É tempo di vivere

Even after three viewings, I still think this movie is terrible. Its a comedy, but I haven't laughed yet. Robert Cummings is miscast, and I keep wanting to slap this character as I wonder why in the world the casting director chose him (wouldn't Jimmy Stewart be much better?). Hedy as a psychiatrist is intriguing as a concept, but this script falls very short. As a consequence, she looks mostly flat, absurd and misplaced. Unlike a number of her other films, her beauty can't save this movie. Nevermind the fact that Hollywood was slack with boundaries in its portrayal of psychiatrists.

I hope future viewers find enjoyable qualities in this movie.

Two of Hollywood's most beautiful women get to pursue Robert Cummings in Let's Live A Little. Cummings who plays a harried advertising man is involved with one client already and it would dearly like to get out of it. Cosmetics queen Anna Sten is still in love with Cummings, but he made the big mistake getting involved with her as she is rather possessive.

Wouldn't you know it he gets involved with another women. Psychiatrist Hedy Lamarr has written one of those Dr. Phil type books and Cummings is assigned to publicize the book and her. Before long he's both in love and in need of Lamarr's professional services.

That is one thing I don't get. How could that woman practice that profession with drooling men lying on the coach confessing all their issues. She would be a distraction no doubt.

And here's Cummings caught between the two of them. Got to Love That Bob.

Robert Shayne is on hand as a surgeon in the same medical group as Lamarr. I guess they had those back in the day as well. His part is similar to one he did the before in Welcome Stranger.

Let's Live A Little is kind of cute more than funny. The players have to work hard and get very little in return due to a deficient script.

Interesting... in the washed out, terrible sounding version showing on TvTime streaming channel, there's a giant black piece of tape intentionally covering SOMETHING on the opening credits. How odd. Stars bob cummings, from the institute of over-acting. He had been in hollywood for 15 years. Duke crawford is a big shot advertising guy, and one of his larger clients happens to be his ex girlfriend michele. Complications arise when he underestimates another headstrong, female client doctor loring. Co-stars anna sten and hedy lamarr. Cummings seems to be the weak link here.. the plot is sound, and those around him perform their roles just fine. He should have left the producer credit to someone else. Not so good. Directed by richard wallace. Died young at 57. Based on a story by al cohen and jack harvey.

"Let's Live a Little" from 1948 stars Robert Cummings, Hedy Lamarr, Anna Stenn, and Robert Shayne. Baby boomers will recognize Shayne by voice alone as Inspector Henderson on TV's Superman from the '50s. This is the largest role I've seen him do.

Robert Cummings plays Duke Crawford, an advertising executive with too much work, too much pressure, and an ex-fiancee client Michelle Bennett (Anna Stenn) who is driving him insane. His boss expects her to sign a $100,000 renewal contract so they can advertise her beauty products, but she's leading them on, making demand after demand.

His boss suggests that he stop working on the Bennett campaign and turn to something else - getting press for a new book by a psychiatrist, Dr. J. O. Loring (though at one point she's also described as a neurologist). When he goes to her office, he discovers that she's a woman. And not just any woman - the amazing looking Hedy Lamarr!

In truth Duke does seem like he's losing his mind. He's very confused, and when he sees J. O., he becomes more confused. She becomes concerned. Both become infatuated.

J. O. Shares her office with a surgeon, Richard Field (Shayne) whom she is dating. When J. O. finds out that Duke goes to a particular nightclub, she suggests to Richard that they go there to see what it's like. Duke, of course, is there with Michelle, who becomes instantly jealous. The evening doesn't end well.

Pleasant but not a rip-roaring comedy. One of those '40s comedies that just doesn't come off. The stars are very likeable, though, and Hedy is stunning.

The situation has potential. A stressed-out ad man meets a beautiful shrink. Object: psychiatric humour. And maybe a little romance.

Unfortunately, the result could best be described as innocuous, like some sort of benign medical condition.

Bob Cummings plays his usual amiable self. But the real reason anyone would watch this film is, of course, Hedy Lamarr. She looks the way one would expect Hedy Lamarr to look in 1948. Fantastic. She is forced to wear an off-the-shoulder gown at one point to better show off her ... scintillating jewellery. The real conundrum is how Hedy avoided being the top pin-up of World War II. Maybe it was the saltpetre they put in the army chow.

Hedy's real-life role as a torpedo guidance system designer -- apparently that story about her is absolutely on the level -- is easier to accept now after seeing her as a no-nonsense, supercilious psychiatrist, sort of an early prototype for Dr. Lilith Sternin Crane.

The two Roberts -- Cummings and Shayne -- compete for the attention of Hedy. This gets a little childish with Shayne trying to pump himself up physically at one point. Also, characters often gaze at one another, then see the other person transformed inside a shimmering aura into the object of their true desire. Funny, but both these plot elements -- childish male competitiveness, and idealized shimmering figures -- appeared in a far superior film, "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer", the previous year, 1947. I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

The film has some silly "psychological" dream sequences which are played for laughs, and which for contemporary audiences may have been a mild spoof on Hitchcock's "Spellbound" from 1945.

Anyway, it's too bad that all this seems to add up to so little in the end. Bob Cummings co-produced this film. It's a pity he couldn't have hired a script doctor.