Les rois de la couture

That 30 minutes includes the dance numbers by Ann Miller and The Champions (indeed they were). The other 15 minutes is at the end of the film, a gorgeous fashion show designed by Adrian. It's the ultimate display of fantasy 50s feminine fashion. The designers and runway models of today should view this on how it should be done rather than the current crop of strident and pouting stringbeans who posture and pose in the drab and dreary unimaginative rags that pass as au courant fashion.

Grayson and Keel didn't really gel in this confection. Grayson always seems to be pouting, but that seems to have been her basic acting style. Keel is a bit stiff here, but his singing is right on the money. Red Skelton was quite funny back then and hugely popular; alas, his type of humor seems to have lost its appeal over time. Zsa Zsa was never the consummate actress like her sister, Eva (!!!) but her presence here added a daffy charm that soon became the Gabor sisters' trademark.

Still, the star of this flick is Adrian with his array of fab 50s feminine fashions that are definitely "Lovely To Look At". The gowns were especially spectacular and they inspired many a prom dress back then; also, debutante balls, weddings, and beauty pageants.

Glad to see that this film has finally become available. For many years, I believe it had problems being released because of copyrights held by the Jerome Kern estate.

This was a remake of the RKO Astaire-Rogers pastiche ROBERTA (1935), but it had its own merits. MGM used its 'Jack Cummings' unit of talent- most of the alumnae from SHOW BOAT and KISS ME KATE- to perform here. Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson represent the singing couple (Irene Dunne essayed the role originally in ROBERTA, but her mate was the non-singing Randolph Scott), and do very nice renditions of the songs 'The Touch of Your Hand' and their witty first duet, 'You're Devastating.' The dancing couple was none other than Marge & Gower Champion, married in real life and presenting the dances with a bit more romance. They first dance to the call-and-response ditty 'I Won't Dance' in a fitting room with mannequins on wheels. Later, in an after-hours café, they discover they are falling in love and dance to an instrumental version of 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes-' particularly breathtaking because it is staged as a love scene instead of a performance, and it makes the most of a dreamy, starry-night set piece, of which the dance floor is put to a great deal of use in its climax when the Champions swing each other around in romantic pirouettes. Finally, there is Red Skelton assuming the role of the actual salon heir, cutting up on a piano rag and narrating the gargantuan fashion show finale. The remake includes a sexier version of 'I'll Be Hard to Handle' tapped out by Ann Miller, and 'new' songs 'Tomorrow Night' and 'Lafayette.'

'Roberta' with Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers wasn't immune to flaws (Randolph Scott, lacking story execution), but on the whole it is a much better film, especially for the songs and their timeless renditions, production values, the choreography and the rest of the cast being used to great advantage.

'Lovely to Look At' certainly is lovely to look at, being filmed in absolutely glorious Technicolor and boasting opulent costume and set design. Jerome Kern's songs are as timeless as ever, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is one of his classics though "I Won't Dance" and "I'll Be Hard to Handle" are the standout renditions of the film. They are accompanied by choreography that's witty and poised, again the delightfully charming "I Won't Dance" and Ann Miller's knockout performance of "I'll Be Hard to Handle".

Despite garnering a reasonably mixed reaction, the fashion show is sheer visual beauty and is where the energy and interest is most apparent. Some of the cast disappoint, but Marge and Gower Champion have a field day and triumph in "I Won't Dance". Ann Miller was a scene stealer in many of her films and anybody who loves her will in no way be disappointed by her enviously energetic and poised dancing in "I'll Be Hard to Handle". It has to be admitted too, that Howard Keel does sing sublimely, he is a tender singing partner in the title song and fares even better in "You're Devastating".

On the other hand, this cannot be said for the rest of the cast. Kathryn Grayson is not at her best, pouting her way through her role and she has been in better voice, sometimes very nice but at other times shrill and fatigued. As wonderful as Keel sounds, he is unusually stiff here and he and Grayson don't seem to share much chemistry together so some of their longer scenes border on the tedious.

Then there is Red Skelton (who always was a take or leave performer), who mugs embarrassingly and comes over as irritating, and Zsa Zsa Gabor whose performance generally lacks charisma and sass in a role that gives her little to do.

Much of the story is contrived and tedious, with flashes of greatness in two or three song renditions and the fashion show but falling flat especially in the scenes between Keel and Grayson. The script lacks the light-hearted touch that worked so well in 'Roberta', as well as its warm heart and wit, disadvantaged by the comedy falling so flat particularly with Skelton and the performances of the cast varying so wildly. Mervyn LeRoy directs quite sluggishly on the whole.

