I hate this expression, because I dont categorize film by gender, etc. a good movie is a good movie thats it However, it is appropriate to use in this case.... A very good film never heard of/ once again, Thank You TCM.... another sleepless night... I got hooked immediately. Dorothy McGuire was such a special actress, always good !! beautiful and elegant, this film was geared for her special talents..Beautiful MGM production, with excellent cast, Van Johnson as the husband, who must eventually proove his love; Ruth Roman, in a very "bitchy" role,, as the "other woman", with a twist,, she plays this role extremely well also; and Louis Calhern as the very rich aristocratic overloving father. Good cast / good storyline/ started at 2AM in my area, could not get back to sleep, and my VCR was not on.. Glad I watched... Dorothy McGuire was a treasure!!
25 Reviews
A rocky road for Dorothy
jjnxn-111 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Lush soaper with shades of Dark Victory but with a rosier resolution. When the film opens we find ourselves in plush surroundings with gorgeous people leading privileged lives and seemingly gloriously happy. However there seems to be something slightly irregular just under the surface of all this bliss.
After a few establishing minutes cue the flashback that shows us all is not gold that glitters and our heroine is suffering from a bum ticker that might blow at any minute. It's somewhat overwrought storytelling but because of the skillful playing of most of the cast it is compulsively watchable.
Top honors go to Dorothy McGuire in the star spot. Never a member of the go big or go home school of acting like Bette Davis or Joan Crawford could be she imbibes Ellen with subtle shades of longing and anxiety although she does have one or two moments where by necessity her emotions break out. She elevates the picture above the standard weepie category it could have easily fallen into.
Louis Calhern is equally fine as Ellen's overprotective father, perhaps overstepping his bounds but always with the best of intentions for the daughter he loves.
Van Johnson playing the well meaning husband who has nevertheless deceived his wife is neither good nor bad merely adequate. A stronger actor in the role might have made this a really fine picture but he is not in the same acting class as Dorothy and doesn't approach her level of work.
Ruth Roman makes a strong impression in a small role as Ellen's one time friend made bitter by disappointment. She's not the nicest girl but she holds the viewer's attention whenever she's on screen.
Compently directed and richly appointed if you're a fan of this kind of conflict drama with romantic overtones this is a worthy investment of your time with a particularly vivid piece of work by Dorothy McGuire.
After a few establishing minutes cue the flashback that shows us all is not gold that glitters and our heroine is suffering from a bum ticker that might blow at any minute. It's somewhat overwrought storytelling but because of the skillful playing of most of the cast it is compulsively watchable.
Top honors go to Dorothy McGuire in the star spot. Never a member of the go big or go home school of acting like Bette Davis or Joan Crawford could be she imbibes Ellen with subtle shades of longing and anxiety although she does have one or two moments where by necessity her emotions break out. She elevates the picture above the standard weepie category it could have easily fallen into.
Louis Calhern is equally fine as Ellen's overprotective father, perhaps overstepping his bounds but always with the best of intentions for the daughter he loves.
Van Johnson playing the well meaning husband who has nevertheless deceived his wife is neither good nor bad merely adequate. A stronger actor in the role might have made this a really fine picture but he is not in the same acting class as Dorothy and doesn't approach her level of work.
Ruth Roman makes a strong impression in a small role as Ellen's one time friend made bitter by disappointment. She's not the nicest girl but she holds the viewer's attention whenever she's on screen.
Compently directed and richly appointed if you're a fan of this kind of conflict drama with romantic overtones this is a worthy investment of your time with a particularly vivid piece of work by Dorothy McGuire.
Dorothy McGuire has her "prognosis negative" moments...
Doylenf9 July 2010
This glossy MGM film bears traces of DARK VICTORY, with Dorothy McGuire suddenly finding out about her impending doom and that her marriage is a sham--a convenience arranged by her loving father and a man who always had a soft spot for her, Van Johnson. To her credit, McGuire plays the role with great simplicity and sincerity, especially moving once she finds out what's really going on around her. Her quiet reaction to what Van Johnson reveals (in a long monologue) is one of the finest aspects of her overall performance. Her face reflects so many shaded nuances of expression as she tries to understand the truth.
But sadly, the script never lives up to its promise. Despite some fine acting by Louis Calhern as her father and Ruth Roman as a vindictive woman who has been cast aside by Johnson, none of it is told in a compelling enough format. It's as though Ladies Home Journal had a hand in selecting the impeccable furniture and set designs. Gottfried Reinhardt's heavy direction seems incapable of infusing the story with a real sense of life.
It's no help that there's little real chemistry between Dorothy McGuire and Van Johnson. He gives a decent performance but it's as though his heart isn't in the role--there's not much he can do with it. Despite his limitations, McGuire commands the screen with an incisive portrayal and has seldom looked lovelier even though she is supposed to have barely a year to live. Ruth Roman is quite convincing as "the other woman" in Van's life.
An asset is the haunting theme, "Invitation," which could have been used more forcefully for the final thirty minutes of exposition.
But sadly, the script never lives up to its promise. Despite some fine acting by Louis Calhern as her father and Ruth Roman as a vindictive woman who has been cast aside by Johnson, none of it is told in a compelling enough format. It's as though Ladies Home Journal had a hand in selecting the impeccable furniture and set designs. Gottfried Reinhardt's heavy direction seems incapable of infusing the story with a real sense of life.
It's no help that there's little real chemistry between Dorothy McGuire and Van Johnson. He gives a decent performance but it's as though his heart isn't in the role--there's not much he can do with it. Despite his limitations, McGuire commands the screen with an incisive portrayal and has seldom looked lovelier even though she is supposed to have barely a year to live. Ruth Roman is quite convincing as "the other woman" in Van's life.
An asset is the haunting theme, "Invitation," which could have been used more forcefully for the final thirty minutes of exposition.
