Are You Ready for Marriage?

"Are You Ready for Marriage?" is enough to make anyone want to remain single. It portrays a pair of tensed-up teens going to some weirdo to ask whether or not they should tie the knot. This is the sort of movie that you can probably only find on "MST3K", as Mike, Servo and Crow had fun ripping it apart.

And the weird adviser? He looked like a cross between Dick Van Dyke and Fred Gwynne. In my opinion, Dick Van Dyke and Fred Gwynne had every right to sue the people behind this movie, just for making them look embarrassing.

In conclusion, the movie by itself is 0/10, but the "MST3K" version is 10/10.

I liked it. Made a lot of sense. What more do I need to say?

Clearly this is one of those "how to behave" short films from the 1950, when it was fashionable to show teenagers the "proper" way to behave, ie. how to drive, how to dress. black and white, of course. picture quality is pretty good, but the sound is terrible. This one was part of the mystery science 3K collection. Haven't seen this one on Turner Classics. Stars Larry and Sue, as the dating couple who think they are ready to get married. Funny... in the credits, we see the actor listed for Larry, but NOT for Sue. hmmm.. kind of odd. They go talk to Mr. Hall for advice, played by Reuben Hill... .who happens to be the "consultant" on this film. is he a licensed psychiatrist, or just an interested party? no-one knows. skip this one... campy, but Boringgggggg.... Directed by Gil Altschul, who also directed "Why we respect the Law." SNOOZERS..

Ah, yet another short instructional film that doesn't stand up to the test of time. Back in the prehistoric 1950's, divorce was a big no-no. When you married someone, you were more or less stuck with that person for life. This short is a warning against rushing headlong into a marriage that may be sweet and nice in the beginning, but later on will make the lockhorns look good. These days, however, it's marry now - divorce later.

Of all the shorts featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, this is my favorite. The riffs are clever and very funny and have me laughing every time.

That said, the short itself is not bad. The staging and direction are competent and the acting is better than one would expect from an educational short. Neither of the leads has the looks or charisma to be a movie star but both of them are good at line-reading and are quite believable as the young lovers. The filmmakers did not try to pass off 30-years-olds as teenagers. The other actors in the film are just as effective.

And although we can laugh at the way people looked, dressed, thought, and acted 70 years ago, we can also appreciate that "Cupid's Checklist," the various graphs, and even the "boing" help support the message that the short is trying to convey. Good advice is good advice no matter how it is presented and from whatever year it is given.