Athena

This film is a delight. It's about a culture clash in the LA of the mid-fifties, between Athena (Jane Powell), a numerologist from a large, eccentric family who own and operate a health-food store and live in a kind of New Age Olympus on top of one of the Hollywood hills, and Adam (Edmund Purdom), a conservative lawyer whose family hails from Massachusetts and who likes steaks, cigarettes, and martinis. He also happens to be running for Congress, which makes his relationship with Athena and her unusual family problematic.

This 60+ year old film humorously but respectfully presents the Southern-California health culture of the mid-1950's, that was still considered by many to be way-out and crazy - including vegetarianism, strenuous exercise, bikes vs. Cars, and body building.

The songs by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine are fantastic, including the lovely "Love Can Change the Stars", with its wonderful, unusual rhymes, and "I Never Felt Better," an energetic number headlined by Debbie Reynolds and Powell, and choreographed (as is the whole film) by Valerie Bettis.

Another great tune is Vocalize, first sung by Jane as she mulches some peach trees, and reprised several times.

The bodybuilders (Steve Reeves, Richard DuBois, et al) mostly come off as jerks, which I guess was necessary to the plot, so that the "regular" guys can get the best of them, but it's a bit unfair. By the end of the film there's harmony between all parties - not really adequately explained, but hey, it's not War And Peace, it's just an MGM musical, and a fun one.

Edmund Purdom is handsome, quietly charming, and appropriately stiff as the lawyer who loves Athena, but when he's supposed to be loosening up, well, he's still maybe a bit stiff. Vic Damone, in the second lead, plays a TV crooner who woos Debbie and has a couple of numbers to showcase his superb skills, including a reworking of "The Boy (Girl) Next Door" from Meet Me In St. Louis, and "Venezia," which has nothing to do with the plot (it's sung in a nightclub act) but is another terrific song by Martin-Blaine. The lovely and very talented Jane also gets to sing the obligatory classical piece (from Donizetti's "Daughter Of The Regiment") and really sells it. All in all, the musical interludes are legit, and make the picture one of the more truly enjoyable MGM musical shows.

The supporting actors in the film are great, especially Louis Calhern as the 78 year old grandfather who can still do gymnastics (Calhern was actually in his late 50's); Evelyn Varden ("I love you, let us be friends") as Grandma, who communes with a spirit called Narda; Ray Collins, Carl Benton Reid, and Howard Wendell as the three older law partners urging Purdom to maintain his dignity; the wonderful Kathleen Freeman as Purdom's stuffy secretary (who starts out eating chocolates and winds up munching on a raw carrot); and the subtly bitchy Linda Christian, who is so good as Athena's blue blood adversary you somehow can't quite hate her as much as you should. Also in the cast are the lovely actress-singer Virginia Gibson, as well as talented Nancy Kilgas, both of whom were also in "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" (1954) with Jane. Also delightful is Henry Nakamura (you may remember him from "Westward The Women", or "Go For Broke") as Purdom's houseboy, who informs his boss that Powell speaks Japanese with a Spanish accent.

The settings are imaginative and expertly realized, especially the modernistic hilltop home of the Mulvains, and the vocal, orchestral and choral arrangements are fantastic.

There is just something fresh and likable about the movie, its setting, characters, tunes, and dances. Sadly, the era of the MGM musicals was on the wane when this one was made. Jane Powell's film career didn't survive her departure from the studio, though Debbie Reynolds became an even bigger star over then next ten years.

Jane Powell is Athena. Her sister, Minerva, is played by Debbie Reynolds. One is named after the Greek goddess of wisdom; the other is named after the Roman goddess of wisdom. They have five others sisters named after figures from ancient mythology, and they all live with their grandparents (named Ulysses and Salome) in an enclave that celebrates vegetarianism, healthy living, exercise, astrology and a lifestyle designed to create healthy individuals. Those familiar with Jack Lalanne might recognize some tenets of his lifestyle.

To those on the "outside", like the characters played by Vic Damone and Edmund Purdom, this can be confusing or kooky. But there is no denying the allure of these comely beauties who also happen to be surrounded by bodybuilding hunks like Steve Reeves.

This quirky film falls under the musical comedy umbrella, but it seems to offer something different---an outlook on the world. Although it bears a resemblance to another film released in 1954---"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", its depiction of an alternate culture separate from the rest of the world is similar to another film musical released that year: "Brigadoon".

The unique soundtrack includes songs by Martin and Blane that fit the unusual narrative and allow the cast to demonstrate their vocal talents.

This film is not for everyone, but I find it charming and enjoyable.