Invitation Could Have Been More Inviting **1/2
edwagreen11 November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Routine film involving father Louis Calhern's over protective approach for his ailing daughter. Not only isn't she told that she has a year left to live, Daddy Calhern uses his wealth to marry her off to Dan Pierce. (Van Johnson)
The film would have worked better had it not been for the Ruth Roman part of Maud, the girl next door, who lost out on Johnson and never lets Ellen (Dorothy McGuire) forget it. Between this and finding a book, Ellen soon finds out what is going on.
A series of flashbacks shows how Dan wooed her and the supposed happiness they found during their 10 months of supposed wedded bliss.
The acting is quite good here, especially McGuire's Ellen. She is soft spoken at times and reminded me of Kathy, her Oscar nominated performance of 5 years before, in the memorable "Gentleman's Agreement." She pulls out all the stops when she finds out what is really going on.
Roman's Maud is a nasty character. She will do anything to get back her lover Dan, even if it means telling Ellen that she will die soon.
The film goes down in quality once Ellen knows what is going on. It is with the change of season that we know that love has triumphed and all shall end well as the end flashes on the screen.
The film would have worked better had it not been for the Ruth Roman part of Maud, the girl next door, who lost out on Johnson and never lets Ellen (Dorothy McGuire) forget it. Between this and finding a book, Ellen soon finds out what is going on.
A series of flashbacks shows how Dan wooed her and the supposed happiness they found during their 10 months of supposed wedded bliss.
The acting is quite good here, especially McGuire's Ellen. She is soft spoken at times and reminded me of Kathy, her Oscar nominated performance of 5 years before, in the memorable "Gentleman's Agreement." She pulls out all the stops when she finds out what is really going on.
Roman's Maud is a nasty character. She will do anything to get back her lover Dan, even if it means telling Ellen that she will die soon.
The film goes down in quality once Ellen knows what is going on. It is with the change of season that we know that love has triumphed and all shall end well as the end flashes on the screen.
What MGM did best!
david-197615 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
While MGM was advertising itself as the ne plus ultra of film studios, and churning out "A" films that are just plain awful, especially their musicals, (yeah, "Singin' in the Rain," IS a great movie musical, blah, blah, blah.) its lesser units were producing movies that were full of craftsmanship, good acting, and which remain pleasant to watch. One of these is "Invitation," which I saw (I think) for the first time just yesterday (6/14/10) on TCM. The plot is like one of those stories my mother liked to read in "McCall's" or "Redbook;" three-pagers with happy endings. "Why can't you write nice stories like these?" she'd ask me.
The story is simple: Dorothy McGuire is unspoiled rich girl Ellen, happily married to Dan (Van Johnson), child of doting father Simon Bowker (Louis Calhern), who showers her with fur coats at her happy Connecticut home. Dan, a Ford-driving architect, goes to work every day, comes home, is a loving husband. But Ellen's former best friend, Maud (Ruth Roman) has become catty toward Ellen, and Ellen doesn't understand. Maud has figured out that Ellen has a "heart condition," and that she only has a year to live--and that daddy Simon has paid Dan to marry her.
The "Invitation" of the title is the turning point--Ellen has been wondering about all the "one year" references the domestic help, Maud, and others have been making, and when she receives the invitation she looks up "mitral valve stenosis" in a medical dictionary. All the pieces fall into place for her, and she realizes that Dan was probably bribed into marrying her. But there's a new surgery that may heal her heart--and Dan, having rejected Maud for the final time--tells Ellen how much he loves her. Kiss! Curtain!
With nice performances by evil Roman, the dependable Ray Collins as Ellen's doctor, and all concerned, this is a jewel of MGM "B" output, which is where many of its best films are-- including musicals. McGuire is cast in her standard role of plain but beautiful heroine (and indeed, her beauty is elusive, rather shape-shifty) and Johnson is his usual ingenu, a role he plays well. The music, by Bronislau Kaper, is alluring: the jazz standard now called "Invitation" is introduced in an intriguing solo piano performance ostensibly by Roman but undoubtedly by Kaper, that reminds me of Poulenc. A later iteration could have been played by the King Cole Trio--but it was probably Kaper with studio guitar and string bass.
This is a movie that bears watching over and over--not because of the lame story, but because of the craftsmanship that went into its making.
When MGM wasn't trying to ladle on more and more stunning production and star capacity, it could make a good movie.
The story is simple: Dorothy McGuire is unspoiled rich girl Ellen, happily married to Dan (Van Johnson), child of doting father Simon Bowker (Louis Calhern), who showers her with fur coats at her happy Connecticut home. Dan, a Ford-driving architect, goes to work every day, comes home, is a loving husband. But Ellen's former best friend, Maud (Ruth Roman) has become catty toward Ellen, and Ellen doesn't understand. Maud has figured out that Ellen has a "heart condition," and that she only has a year to live--and that daddy Simon has paid Dan to marry her.
The "Invitation" of the title is the turning point--Ellen has been wondering about all the "one year" references the domestic help, Maud, and others have been making, and when she receives the invitation she looks up "mitral valve stenosis" in a medical dictionary. All the pieces fall into place for her, and she realizes that Dan was probably bribed into marrying her. But there's a new surgery that may heal her heart--and Dan, having rejected Maud for the final time--tells Ellen how much he loves her. Kiss! Curtain!
With nice performances by evil Roman, the dependable Ray Collins as Ellen's doctor, and all concerned, this is a jewel of MGM "B" output, which is where many of its best films are-- including musicals. McGuire is cast in her standard role of plain but beautiful heroine (and indeed, her beauty is elusive, rather shape-shifty) and Johnson is his usual ingenu, a role he plays well. The music, by Bronislau Kaper, is alluring: the jazz standard now called "Invitation" is introduced in an intriguing solo piano performance ostensibly by Roman but undoubtedly by Kaper, that reminds me of Poulenc. A later iteration could have been played by the King Cole Trio--but it was probably Kaper with studio guitar and string bass.