In conclusion, lovely to look at but to see this talented crew on better form look elsewhere. 5/10 Bethany Cox

The original treatment of this musical is from RKO in 1935 and called ROBERTA. It is possibly one of the most sublime movies, yet alone a musical, ever created. This healthy and sumptuous remake from 1952 has several genuinely jaw-dropping sequences, such is the lavish talent and extraordinary musical treatment from MGM at their musical zenith. Imagine Hollywood trying to come even close to making this film today! That is a genuine Mission Impossible. They would have to add a few killings to get the marketing dept to even understand it. That moan aside, I am very grateful to have LOVELY TO LOOK AT as well as ROBERTA in my life to charm me and to make me and my friends very happy. The two standout sequences in particular are "I won't dance" with Marge and Gower at their snazzy stylish dancing best...and yes all in one very clever take...and the astonishing fashion show finale, which should be mandatory for study in every part of every film school. The only misgivings are the lame and out of date comedy from Red Skelton hamming it up for the American Mid West audiences, and Howard Keel bellowing as usual. But for great women and eye popping clothes..the title says it all.

...the reviews for Lovely To Look At really expose how much even classic Hollywood films can't bring joy to grownup children who can't enjoy a piece of entertainment for itself, but must keep comparing it to something long past, which is about as typically (and sadly) "status-quo" in this pathetic world we now live in as I can imagine ("make Hollywood great agin"?). I love the film 'Roberta' too - it's one of the Astaire-Rodgers films, so that's almost an automatic; the fact it stars Irene Dunne is a great bonus in my book - But reviews of 'Roberta' belong on the 'Roberta' page. 'Lovely To Look At' is its own thing entirely.

You've got the great singer Kathryn Grayson, the great dancers Ann Miller and Marge & Gower Champion, the fine musical star Howard Keel -who, like Red Skelton, really seems to bother modern (tiny) minds - and some great numbers (including Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, sung beautifully by Grayson), and "I won't Dance" with the Champions. But if you insist, let's keep the reviews about actors that were in the film this was BASED on, but not actual In this one; smart! None of these gorgeously-performed numbers make me long for 'Roberta', which, again, is a completely different production , its own thing. And one final note...

The number of sad, pathetic whiners who seem to genuinely hate the late, great Red Skelton is Mind-boggling. One self-professed genius reviewer chalked this up to MGM pandering to "the Midwest", which is about as arrogant an attitude for a supposed classic Hollywood film lover as I can imagine - if you hate condescending to "middlebrow" tastes so much, I can't imagine why you ever thought you'd enjoy ANY classic Hollywood films; if you must take such an antipathetic stance against the "corn" (some of us consider it a selling point, not something to simply "put up with"; ESPECIALLY MGM, which was run by the family-obsessed Louis B Mayer, whom I suspect I'd have a lot of disagreements with, but damn I do love the films, even Andy Hardy, which I'm absolutely SURE you are all "Above" enjoying, so back to my main rant...) I'd suggest you stick with more modern fare. Superhero films just might be for you. Maybe some modern filmmaker can tap-dance for you all. It strikes me now how brilliant the line "Here we are now, entertain us" is. That's the attitude of today's spoiled society; don't produce anything, just whine and complain about what we do have, and those who are actually doing things (worse, complain about stuff from 70y ago). Wow, a stance against a comedian from 75 years ago - how BRAVE. There ARE comedians who get on my nerves, but I appreciate them ALL, because it's tough to perform for an audience (as the man said, "Hell is other people"; your whining about ol' Red is at least partly the reason the statement remains true about humanity; I can't think of any reason a modern audience should dislike Red Skelton, except the fact that he comes across as genuinely decent, which of course whiny malcontents cannot possibly understand in a comedian; no cheap shots?!? Shocking; oooohhh my pearls!), and it's REALLY tough to be funny for an audience of diverse people. So while I despise all critics, i have special contempt for any moron who feels the need to savage a long-dead comedian, especially a great guy such as Red Skelton always seems to me to have been. There are many worse old Hollywood people Much more Deserving of your ire than Red Skelton, but you're all so entitled, so I don't expect you'd bother to think about that. His big sin is that he's not funny to you NOW (70 years later; shocking that comedy isn't exactly The same as it was then... hmm). Again, in closing, I recommend the marvel universe for you too-smart-for-a-70-year-old-film "coastal elites" lol. The guy came from VAUDEVILLE, a now-extinct form of entertainment. Look it up.

And if you downvote my review as "not helpful" I will consider it an honor. Thanks for reading. Enjoy your hair.