Let's Make Love, 1960
* *
Verdict: mostly boring. On the positive side: opens with an interesting, imaginative introduction of the main character. The first half of the film is quite tedious and boring. Things improve a little in the second half with pace and dialogue improving and appearances by Milton Berle, Bing Crosby and Gene Kelly, playing themselves in the film, as they give advice to help our French main character learn comedy, dance and singing.
The story concerns a French billionaire, who learns a stage play will be made, one which makes fun of him. He visits a rehearsal of the play and is mistaken as an actor. He decides to take advantage of this and accepts an offer to be in the play, to try to save his reputation from being tarnished. Along the way, he falls for a young female actress (Marilyn Monroe), also rehearsing for the play.
For those familiar with Marilyn Monroes's films of the 50's, she was a bit overweight here. In her case, that does not detract much from her overall beauty, sensuousness and charm. As a lead character, Marilyn Monroe does not have much of a role to play here, the same old boring sex siren, this time in a stage theater setting.
The Frenchmen Yves Montand, is the acting highlight, to help brighten up an otherwise mostly dull film. He has some moments of genuine charm and humor. A paycheck for Marilyn Monroe, but a waste of her comedic and dramatic talents as a film actress. She would next go on to "The Misfits", a dark and sad film and after that, was filming another comedy, "Something's Got To Give", when she was fired from the studio, hired back and shortly later, died alone, tragically at home.
* *
Verdict: mostly boring. On the positive side: opens with an interesting, imaginative introduction of the main character. The first half of the film is quite tedious and boring. Things improve a little in the second half with pace and dialogue improving and appearances by Milton Berle, Bing Crosby and Gene Kelly, playing themselves in the film, as they give advice to help our French main character learn comedy, dance and singing.
The story concerns a French billionaire, who learns a stage play will be made, one which makes fun of him. He visits a rehearsal of the play and is mistaken as an actor. He decides to take advantage of this and accepts an offer to be in the play, to try to save his reputation from being tarnished. Along the way, he falls for a young female actress (Marilyn Monroe), also rehearsing for the play.
For those familiar with Marilyn Monroes's films of the 50's, she was a bit overweight here. In her case, that does not detract much from her overall beauty, sensuousness and charm. As a lead character, Marilyn Monroe does not have much of a role to play here, the same old boring sex siren, this time in a stage theater setting.
The Frenchmen Yves Montand, is the acting highlight, to help brighten up an otherwise mostly dull film. He has some moments of genuine charm and humor. A paycheck for Marilyn Monroe, but a waste of her comedic and dramatic talents as a film actress. She would next go on to "The Misfits", a dark and sad film and after that, was filming another comedy, "Something's Got To Give", when she was fired from the studio, hired back and shortly later, died alone, tragically at home.