This is a movie that bears watching over and over--not because of the lame story, but because of the craftsmanship that went into its making.
When MGM wasn't trying to ladle on more and more stunning production and star capacity, it could make a good movie.
Towers over the "love" stories of today
1726817 February 2005
The high rating is due to the cast. Van Johnson is really underrated, as is Ruth Roman. Both of them, especially in later roles, displayed a great deal of talent that was underutilized by Hollywood.
However, the true standout here is the radiant Dorothy McGuire--playing a "plain" girl. Plain? Even with a bag over her head, Miss McGuire could never be plain. In addition to her consummate and versatile acting ability, she can be summed up in four words--THAT FACE, THAT VOICE. She is one of the truly greats who can never be replicated.
The lovely score by Bronislau Kaper adds to the enjoyment of the movie; the title song, "Invitation," has become a standard. (Percy Faith recorded it memorably on one of his many albums.)
It is a comment on Hollywood and the current audiences that this film--essentially a woman's picture--is graced with such literate dialog and fine acting that is not often seen today.
However, the true standout here is the radiant Dorothy McGuire--playing a "plain" girl. Plain? Even with a bag over her head, Miss McGuire could never be plain. In addition to her consummate and versatile acting ability, she can be summed up in four words--THAT FACE, THAT VOICE. She is one of the truly greats who can never be replicated.
The lovely score by Bronislau Kaper adds to the enjoyment of the movie; the title song, "Invitation," has become a standard. (Percy Faith recorded it memorably on one of his many albums.)
It is a comment on Hollywood and the current audiences that this film--essentially a woman's picture--is graced with such literate dialog and fine acting that is not often seen today.
Rather compelling and slightly off-beat drama
vincentlynch-moonoi17 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I found Dorothy McGuire to be a very appealing actress, and this to be one of her better films. Ironically, although she was merely "very attractive", rather than "beautiful", in at least two of her films she played characters there were very plain to nearly ugly. The better of the two films was "The Enchanted Cottage" with Robert Young. But this film is also very good, and one I have enjoyed more than once.
In it, she is a fairly wealthy woman happily married to an up and coming architect, well played by Van Johnson (I think these days we've forgotten what a pleasing actor he was, as well). But, she has a heart condition which limits her. In fact, father (Louis Calhern, a favored character actor) and her doctor (the wonderful character actor Ray Collins) are keeping from her that she may not have long to live. When she visits an old (but no longer) friend (Ruth Roman), she learns that Roman has not gotten over Van Johnson, whom she loved first. Roman mentions that Van Johnson was only on "loan" to her for about a year. Then she receives an invitation to a medical conference about heart disease. With a few other clues, she begins to suspect that she will not live long, and then discovers that her father paid Van Johnson to marry her. He assures her that he now truly loves her (and he does), but she is wary and afraid. In the end, a new medical procedure could cure the illness -- but will it work, and will it be worth it if she no longer has her husband? Perhaps one of the reasons I find this film interesting, is that I have a heart condition that back in 1952 couldn't have been controlled by medication, and I know how scary it all can be. The story here is quite compelling, the actors do their jobs very well, and in fact, there's not a lot to criticize here! The most interesting theme here is that same theme that we found in "The Enchanted Cottage" -- how a non-beautiful person sees himself or herself.
Recommended.
In it, she is a fairly wealthy woman happily married to an up and coming architect, well played by Van Johnson (I think these days we've forgotten what a pleasing actor he was, as well). But, she has a heart condition which limits her. In fact, father (Louis Calhern, a favored character actor) and her doctor (the wonderful character actor Ray Collins) are keeping from her that she may not have long to live. When she visits an old (but no longer) friend (Ruth Roman), she learns that Roman has not gotten over Van Johnson, whom she loved first. Roman mentions that Van Johnson was only on "loan" to her for about a year. Then she receives an invitation to a medical conference about heart disease. With a few other clues, she begins to suspect that she will not live long, and then discovers that her father paid Van Johnson to marry her. He assures her that he now truly loves her (and he does), but she is wary and afraid. In the end, a new medical procedure could cure the illness -- but will it work, and will it be worth it if she no longer has her husband? Perhaps one of the reasons I find this film interesting, is that I have a heart condition that back in 1952 couldn't have been controlled by medication, and I know how scary it all can be. The story here is quite compelling, the actors do their jobs very well, and in fact, there's not a lot to criticize here! The most interesting theme here is that same theme that we found in "The Enchanted Cottage" -- how a non-beautiful person sees himself or herself.
Recommended.
Dorothy McGuire's best performance
Liza-1921 January 2003
I'll admit it - it's taken me a long time to write a review for this movie, because Dorothy McGuire was my favorite actress and since she passed away last year I've had trouble watching this, my favorite movie of hers.
"Invitation" is truly a film unlike any other. Dorothy McGuire is so beautiful (although the department did their best to make her look plain for the part), and she captures the passion of this role completely. Dorothy plays Ellen, who discovers something that makes everything she knows seem like a fraud. She realizes she has to question her whole life, her family, and her husband's loyalty. I don't want to give anything away, because it's meant for you to go on the same journey as Ellen. Dorothy is simply heart-breaking, and in my opinion it was the performance of a lifetime.
The supporting cast is superb, most notably Van Johnson and Ruth Roman, but this movie really belongs to Dorothy. She carries the whole film on her shoulders, and never falters once. It's a very emotional film, and I am still saddened when I think of her loss. She was an actress I always had a great respect for, and always hoped to meet. But, as she herself says at the end of the film, "There is something much more important than keeping alive, and that is knowing that you have lived."
"Invitation" is truly a film unlike any other. Dorothy McGuire is so beautiful (although the department did their best to make her look plain for the part), and she captures the passion of this role completely. Dorothy plays Ellen, who discovers something that makes everything she knows seem like a fraud. She realizes she has to question her whole life, her family, and her husband's loyalty. I don't want to give anything away, because it's meant for you to go on the same journey as Ellen. Dorothy is simply heart-breaking, and in my opinion it was the performance of a lifetime.
