy has taken off. It's the 50's of Ozzie and Harriet, and happily, that carefree spirit percolates throughout the movie's candy box colors.

It's also the kind of movie dream factory MGM specialized in, a chance for their younger performers to show their stuff. But catch oldster Jim Backus as O'Connor's boss. His array of comedic expressions are a real hoot. The music may be forgettable, but the dancing is infectious. Thanks to the kids' charm and sparkle, plus fast-moving direction, the movie's an unheralded little gem. Then too, if you like this musical, catch up with The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953). It's with Reynolds and Bobby Van, and is just as sparkling as this companion sleeper.

That it was a musical, with comedy and romance, with Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds reunited after the much deserved success of 'Singin' in the Rain' was more than enough reason to check out 'I Love Melvin'.

While 'I Love Melvin' may not quite be up there with the classic musicals and is not quite a masterpiece, it's immensely fun and charming still and very difficult to dislike. It is also very well-made and performed and worthy of much more praise and more people seeing it. If anybody enjoys musicals, there's no real reason why 'I Love Melvin' can't be enjoyed.

Sure 'I Love Melvin' could have been a little better, with a less rushed and pat ending and the lyrics for a few of the songs not as corny and vapid.

However, it looks great, being beautifully shot in big, bold and richly colourful Technicolor where the colours dazzle without being too garish or too busy. The songs are not exactly hits but there are also no duds, instead they are melodically pleasant songs beautifully performed though a few of them would have benefited more from better lyric writing.

The choreography is energetic and graceful, with O'Connor's breathless roller-skating routine being the highlight and fondly recalling the immense exuberance of 'Singin' in the Rain's "Make Em Laugh". While the dream sequence with the men is somewhat bizarre it's a fascinating sort of bizarre and not the uncomfortable sort.

Musicals are often criticised for the story, and it is true that this component is rarely a strong point even in the classics, but in the best musicals one forgets that when everything else is so good (when there are musicals that are executed in a mixed-bag or bad way it's less forgivable). Here the story is slight, but is so full of fun, energy, charm and heart that it still engages, it's easy to follow and there is a nostalgic value to be had. The witty spark of the script is also worthy of note. The direction is very sure-footed throughout.

Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds both excel superbly in roles that play to their strengths as performers. Their chemistry sparkles like bubbles in a glass of champagne. O'Connor has a mischievous charm and bundles of energy, his dancing also a dream. Reynolds is bright, lively and perky and sings like an angel. Jim Bacchus is hilariously demented.

All in all, an undervalued if imperfect little gem. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I love tap dance, and Donald O'Connor is a Tap Master. When I saw him today, I was surfing to my favorite TCM, and wondered what movie this was. I looked at the channel guide, saw the name, and decided to watch. I remembered Debbie Reynolds' name associated with this movie, so I ended up watching. Debbie and Donald were really cute, as was Noreen Corcoran (Moochie's sister, of original Mickey Mouse Club).... Judy's mother's face I remember from Ginger Rogers movies. It was nice how first Melvin got rid of Judy's dumb suitor, first temporarily and later permanently. I enjoyed seeing Jim Backus. I also liked seeing Central Park from 1953; I visited NYC two weeks ago (almost one year after 9/11). At the end, I liked the search and run scene through the park, everyone looking for Melvin, and I was really surprised when he and Judy literally ran into each other (the whole thing was excellent choreography). I also liked when Debbie was being thrown around as the football, but I know that this was the subservient-50's when a female was stereotyped as an object - but a job's a job, ya know? The movie was a delightful romp. Judy's father was funny. Changing his name because he thought his daughter was going to be a big star. I saw Barbara Ruick in the closing credits, I think she was in "Carousel". I hope to see more Donald O'Connor dancing movies. Too bad he has all that fame for "Francis, the Talking Mule." I am a tap dancer. Let's hear it for the hoofers!

Undemanding but energetic fare from MGM teaming the vivacious Debbie Reynolds as the day-dreaming dancing football and the late Donald O'Connor as the goofy magazine gopher who wants to put her on the front cover. It's hardly "Singin' in the Rain" but it does have glorious Technicolor, a snappy dance number set in a park, and a memorable song in "The Lady Loves" (which doubles as a glamour showcase for Reynolds). Nice cameo from Robert Taylor too!