ATHENA is a strange movie in many ways, some of which still resonate today. As a satire of a certain kind of Southern California lifestyle it was ahead of its time. Astrology, numerology, exercise, body-building, vegetarianism, non-smoking, environmental allergies, animal rights, contemporary art and architecture are all parodied or touched on here, and all became joke punchlines in the '50s and '60s -- until these 'isms' became part of mainstream culture. Here for the first time in movies we see familiar aspects of American life as we take it for granted in 2004.

On a completely different front, it was the lack of tuneful, memorable original scores that began to kill the movie musical in the 1950s and the exceptions were few: ROYAL WEDDING, CALAMITY JANE, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, GIGI, then much later, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE. Can you think of others? Those that were as good or better were either revues of old song catalogs (SINGING IN THE RAIN, THE BAND WAGON) or else were filmed versions of hit Broadway shows. On the other hand I LOVE MELVIN, HIT THE DECK, LUCKY ME, TWO TICKETS TO Broadway, Texas CARNIVAL, GIVE A GIRL A BREAK, SMALL TOWN GIRL, THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, THE GIRL MOST LIKELY, THE GIRL RUSH and others like them presided over the slow death of a great film genre. Blane and Martin's score for ATHENA isn't top notch, but it's good and it deserves to be better known than it is.

Then we have the coded gay sensibility that slumbers in every film musical but occasionally awakens in '50s Hollywood in the 'Is There Anyone Here For Love?' number in GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, in the 'Put 'Em Back' number from L'IL ABNER and throughout ATHENA, which even has an appearance by physique god and gay icon Steve Reeves, along with a gaggle of other adorable, glossy-haired muscle studs who were almost certainly gay to a man (for the right price, anyway). Somehow, ATHENA weaves these various skeins in a way that is simultaneously entertaining and mind-blowing, awful yet kinda terrific. All this and Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds in the same picture.

Which turns out to be revealing. Jane Powell was always pretty, peppy and efficient, and I've always preferred her operetta-style singing voice to those of Jeanette MacDonald, Deanna Durbin or Kathryn Grayson. And yet more than some others, this role reveals a certain detachment, a lack of affect. Having now watched six or eight Powell films over a short period (via the Universite de TCM), it gradually dawned on me that for all her niceness and professionalism she never really seems to connect to her material, her surroundings or her co-stars. Did she ever make you believe she was Walter Pigeon's daughter? George Brent's? Fred Astaire's sister? Or that she was in love with Peter Lawford, Cliff Robertson or (in this picture) Edmund Purdom? It's as if she's starring in a film in her own head where the other actors are her creations. Compare her to Debbie Reynolds here, whose talent and personality seem so much more engaged and energetic -- this may be a construction (Debbie was an ambitious and hard-working gal) but she is more immediate, more alive than Powell, and she effortlessly steals the 'I Never Felt Better' number out from under Janie, making it the best in the film.

Need more reasons to check out this curious and curiously enjoyable musical? Well, there is the very handsome Edmund Purdom, whose stiffness is for once used well in a film, and who manages, in his sly, quiet way to be very sexy and charming. Then there is dishy, bitchy Linda Christian, who loses Edmund to Jane, but who is so much more believable as his consort. As she must have seemed in real life: after husband Tyrone Power died, she briefly married Purdom. And then there's the fact reported by Esther Williams in her memoir "Million Dollar Mermaid" that she and Charles Walters originally dreamed up ATHENA as a swimming musical for her. Do seek it out. It's not entirely successful, even on its own terms, but it's worth a look.

I am very glad to have recently discovered this wacky, breezy musical from the waning days of MGM's glorious heyday. The other reviews here do a fine job of summing up ATHENA'S attributes; my only real disappointment is the fact that the film's final ten minutes is not as well-constructed as the rest; too many back-and-forth confrontations between the main characters, all wrapped up in an unexpected final reprise of the song "Harmonize" (or is it "Vocalize"?).

HOWEVER--- this is a relatively minor quibble when compared to the delights which seem to tumble forth from this silly, quirky, but immensely enjoyable romp. And Martin and Blane's score, while a bit meager in terms of the number of songs which it contains, is TOP-NOTCH.

The opening credits feature the lush title-song "Athena", in the quintessential "exotica/lounge" idiom (complete with MGM's expert chorus), so much a part of the 1950's pop-culture. This song functions solely as "presentation" music and is never actually sung in the film.

Then there's "VOCALIZE/HARMONIZE", a robust, life-affirming waltz that features Hugh Martin's distinctive and novel melody and harmonic progressions. It is very sophisticated, and several cuts above what one normally encounters in the average film musical.