The supporting cast is superb, most notably Van Johnson and Ruth Roman, but this movie really belongs to Dorothy. She carries the whole film on her shoulders, and never falters once. It's a very emotional film, and I am still saddened when I think of her loss. She was an actress I always had a great respect for, and always hoped to meet. But, as she herself says at the end of the film, "There is something much more important than keeping alive, and that is knowing that you have lived."
Tasteful Tearjerker
dougdoepke20 November 2016
The soaper's better than it had any right to be. A plain looking single woman (McGuire) has a heart condition and only a year to live. Her wealthy father (Calhern) wants to inject some happiness into her remaining year, so he bribes handsome Dan (Johnson) to marry her. Trouble is this leaves cold-hearted Maud (Roman) minus her heart's desire, Dan. Thus she plots revenge.
A plain girl with a year to live!—sure it's a tear-jerker but done intelligently without rubbing our nose in it. Ellen's had a difficult time holding onto self- respect after years of romantic rejection. Her sense of dignity has somewhat hardened, making her more sympathetic than likable. It's a difficult role, similar to DeHaviland's in The Heiress (1949). Fortunately, winning actress McGuire rivets interest in the woman's plight despite an unsmiling demeanor. At the same time, Johnson's boyish charm hits the right notes, though the production fudges on showing Dan's grasping side. To me, that's the movie's biggest flaw, though given the script's general direction, probably understandable. On the other hand, credit MGM's production crew with first-rate craftsmanship in putting the elements together in tasteful fashion. Good also to see such supporting players as Ray Collins and Louis Calhern adding their brand of plausibility to the results. And credit someone—writers, producer?—with avoiding a clichéd ending.
No, there's nothing memorable here. But considering the many excesses a movie like this is subject to, the results amount to an affecting exercise in sheer Hollywood professionalism.
A plain girl with a year to live!—sure it's a tear-jerker but done intelligently without rubbing our nose in it. Ellen's had a difficult time holding onto self- respect after years of romantic rejection. Her sense of dignity has somewhat hardened, making her more sympathetic than likable. It's a difficult role, similar to DeHaviland's in The Heiress (1949). Fortunately, winning actress McGuire rivets interest in the woman's plight despite an unsmiling demeanor. At the same time, Johnson's boyish charm hits the right notes, though the production fudges on showing Dan's grasping side. To me, that's the movie's biggest flaw, though given the script's general direction, probably understandable. On the other hand, credit MGM's production crew with first-rate craftsmanship in putting the elements together in tasteful fashion. Good also to see such supporting players as Ray Collins and Louis Calhern adding their brand of plausibility to the results. And credit someone—writers, producer?—with avoiding a clichéd ending.
No, there's nothing memorable here. But considering the many excesses a movie like this is subject to, the results amount to an affecting exercise in sheer Hollywood professionalism.
Not bad...just kind of awkward and strange.
planktonrules21 August 2019
The plot to "Invitation" is very odd to say the least and it's really a one of a kind picture. A woman (Dorothy McGuire) has learned a couple important things that folks she loved failed to mention to her: doctors expect her to be dead within a year due to her heart condition and thta her husband was paid by her father to marry her! How is the husband (Van Johnson) going to deal with all this?!
The plot was weird, confusing and hard to believe. I did, however, love Johnson't monologue with his wife late in the film...it was very sweet. A money-losing picture that isn't as bad as you might assume.
The plot was weird, confusing and hard to believe. I did, however, love Johnson't monologue with his wife late in the film...it was very sweet. A money-losing picture that isn't as bad as you might assume.
Dorothy McGuire corners the market on suffering...
moonspinner558 November 2008
Wealthy businessman's daughter, who as a young girl caught rheumatic fever and now suffers from a shortness of breath, discovers her marriage to a charming ne'er-do-well was arranged by daddy (whom she affectionately refers to as "Darling"); worse than that, she may in fact have only a few weeks left to live, leaving her husband free to marry her conniving romantic-rival. Pure bunk. Paul Osborn's screenplay (via Jerome Weidman's thin story) trots out the redundant flashbacks in the second-half instead of proceeding ahead with the plot, which submerges the already-soapy scenario in grim talk. Why go backwards when we can figure out what's happening for ourselves? This is a "woman's weeper" with no faith in its target audience, so simplistic is the set-up. Dorothy McGuire, swathed in furs for most of the picture, isn't a canny, clever heroine at all; when she's upset, she turns inward and stony. Upon realizing her marriage is basically a sham, she shrinks away from her husband like the consummate virgin (well, that's a possibility, she and Van Johnson sleep in separate beds after all!). Ruth Roman has the film's best moments as a society shark with her trap set for Van, but what exactly do these women see in him? Johnson can be charming when it's required, but put him in a melodramatic setting and he goes stony, too. MGM production values only so-so, however director Gottfried Reinhardt tries adding some visual flavor to the flashback segues and he attempts a lively pacing for the movie's initial half-hour. ** from ****
This is why I love old movies
csmith-9961511 April 2019
Simple story. Great writing and acting. An unusual love story that keeps the viewer interested from beginning to end. If this movie were to be made today, there would be foul language, a couple affairs a business man being investigated and a doctor accused of sexual harassment. None of which would have been necessary. And all wrapped up in under 90 minutes. What a gem!!
That Obscure Object, McGuire
Irie21221 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I know this review is too long, but there's quite a lot to say about this obscure 1952 melodrama with the bland title. It's a medical drama, but I am not a particular sucker for dying protagonists. Nor am I a fan of Van Johnson, the male lead. Gottfried Reinhardt, the director, was not a familiar name, though I've since learned to appreciate his work. This was the first of only 13 movies he made, and I'd only seen one of them, Town Without Pity, which I considered memorable. The writers of Invitation, Paul Osborn and Jerome Weidman, are an Oscar nominee and a Pulitzer Prize-winner, respectively, but hardly famous. I have respect for supporting actors Ruth Roman and Louis Calhern, but I've never recorded a film just to watch them. There was just one element of the film that attracted me to it: Dorothy McGuire.
