Due settimane d'amore

Jane Powell and Ricardo Mantalban headline this film made in 1950. Debbie Reynolds was the supporting star early in her career. Jane Powell has said that this was one of her favorite films to work on, despite being more famous for "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers." The plot is about Jane's character trying to break out into womanhood, despite her mother trying to keep her a little girl. Along the way, she falls for a young Cuban (Mantalban) and conflicts between Powell, her mother and her romantic rival climax at a good moment. Debbie Reynolds is Jane Powell's younger sister in the film and sings her first record hit, "Aba Daba Honeymoon" with Carlton Carpenter. This song is available from Curb Records nowadays. Not to be outdone singing at an early age, Debbie's sparkling style of acting was the real highlight of the film. Her character's wit and occasional negative attitude creates a "she's so cute" attitude towards her from the audience. Debbie fans will notice this right of the bat. Despite being 17 or 18 when the film was shot, the film calls for her to be 14 or 15, and she looks it too. This film is not one of the "Great Classics" of Hollywood, but Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds' fans should thoroughly enjoy this one. Jane Powell would go on to star with Debbie Reynolds in "Athena" and "Hit the Deck." Ricardo Mantalban would star with Debbie Reynolds 16 years later, in "The Singing Nun."

I love this movie not just because of Jane Powell's charming performance or Ricardo Montalban's romantic looks, but for its wonderful recreation of the period and most of all for its heartfelt appreciation of the angst of growing up and moving from girl to woman. And it's so funny!- the scene where her (surgical) corset locks during her longed-for dance with Ricardo is hilarious. What more could you ask - even Debbie Reynolds is (comparatively) restrained.

One of Jane Powell's more popular musicals was this turn of the last century classic, Two Weeks With Love. With music and atmosphere set in the Theodore Roosevelt era, Two Weeks With Love is good entertainment and marked Debbie Reynolds's breakthrough film.

The Robinson family headed by Louis Calhern and Ann Harding are taking their annual two weeks outing in the Catskills, circa 1905. Apparent to all, but Ann Harding, her daughter Jane Powell is developing a figure. However we've got a firm rule in this family, no corset until her 18th birthday.

Another person stymied by the 18th birthday rule is Carleton Carpenter who is 17 and still in knickers. Father Clinton Sundberg owns the hotel that Robinsons stay at and will not give him long pants.

Though Powell and Reynolds can still play as teenagers, Carleton Carpenter is positively ridiculous playing a 17 year old. He's quite a bit over 6 feet tall, but that's good in a way, because that's part of his gawkiness. Where in the name of the Deity were they finding knickers back in the first decade of the last century for someone over 6 feet tall beggars the imagination.

There's a nice mixture of period, public domain music that MGM didn't have to shell out for the rights that Powell, Reynolds and Carpenter perform. Debbie Reynolds as Powell's younger sister sang Abba Dabba Honeymoon with Carpenter here and it became the hit and the song had a revival in popularity in 1950. Powell's best number is in an imaginary sequence singing Come, Hero Mine from The Chocolate Soldier. Again, MGM owned the rights by dint of purchasing that property for their Chocolate Soldier film from nine years before where Rise Stevens and Nelson Eddy duet ed this one.

Powell also dances a mean tango with Ricardo Montalban the object of her youthful crush and why she's so anxious to show her figure off.

Ann Harding as a mom is nice and loving and doesn't have a clue. She dresses her boys, Tommy Rettig and Gary Gray, in Reynolds's and Powell's old hand me down nighties. Mom, get real.

Two Weeks With Love is a nice trip down memory lane and back when it was released people actually did have memories of the turn of the last century.

This not being one of MGM's "tentpole" musicals. This is a very basic story of NYC families vacationing in the Catskills and the "resort romance" that teenagers often encounter. Despite how gorgeous and talented Jane Powell is, her character is insecure and easily embarrassed as any 17 year old. She falls for the ever gorgeous Ricardo Mantalban who shows that he can play light romantic comedy well. Debbie Reynolds is perfectly cast as Powell's little sister (actually 17 at the time) who pretty much steals the picture. Louis Calhern and Ann Harding play their parents and it was great to see Calhern in a lighter role with so many nice close ups. Carleton Carpenter was outstanding as the boy caught in the middle of the two sisters affections.

This Technicolor production was a feast for the eyes-beautifully photographed, believable sets and great costuming and make up. Whenever I see these I know what kind of stress the actors were under-those incredibly hot lights wearing heavy costumes & caked make up. This group of pros never let their discomfort show and there was lots of smiling and dancing included here.

As I said earlier, Debbie Reynolds completely stole the show, she had the best lines and the best, most energetic dance numbers. She played the typical fun loving tom boy who is just discovering boys and crushes. She plays adorably for the camera but is a real standout in her dancing with Carlton Carpenter, who is also just spectacular. I noticed the camera shot them dancing from a low angle capturing their entire bodies but close enough to clearly see their facial expressions-the brilliance of Busby Berkeley.

There is no doubt Debbie Reynolds was going to be a HUGE star. You can see it, everyone can see it. Why didn't Carpenter? He certainly is a standout. Maybe it's tougher in musical comedy when you're male?

This movie used to be shown on the old UHF stations like WOR, Channel 5 in New York. We were able to receive this station with wonderful old movies even though we lived in the Philly suburbs. I can remember carefree summer days and movies like this on all the time. It was one of my mother's favorites and it became ours as well. I always remember Debbie Reynolds singing and how funny she was. I wanted to be there, at that same hotel, playing with Debbie and having a great time. Oh how I wish they would make movies like this again, movies that are fun and sweet.But the people creating film today enjoy wallowing in darkness and despair. But that's another topic. This is a fun film, perfect for kids and summer and escape. GallenR