"IMAGINE" is also very intriguing in its musical language; it's essentially a light-jazz "Swing" ballad but again, it's far from ordinary, since it's melody and blues-inspired harmonies continually shift when you least expect them to. Beautifully crafted stuff, especially when carried by Blane's clever lyrics.

"LOVE CAN CHANGE THE STARS" is the score's major romantic ballad, and it is superb. Again, it is anything but predictable in musical terms, but it is utterly, exquisitely logical and beautifully shaped, to boot. MGM's legendary, lush "house" orchestration *(see below)is delicate and shimmery, and demonstrates a phenomenal command of orchestral color.

The Rhino Handmade CD of the ATHENA soundtrack contains the original demos of all of the songs, performed by Ralph Blane (vocal) and Hugh Martin (piano); they are a JOY to listen to (though sometimes Mr. Blane's upper vocal register gets a bit annoying). If you enjoy this score, you really must hear the songs as performed by their creators. I would go so far as to say that the final portion of their piano/vocal rendition of "Love Can Change the Stars" elevates it to the level of Kurt Weill's Broadway ballads-- seriously....it's that good.

"I NEVER FELT BETTER" is another musical marvel. Ralph Blane's lyrics must be heard to be believed; the amazing Johnny Mercer could not have produced anything wittier and more inventive than Blane's lyrics for this tune. It's dazzling, as is the on screen choreography (uncredited!?!), which must have taken three weeks to rehearse, since it was mostly filmed in L-O-N-G, extremely intricate takes.

Then there's VENEZIA, obviously written to showcase the incomparable singing of Vic Damone (since the song serves no dramatic function in the film). But it's SO lovely, especially since its dark, chromatic musical language creates an exotic, wistful quality that is both alluring and sentimental. Add to it the stunning arrangement and orchestration by Albert Sendrey (another of the unsung musical masters who labored uncredited on MGM's staff) which practically drips with luxuriant color (not to mention Jeff Alexander's choral background), and you have another superb example of the Hollywood musical artistry at its height.

Again, the true beauty of VENEZIA is only revealed on the Rhino CD release, which is in the original 1954 optical stereo, amazingly rich, full-bodied and detailed; it sounds as good as anything that's been recorded since. Happily, the audio quality of the DVD soundtrack is also excellent.

* (How deplorable and unjust that MGM arranger and orchestrator Albert Sendry, whose superb work is heard in the Main Title, "Vocalize", "Love Can Change the Stars" and "Venezia" received NO screen credit, while Robert van Eps, who produced mostly shorter, incidental numbers in the score, was listed in the opening credits as sole orchestrator. A raw deal if there ever was one).

Just one more comment about the film itself: most of the script is quite well written. The dialogue is snappy and clever, and I continually crack up at stuffy, stick-in-the-mud lawyer Edmund Purdom as he deals with a continual stream of vexing, annoying and confusing situations. His big dialogue scene with the irrepressible Louis Calhern in the Mulvain family gym is truly funny.

"SINGIN' IN THE RAIN" is definitely the more classic musical when compared to "ATHENA"---what Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor accomplished on screen was in a class by itself----but I will be so bold as to say that "ATHENA'S score is the better of the two.

So sue me.

ATHENA is definitely worth getting to know. It's a unique piece of our Hollywood film-musical heritage, and cannot be allowed to remain in oblivion. Check it out-- I guarantee that, after listening to these delightful,enchanting tunes a few times, you will NOT be able to get them out of your head for days.

LR

PS-- The charming and supremely talented Vic Damone is 88 years old today (JUNE 12, 2016).

The robust smash hit of 7 Brides For 7 brothers literally spawned this star struck mini musical of 1954....and if one has a closer look in reels 1 2 and 3 (instead of 4 5 and 6) one can almost hear the board room pitch quoting the 7 Brides box office as the excuse to rush ATHENA into production: "That what they want! healthy boys and girls with an appetite for life living on some farm. The boys flex their muscles and the girls tend their.......er......garden." and so we have what is a lively and funny musical for the 20 year olds market that was called the teen market very soon after........quite rightly predating the AIP Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello frolics ten years later in Muscle Beach Party etc. Athena is good fun and well made. The muscle contest at the end to the tune "Jealousy" is well coded with beefcake antics....and all filmed from what might be called the bulging cossie angle. Hilarious! I would be fascinated to see the missing ten minutes as reported on the IMDb that the original running time was 115 minutes as opposed to the 95 mins only now available. I wonder was edited out and where can the footage be seen?