McGuire seems very nearly forgotten today, perhaps because she exhibits so gentle a presence-- mild, though not in any way weak. I see her in movies now and then, most recently in one of my trips down Disney lane, Summer Magic, which reduced her to playing mom to Hayley Mills. Ever since seeing her in Mister 880, I've been intrigued by her, and she has never disappointed, not even when the roles are basically supporting, as in Swiss Family Robinson, Three Coins in the Fountain, and Friendly Persuasion. When I see her light up a soaper like A Summer Place, I see how potent an actress she really is.
The leading lady in Invitation, McGuire plays Ellen, the heading-for-spinsterhood daughter of a wealthy East Coast magnate (Calhern), a man who buys her three fur coats in one season because she's frail. In fact, she's dying, though no one has told her so. Rheumatic fever left her with a fatal case of mitral stenosis.
After realizing that Ellen loves struggling architect Dan Pierce (Johnson), her father offers a decidedly amoral deal: he'll deliver architectural projects to Pierce if he'll marry Ellen, who is now predicted to have only a year left to live. Dad's actions are Machiavellian, but his motive is tender and benevolent. He wants his daughter's last months to be as joyous as possible and, even though he doesn't even really like Pierce, he will accept him as a son-in-law to make her happy.
Pierce is an honorable man. He declines the scheme immediately. Soon, however, a combination of circumstances persuades him to approach Ellen. The key circumstance is a woman named Maud, a childhood friend of theirs. Played by a lusty, busty Ruth Roman, she is a manipulative vamp who starts breathing heavily whenever Pierce wafts by. Horrified by Maud, Pierce turns to Ellen and asks her out, testing the waters-- which turn out to be comfortably warm. She's sweet, smart, genuine, and sympathetic. He soon proposes and they marry, happily.
This leads to receiving the work his father-in-law had dangled, but it also leads, simply and naturally, to Dan trying to find a cure for his now-beloved wife. He joins her father and her doctor in the search for a specialist, knowing it is a long shot.
Incidentally, one of the specialists they encounter is called Dr. Fromm, and he is given wise and wonderful dialog-- lines that explain why hope is not necessarily a good thing. He is marvelously, even brilliantly played by a Russian stage actor, Michael Chekhov, nephew of Anton. He more famously played another doctor-- Ingrid Bergman's-- in Spellbound, and he died three years after completing this film, in 1955. He has only one scene here, but what a reminder of what imagination and technique and talent (and costuming) can do.
And then there's Maud. Uncompromising, enterprising, anything but tranquilizing, Maud is a soap opera character in an otherwise sober drama. She finagles to let Ellen know about the Machiavellian scheme-- which leaves Ellen devastated, having been betrayed by her father and her husband. She confronts her father, who denies it, but then phones Pierce and demands that they keep up the deceit while they convince Ellen to try an experimental surgery.
Van Johnson, as husband Pierce, then steals a scene, not with his usual mugging and grinning, but with an artful performance. He holds the screen for perhaps 10 minutes as he tells Ellen the truth. All of it. Sensitively written and delivered, it isn't all "But I love you now" or "I learned to love you." Rather, he tells her what happened, and in the telling it is obvious that he's painfully ashamed, yet relieved to have this corrosive lie put to rest. The most important thing, he stresses, is that she consider this surgery. Whatever happens to him, to them, he begs her to resist death. The way he speaks to her, the way he respects her shattered emotional state, the way he relays what happened, and when, and how-- all of that is so imbued with love that she can only sit and listen. He finishes by telling her, finally, that he loves her, saying it because he assumes he has now lost her and, even if his words are meaningless to her, they fill his soul.
So Dan leaves, her father arrives and she breaks down a bit, forgives him-- and then she hears a car motor, and suddenly she reacts. It feels instinctive, or autonomic-- not a choice. Her love for Dan is alive, she knows it immediately, and she rushes out to discover that he hasn't yet driven away, he's upstairs, packing. (No chase scenes here.) In their final scene, as he again pleads for the surgery, she tells him that their life together had given her fulfillment, happiness, "meaning." All in all, a message both well-delivered and worth delivery.
Maud is a clumsy flaw in the movie, a plot device that stops Invitation from being a truly superior domestic drama, in the same class as We Are Not Alone, A Personal Affair, and Now, Voyager. But it is an intelligent, emotionally honest drama, and the fact that no household names were involved in making it adds a particular thrill- the thrill of digging into cinematic history. This is a gem. A flawed gem, but when Ruth Roman plays the flaw, there's little to complain about.
McGuire seems very nearly forgotten today, perhaps because she exhibits so gentle a presence-- mild, though not in any way weak. I see her in movies now and then, most recently in one of my trips down Disney lane, Summer Magic, which reduced her to playing mom to Hayley Mills. Ever since seeing her in Mister 880, I've been intrigued by her, and she has never disappointed, not even when the roles are basically supporting, as in Swiss Family Robinson, Three Coins in the Fountain, and Friendly Persuasion. When I see her light up a soaper like A Summer Place, I see how potent an actress she really is.
The leading lady in Invitation, McGuire plays Ellen, the heading-for-spinsterhood daughter of a wealthy East Coast magnate (Calhern), a man who buys her three fur coats in one season because she's frail. In fact, she's dying, though no one has told her so. Rheumatic fever left her with a fatal case of mitral stenosis.
After realizing that Ellen loves struggling architect Dan Pierce (Johnson), her father offers a decidedly amoral deal: he'll deliver architectural projects to Pierce if he'll marry Ellen, who is now predicted to have only a year left to live. Dad's actions are Machiavellian, but his motive is tender and benevolent. He wants his daughter's last months to be as joyous as possible and, even though he doesn't even really like Pierce, he will accept him as a son-in-law to make her happy.
