How to Marry a Millionaire

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Feb 1, 2019 The best comedy movie ever made!

Albus W Jan 15, 2018 I'll say up front this film was fascinating to me for its cast, and what seemed to be an improbable pairing of Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, and Betty Grable, as well as including William Powell in his second-to-last film. The subject, three gold diggers who are out to marry rich men, takes some time to warm up to, as between Bacall's hard conniving and Monroe's dizziness, there is not an awful lot to like early on. However, it grew on me. There is a playfulness in the dialogue and I liked expressions like "sounds creamy to me" as well as the references to Bacall's real-life relationship to that "that old fella what's his name in The African Queen", and Grable's real-life husband Harry James, whose music she can't recognize in the film. Monroe plays her part very well, blending sweetness and seduction as only she could, and aside from seeing her in a bathing suit as part of a modeling show, the shot that captures her image in five mirrors in a washroom is fantastic. There is such a nice sense of fashion in the film, and I loved Grable in a purple dress towards the end. Powell at age 61 is smooth, sophisticated, and stoic, and a joy to watch. I'm not so sure about Bacall, who isn't as strong comedically and less endearing, but overall, it's a strong cast with obviously lots of star power. Director Jean Negulesco tells the story well, sometimes simply informing of us events on one of the three story lines instead of showing them, which keep things moving and is effective. (On the other hand, it was a little tedious at the beginning, as things only get going after an interminably long orchestra piece). He also gives us some nice shots of New York and the snow in "Maine" (apparently actually Sun Valley, Idaho). I doubt the film will blow you away or anything, as it's predictable and light, but it's also entertaining. See more

Rey W Jan 10, 2018 not bad. Marilyn Monroe shines as usual in this 50s movie where the leading ladies try their best to marry the man with the most money some funny moments See more

Abraham W Nov 3, 2017 Somehow I thought this was going to be a musical, another genre I've come to late (alongside westerns, war films, and foreign films from Spanish-speaking countries). But instead - not. What we have here is a very dated comedy (you can tell from the title) that finds models Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, and Betty Grable on a quest to find rich husbands. The prospects include dapper (but very sedate) William Powell, faker Alexander D'Arcy, and already married Fred Clark - but as things turn out, other men (not always millionaires) turn out to be of greater interest. Bacall takes the lead with Monroe (playing short-sighted and air-headed) and Grable (even more air-headed) adding comic relief. There are a few sly references to the stars' other careers but nothing here led to any major chuckles on my part. One of the early CinemaScope features but director Jean Negulesco doesn't really take full advantage of the format. Still, apart from the explicit sexism, there's nothing really wrong with this silly film and it is good to see Bacall embarking on her solo career. See more

Hermione R May 4, 2017 The cast elevates this average script into a enjoyable comedy.

Draco P Nov 5, 2007 Three women go looking for rich husbands and find love instead. It's light, breezy, and hard to dislike.

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How to Marry a Millionaire

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