Laisse-moi t'aimer

On assignment in scenic Italy, beautiful lip-synching Lana Turner (as Fredda Barlo) meets older singer and prince Ezio Pinza (as Mr. Imperium). The two fall in love, while enjoying the pretty Italian countryside. Unhappily, Mr. Pinza is called away to his Kingly father's death bed, leaving Lana in the lurch. Twelve years later, Ms. Turner is a Los Angeles actress, about to make a motion picture about falling in love with a King. Turner is being romanced by co-star Barry Sullivan, who wants to marry her - then, King Pinza re-enters her life...

"Mr. Imperium" provides a tired storyline for sex symbol Turner and debuting bass vocalist Pinza, who appeared for several decades with the New York Metropolitan Opera. Pinza likely earned his MGM feature film career after appearing in the hugely successful stage production of "South Pacific" (1949). The cast album, and Pinza's golden "Some Enchanted Evening" single, sold millions. Supporting casters Marjorie Main, Cedric Hardwicke, and Debbie Reynolds give the film a even greater sense of wasted resources.

*** Mr. Imperium (1951) Don Hartman ~ Lana Turner, Ezio Pinza, Barry Sullivan

Story of a Italian Prince who falls for an Arizona singer while she is performing in Italy. 12 years pass and the actress (Lana Turner) is now a major Hollywood star, and the Prince (Ezio Pinza) is now exiled, at which point they resume the romance.

Lana Turner never looked more beautiful. Ezio Pinza was right off his success from "South Pacific." Turner and Pinza don't make a good couple, and it is somewhat evidenced by the scenes together. Pinza has ample opportunity in this film to show his Operatic talents, in many cases Lana Turner stands around as beautiful window dressing.

Marjorie Main appears in a somewhat rare non Hillbilly role, and pulls it off quite well. Barry Sullivan appears as Lana Turners Hollywood paramour, but that plot line is not followed through with very well.

This movie is in the public domain, and as such can frequently be found on TV, DVD and Video. Despite that fact, it still carries the MGM name well. Beautiful costumes, sets, musical scores and beautiful Technicolor.

I had heard of Ezio Pinza. I understand he was a retired opera singer when this movie was made. As a singer myself, I enjoyed hearing him sing, with his beautiful booming voice. I had heard he played Emile de Becque in "South Pacific".

I have heard so many bad and put-downish things about Lana Turner, but in this movie I find her pleasant, beautiful and intelligent. I enjoyed watching her tie up her turban, thinking that the red color was so garish. But in the next minute, however, when she put on the red cloak all of a sudden the entire outfit made sense and actually looked stunning. I liked the many dresses and sophisticated, colorful high heel shoes she wore in this movie.

Debbie Reynolds was annoyingly perky-perky-perky, but fun. Marjorie Main played a typical domestic persona that I had seen in "Meet Me in Saint Louis". Here again, Marjorie is not playing Ma Kettle.

I liked this movie.

When the film begins, Fredda Barlo (Lana Turner) is on tour, singing up a storm across Europe. Prince Alexis (Ezio Pinza) is captivated by her and stalks her until she falls for him (not a very healthy cliche, I know). However, soon after they begin their affair, the King dies and Prince Alexis is swept off to assume the throne.

Years pass. Fredda is now a big film star and she and Alexis lost contact due to WWII. Now, out of the blue, he has returned and wants Fredda for his snookie-wookie. Can this meeting at a desert resort rekindle their love or is 'Mr. Imperium' (the alias the King is now using) wasting his time?

Ezio Pinza was new to acting, having spent the years before this film as a successful opera and Broadway singer. As his first film, he has a lovely voice going for him but he also is rather old to be wooing a significantly younger woman. He also could have used captions, as occasionally I couldn't understand what he was saying...as his accent was quite thick. MGM thought his debut was a bomb and they shelved the film for a year...not a good sign at all. But is it, in spite of this, any good? Yes...and no. I think the film works reasonably well DESPITE him. Pinza might have been a lovely leading man back in the 30s...but by 1951, he simply looked old...which, he was for his film debut in his mid-50s. As for Miss Turner, she's pretty much her usual self in this one, though it's sad MGM didn't cast someone who could sing in this role. Overall, a mildly entertaining film and not the bomb I expected...though this is hardly a glowing endorsement.

By the way, if you do see the picture, look for a young Debbie Reynold about midway through the story.

Mr. Imperium represented two efforts by MGM to make Ezio Pinza a film star on the strength of the great critical acclaim that he got from his Broadway starring role in South Pacific. Maybe if he had made the film version of South Pacific back then things might have worked out differently for him. But it was still running on Broadway albeit without Pinza at the time and by the time the film was made another studio made it and Ezio Pinza was very unavailable.

The film concerns a crown prince and a nightclub performer before World War II who meet at an Italian resort. Lana Turner with vocals dubbed by Trudy Erwin is the performer and Pinza the crown prince who goes incognito with the name of Mr. Imperium. They meet and fall in love, but when his father is on death's door, duty in the person of Prime Minister Cedric Hardwicke intervenes.

World War II and revolution have made Pinza an ex-King and the years were kinder to Turner who became a film star. They meet again at a private resort run by Marjorie Main and her daughter Debbie Reynolds and things do rekindle much to the distress of Turner's patient and long suffering director Barry Sullivan. Will things finally go right for them this time?

Mr. Imperium is not a bad film, but it was hardly the vehicle to launch a film career with. Harold Arlen and Dorothy Fields wrote some original songs for the film, but nothing of the caliber of the Rodgers&Hammestein score Pinza was singing on Broadway.

According to Edward Epstein's book about Lana Turner things were most formal on the set of Mr. Imperium after Turner rebuffed Pinza's advances. And he apparently put on quite the campaign to woo her, but Lana wasn't having any. This all probably had the effect of a most pedestrian performance by her.

Pinza did so much better on stage with South Pacific and later Fanny, too bad he didn't do that film either.