Pierce is an honorable man. He declines the scheme immediately. Soon, however, a combination of circumstances persuades him to approach Ellen. The key circumstance is a woman named Maud, a childhood friend of theirs. Played by a lusty, busty Ruth Roman, she is a manipulative vamp who starts breathing heavily whenever Pierce wafts by. Horrified by Maud, Pierce turns to Ellen and asks her out, testing the waters-- which turn out to be comfortably warm. She's sweet, smart, genuine, and sympathetic. He soon proposes and they marry, happily.
This leads to receiving the work his father-in-law had dangled, but it also leads, simply and naturally, to Dan trying to find a cure for his now-beloved wife. He joins her father and her doctor in the search for a specialist, knowing it is a long shot.
Incidentally, one of the specialists they encounter is called Dr. Fromm, and he is given wise and wonderful dialog-- lines that explain why hope is not necessarily a good thing. He is marvelously, even brilliantly played by a Russian stage actor, Michael Chekhov, nephew of Anton. He more famously played another doctor-- Ingrid Bergman's-- in Spellbound, and he died three years after completing this film, in 1955. He has only one scene here, but what a reminder of what imagination and technique and talent (and costuming) can do.
And then there's Maud. Uncompromising, enterprising, anything but tranquilizing, Maud is a soap opera character in an otherwise sober drama. She finagles to let Ellen know about the Machiavellian scheme-- which leaves Ellen devastated, having been betrayed by her father and her husband. She confronts her father, who denies it, but then phones Pierce and demands that they keep up the deceit while they convince Ellen to try an experimental surgery.
Van Johnson, as husband Pierce, then steals a scene, not with his usual mugging and grinning, but with an artful performance. He holds the screen for perhaps 10 minutes as he tells Ellen the truth. All of it. Sensitively written and delivered, it isn't all "But I love you now" or "I learned to love you." Rather, he tells her what happened, and in the telling it is obvious that he's painfully ashamed, yet relieved to have this corrosive lie put to rest. The most important thing, he stresses, is that she consider this surgery. Whatever happens to him, to them, he begs her to resist death. The way he speaks to her, the way he respects her shattered emotional state, the way he relays what happened, and when, and how-- all of that is so imbued with love that she can only sit and listen. He finishes by telling her, finally, that he loves her, saying it because he assumes he has now lost her and, even if his words are meaningless to her, they fill his soul.
So Dan leaves, her father arrives and she breaks down a bit, forgives him-- and then she hears a car motor, and suddenly she reacts. It feels instinctive, or autonomic-- not a choice. Her love for Dan is alive, she knows it immediately, and she rushes out to discover that he hasn't yet driven away, he's upstairs, packing. (No chase scenes here.) In their final scene, as he again pleads for the surgery, she tells him that their life together had given her fulfillment, happiness, "meaning." All in all, a message both well-delivered and worth delivery.
Maud is a clumsy flaw in the movie, a plot device that stops Invitation from being a truly superior domestic drama, in the same class as We Are Not Alone, A Personal Affair, and Now, Voyager. But it is an intelligent, emotionally honest drama, and the fact that no household names were involved in making it adds a particular thrill- the thrill of digging into cinematic history. This is a gem. A flawed gem, but when Ruth Roman plays the flaw, there's little to complain about.
Stupid premise
ArtVandelayImporterExporter1 May 2019
Breathing difficulties !!!!
Fiddle-dee-dee. Whatever shall I do. I have breathing difficulties !!!!!!!
Cripes, if you're going to make a film about an unmarry-able gimp whose daddy buys her a husband, at least have the courage to make the woman fat, or ugly or wheelchair-bound.
Is there anything about Dorothy Maguire that says ''invalid"?
If the 1950s weren't the most boring decade for Hollywood and America in general, I challenge anyone reading this to point out a viable challenger.
It's fitting, at least, that in a bland film with such a bland premise that ultra-bland Van Johnson would play the husband.
Good gawd this film represents everything that was wrong with the silver screen in 1952.
Van Johnson does a great job
HotToastyRag31 October 2021
The premise of Invitation is very interesting, and the rest of the movie doesn't disappoint. Isn't it nice when that happens? Dorothy McGuire, a classic actress who shouldn't have been forgotten about by modern audiences, shines in this drama about an ill woman who doesn't know of her condition. She thinks she's perfectly healthy, and she loves her husband, Van Johnson. She enjoys planning parties and vacations and thinks he's as happy as she is. . . Until she finds a letter.
The letter was written by her father years ago, and it reminds her of how she and Van met. It was a set-up by her dad, Louis Calhern. A whirlwind courtship led to a quick marriage, but why? Was she really that irresistible? Or did her father give Van some "incentive" to make his daughter happy? I'd recommend this entertaining romance if the storyline appeals to you, or if you're a Dorothy fan. I was impressed by Van's performance, especially since I don't usually like him. For those who like classic romances that make you reach for your hankies, check out this drama.
The letter was written by her father years ago, and it reminds her of how she and Van met. It was a set-up by her dad, Louis Calhern. A whirlwind courtship led to a quick marriage, but why? Was she really that irresistible? Or did her father give Van some "incentive" to make his daughter happy? I'd recommend this entertaining romance if the storyline appeals to you, or if you're a Dorothy fan. I was impressed by Van's performance, especially since I don't usually like him. For those who like classic romances that make you reach for your hankies, check out this drama.
This is an excellent film and not a "Chick Flick" as previously stated
watanabe-790-35195113 July 2010
I never liked Dorothy McGuire as and actor, but in this film she was spot-on!
Van Johnson never made a bad movie (he's the glue that holds "Battlegound" and "The Caine Mutnity" together). HE never looks like he's acting; has that college boy look (always up to the next girl adventure).
It's a compelling story that is easily plausible and very human. I'm guessing that it was shown back to back with "Til We Meet Again," a similar tragic situation, yet much more intense. So if you liked "Invitation" you had to enjoy this one as well, assuming you liked the actors: George Brent and Merle Oberon.
I do not like spoiling a movie by telling specific about it; reviews should be, in my intractable position, your response to story and actor. Stop telling what happens.
I love these old B/W film. The quality forever surpasses predictable crap made today.
Van Johnson never made a bad movie (he's the glue that holds "Battlegound" and "The Caine Mutnity" together). HE never looks like he's acting; has that college boy look (always up to the next girl adventure).
It's a compelling story that is easily plausible and very human. I'm guessing that it was shown back to back with "Til We Meet Again," a similar tragic situation, yet much more intense. So if you liked "Invitation" you had to enjoy this one as well, assuming you liked the actors: George Brent and Merle Oberon.
I do not like spoiling a movie by telling specific about it; reviews should be, in my intractable position, your response to story and actor. Stop telling what happens.
I love these old B/W film. The quality forever surpasses predictable crap made today.
Dorothy McGuire-splendid!
capybara1199 July 2019
An underrated, somewhat ignored film, Invitation , is much more than a soap opera. The cast, including Van Johnson, Louis Calherne, and Ruth Roman, deliver solid, professional performances. But it's wonderful Dorothy McGuire who raises the film to the fine level it attains. Her performance as a sick woman whose father has bought her a husband so she can have a short time of happiness before her demise , is positively incandescent. Her performance is full of subtlety, nuance, shading and real pathos. Sincere, sympathetic and utterly believable at all times, she makes the film very poignant. Recommended highly!!
RSVP for heartache
jarrodmcdonald-125 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Exquisite sets and clothing lead one to recall the old phrase: all style and no substance. But the makers of this film do try to give movie-watchers something to ponder with this melodramatic thesis about a housewife's doomed life.
One good thing: the cast includes the always-superb Dorothy McGuire as a long-suffering heroine (and boy does she suffer). But she's been given a script with scenes that would be tripe in the hands of a lesser actress. To her credit, McGuire tries valiantly to punch things up. However, Van Johnson as the husband is about as successful in his efforts as an ice cube salesman in Antarctica.
In other areas, Louis Calhern and Ray Collins' talents are largely wasted. And the music gets a bit overwrought (especially when our main character thinks her husband has left her near the end). Then, there are the nearly endless flashbacks, which overlap at times and seem to take a page from a convoluted film noir. Ultimately, one has a hard time deciding if this is a good film that didn't quite live up to its full potential, or if it is merely a substandard product that rose slightly above expectations.
One good thing: the cast includes the always-superb Dorothy McGuire as a long-suffering heroine (and boy does she suffer). But she's been given a script with scenes that would be tripe in the hands of a lesser actress. To her credit, McGuire tries valiantly to punch things up. However, Van Johnson as the husband is about as successful in his efforts as an ice cube salesman in Antarctica.
In other areas, Louis Calhern and Ray Collins' talents are largely wasted. And the music gets a bit overwrought (especially when our main character thinks her husband has left her near the end). Then, there are the nearly endless flashbacks, which overlap at times and seem to take a page from a convoluted film noir. Ultimately, one has a hard time deciding if this is a good film that didn't quite live up to its full potential, or if it is merely a substandard product that rose slightly above expectations.
Predictable and Unoriginal
Hitchcoc20 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
One of the problems with movies at this time that dealt with fatal illnesses in its protagonists is that they weren't allowed to die. A father feels so much sadness for his daughter (who is dying) that he hires a guy to marry her. Of course, after the guy goes through with it, he really does fall for her. She finds out, and, naturally, there are lots of questions. All of this would be interesting if everything wasn't solved by the sudden cure for the incurable disease. We can see the ending a mile away. Van Johnson and Dorothy Maguire do a good job, but the plot is so formulaic. It is typical of similar movies of the time.
Almost Douglas Sirk-ian woman's film
maryszd25 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I just caught this great film on TCM and it reminded me of the Douglas Sirk films featuring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson, with their wounded female protagonists. Ellen Bowker's wealthy father, believing she will die in a year of heart disease, convinces (and pays the bills) for charming Dan Pierce to marry her. She truly loves him and is shattered when she finds out the truth. The direction reminded me of Sirk not only in its empathy for Ellen's distress, but also in its over-veneration of doctors and its reference to a mysterious medical organization dedicated to "Organic Heart Disease" that recalls the shadowy religious organization in "Magnificent Obsession." Dan also has elements of Ron Kirby from "All That Heaven Allows"; he designs a faux-farmhouse in Connecticut and likes to eat in Italian restaurants (which seems to signify a kind of bohemianism). Ellen, unlike Sirk's women though, is completely infantilized; doctors are consulted without her knowing it (it might "upset" her to know too much about her condition) and Dan even schedules an operation for her without telling her. This is a dignified woman's film with fine cinematography and excellent acting. Too bad it wasn't shot in lush, Sirkian Technicolor.
Alas, soap opera at its brainless worst!
JohnHowardReid14 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Producer: Lawrence Weingarten. Copyright 21 January 1952 (in notice: 1951) by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture. New York opening at Loew's State: 29 January 1952. U.S. release: February 1952. U.K. release: 31 March 1952. Australian release: 9 June 1952. 7,629 feet. 84 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: A melodrama about a wealthy young woman with a serious heart condition who learns that her father arranged her marriage in the belief that she had only a year to live. — Copyright summary.
NOTES: The picture marks the Hollywood directorial debut of Gottfried Reinhardt, son of the famous Max Reinhardt. The younger Reinhardt produced such hits as Command Decision and The Red Badge of Courage, prior to entering the field of directing. — M-G-M publicity.
COMMENT: A dramatic subject treated and played on a soap opera level. None of the characters are at all convincing, the direction is tediously dull, and the script manages to combine facile superficiality with stupefying boredom.
OTHER VIEWS: Wonderful to look at but awful to listen to, "Invitation" is a prime example of M-G-M photographic gloss at its best. Notice how artfully arranged and lit almost each single shot is. The aim is to make the stars look radiant/appealing/attractive even if this means putting the support players firmly into shadow. Ray Collins is often forced to deliver his lines with his back to the camera so that all the audience's attention can be focused exclusively on the stars.
A pity all this expertise were not directed at a more worthy object than this promising but ultimately completely boring and tediously enervating round-robin of a soapie. — JHR writing as George Addison.
SYNOPSIS: A melodrama about a wealthy young woman with a serious heart condition who learns that her father arranged her marriage in the belief that she had only a year to live. — Copyright summary.
NOTES: The picture marks the Hollywood directorial debut of Gottfried Reinhardt, son of the famous Max Reinhardt. The younger Reinhardt produced such hits as Command Decision and The Red Badge of Courage, prior to entering the field of directing. — M-G-M publicity.
COMMENT: A dramatic subject treated and played on a soap opera level. None of the characters are at all convincing, the direction is tediously dull, and the script manages to combine facile superficiality with stupefying boredom.
OTHER VIEWS: Wonderful to look at but awful to listen to, "Invitation" is a prime example of M-G-M photographic gloss at its best. Notice how artfully arranged and lit almost each single shot is. The aim is to make the stars look radiant/appealing/attractive even if this means putting the support players firmly into shadow. Ray Collins is often forced to deliver his lines with his back to the camera so that all the audience's attention can be focused exclusively on the stars.
A pity all this expertise were not directed at a more worthy object than this promising but ultimately completely boring and tediously enervating round-robin of a soapie. — JHR writing as George Addison.
Powerful Performance by McGuire Makes This a Solid, Action Film
tr-8349512 April 2019
Powerfully performed and acted by Dorothy McGuire. The plot seems like it will be simplistic, but you are in for a surprise.
Invitation is another of Hollywood's tales told from the rich man's perspective (weren't they all?) but this one has some guts to it and a solid performance by McGuire.
Invitation is another of Hollywood's tales told from the rich man's perspective (weren't they all?) but this one has some guts to it and a solid performance by McGuire.
Invitation was a success
robfollower21 August 2019
Always believing she had a happy marriage, a young wife's trust in her husband is shaken when she discovers that her father had paid him to marry her.
Van Johnson and Dorothy Maguire made the perfect movie, in that the smoothness of each other was almost perfect, one would not ever know, Van was being paid. The ending was a surprise!I could watch this movie again and again. It was heart-warming.
melo(drama)
SnoopyStyle9 August 2022
Ellen Bowker Pierce (Dorothy McGuire) comes from a wealthy family and is happily married to Dan Pierce (Van Johnson). Due to a childhood illness, she has always had medical issues. Unbeknownst to her, her father paid Dan to marry her when she was expected to live for only one more year. She starts putting it together after talking to Maud Redwick, her former friend and Dan's ex-girlfriend.
This is a romance melodrama. It's all rather melodramatic. It's long wait for the secret to be revealed and even longer for the flashback to play out. I'm not sure what the drama is after the movie reveals its big secret. There is no real conflict to the second half. The treatment seems inevitable. This is a melodramatic idea but without the true drama.
This is a romance melodrama. It's all rather melodramatic. It's long wait for the secret to be revealed and even longer for the flashback to play out. I'm not sure what the drama is after the movie reveals its big secret. There is no real conflict to the second half. The treatment seems inevitable. This is a melodramatic idea but without the true drama.
Dorothy McGuire Is "Ordinary" Looking and "Uninteresting"?
Attillio21 June 2006
First, let me say, that I am delighted that there are so many other admirers of this truly talented and beautiful performer of the screen (that's Ms. McGuire, and NOT Van Johnson. Sorry, Van!). Of course, Ms. McGuire delivers her customary and, unfailingly, consummate performance as Ellen Pierce. But, could you really buy her character saying, that she thought of herself as ordinary-looking and, even, uninteresting to men? I mean, it was difficult enough, not to be mesmerized by those beautiful eyes and cheekbones in "The Enchanted Cottage" (in which the film studio make-up professionals "tried" to make Ms. McGuire look "plain" and "dowdy"). Yet, in "Invitation," Ms. McGuire is at her drop-dead gorgeous (not to mention, enticingly-eloquent) best. I mean, you literally cannot keep your eyes off of her, she's such a vision of beauty and elegance! And, with all due respect to nice-guy, actor Van Johnson, he's hardly Errol Flynn or Robert Taylor in the looks department or very "compelling" either, although, he was excellent in "Battleground." (Ellen really found HIM so irresistible? Oy vey!) Heck, any chance to see this great lady of the screen perform IS an absolute joy and delight. Still, I much prefer seeing Ms. McGuire in such wonderful and truly memorable films as "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn," "The Spiral Staircase" and "Till The End Of Time." "Invitation" gets an "8" because of the presence of its luminous star (no, NOT the "boy-next-door," Van Johnson, the unbelievably zaftig Ruth Roman (who, by the way, is outstanding as a particularly vindictive virago) or even the distinguished Louis Calhern!).
In his book, "Van Johnson: MGM's Golden Boy," author Ronald L. Davis wrote: "'Invitation,' Johnson's next film, had character actor Louis Calhern attempting to persuade Van to romance his invalid daughter, played by Dorothy McGuire. While the movie was cloaked in MGM gloss, it was a tearjerker with little to commend it except competent performances from a strong cast." Yes, tearjerker is the apt description of the maudlin "Invitation."
In his book, "Van Johnson: MGM's Golden Boy," author Ronald L. Davis wrote: "'Invitation,' Johnson's next film, had character actor Louis Calhern attempting to persuade Van to romance his invalid daughter, played by Dorothy McGuire. While the movie was cloaked in MGM gloss, it was a tearjerker with little to commend it except competent performances from a strong cast." Yes, tearjerker is the apt description of the maudlin "Invitation."
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