Luxury Liner (1948) User Reviews

Cruise south of the border

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 26 January 2014]

Jane Powell steps into a role that a decade earlier Deanna Durbin was playing over at Univeral Pictures and making great money at it. Little wholesome Miss Fixit who solves everyone's problems before the film is over and the audience gets a cadenza or two.

Luxury Liner has Jane an opera aspiring daughter of passenger liner captain George Brent. There's an opera festival in Rio and Jane just has to go and the captain says no. What to do, simply stow away, especially with the great tenor Lauritz Melchior on board.

In fact besides Jane and Melchior we also have the Pied Pipers late of the Tommy Dorsey orchestra and the ship's orchestra is that of Xavier Cugat which is perfect for a cruise south of the border. As you can see the musical guests run quite a gamut of musical taste.

Luxury Liner is a nice easy to take musical and quite frankly I miss the days when young teen stars had a great singing range like Deanna Durbin, Jane Powell, Susanna Foster, Gloria Jean. We haven't heard arias from teen mouths in decades.

light fun

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 15 August 2022]

Polly Bradford (Jane Powell) is getting left behind as her father Jeremy Bradford (George Brent) captains his ship to Rio. She leaves school and sneaks onboard. He puts her to work in the galley. She befriends heartbroken passenger Laura Dene (Frances Gifford) and is obsessed with fellow passengers opera performers Olaf and Zita. Jane Powell is doing her flighty sassy teenager role. I can do without the opera. Otherwise, it's light fun and light romantic adventures. It's all very light like a Love Boat episode.

Must-see for Powell fans

[Nate-48 · 6/10 · 1 October 2019]

If you are a fan of Jane Powell, this is a must-watch. She shows off all of her talents from her lovely soprano voice, gorgeous looks, charm and acting ability. George Brent is very solid as her honorable captain father. The writers play up a common theme in Powell's early pictures at MGM, showing her as a teenager who chases after or pursues/flirts with older men. It is almost as if they made her grow up quicker. She got married the next year at the age of 20. Depending on when they filmed this movie, she was either 18 or 19. Powell was very talented in the way she could show innocence but also the steely resolve of somebody who was the breadwinner for her Oregon family which came from humble roots. I think a 6.5 would be a fair rating for this movie if one appreciates the talents of Powell, who was really a sensational talent who didn't really get a chance to show everything she may have been capable of on screen due to limited role choices.

Delightful, entertaining fun. What's wrong with that?

[kerblunck-1 · 17 June 2005]

"Luxery Liner" was a showcase for young Jane Powell who had scored a box-office smash in her MGM debut film "Holiday in Mexico." It was pure Technicolor musical entertainment geared for the mass audience in the 1940's. "Pap" is a crude word and a choice for those trying to dismiss something they don't understand or want to enjoy. "Luxery Liner" wasn't meant to be Gone With the Wind, just the kind of entertainment audiences enjoyed. Jane Powell is charming and (at that young age) a very gifted singer. (Anyone remember another box-office bundle-of-talent named Deanna Durbin who Louis B. Mayer let slip through his fingers?). Like Miss Durbin, Jane Powell could handle a variety of selections (ballads, operettas, rhythm tunes). In "Luxery Liner" her rendition of "The Peanut Vendor", accompanied by Xavier Cugat's orchestra, is something to hear as she literally "glows with talent." Lauriz Melichor (who she refers to has "my Sinatra"), was discovered by movie audiences in "Thrill of a Romance" (more pap?) couldn't resist her either. At the film's conclusion he pick's her up, like a delicate flower, and glows as they sing and waltz till the end title appears. Some may consider "Luxery Liner" "pap" but, enjoyed for what it is, it's lovely pap. For the record both "Thrill of a Romance" and "Holiday in Mexico" are on Variety's list of all-time box-office rentals. All they did was make a pile of money for MGM and big stars of Esther Williams, Van Johnson and Jane Powell.

A fun distraction

[manzp · 7/10 · 30 July 2003]

I just watched this on Turner. I am an avid cruiser so the title enticed me. At first I was dubious because it said it was a musical. I usually don't care for musicals in that era. (I am an orchestra conductor and have led musicals as well) Anyway, it didn't have too many silly numbers.

Jane Powell was entertaining to watch. I had fun watching it while doing things around the house. I'd rate it better than average for the era.

"Jinkies! What a swell musical!"

[pronker · 7/10 · 10 June 2019]

Yes, Powell exclaims "Jinkies!" at one point so we know where Velma got that expression. Powell contributes a delightful coloratura voice to the goings on, whose musical numbers attempt to please a great range of interests: jazz, opera, and Latin. Melchior impresses with a sly sense of humor and funny little bits in his character's floundering to understand all the plot points of 1. Powell trying to get him to listen to her sing and 2. Koshetz's diva upstaging of him and honestly, his of her. She's unknown to me and I liked her polished voice. Melchior commands when he sings, though, and his kind offer to allow Powell to hear him rehearse and "learn breath control" underscores the artistic connection between the two. Melchior's finale dance with Powell is joyous and his air lift of her at the very end speaks of his delight at discovering her excellent talent.

The setting is magnificent and since nearly all action is aboard the ship, we haven't any jarring disembarking to follow their adventures in Rio.

Brent hits it off as Authority Figure, both father and ship's captain, a good role in his maturity at age 45 or so. His attraction to lovely Gifford was pleasantly handled, again in a mature way as he allows her to decide for herself with only a /little/ push from him whom she wishes to marry. In a pure example of TVTropes' "Pair The Spares", Koschetz winds up with Ship's Officer and Powell embraces Breen. The exception is Derr, whose lonely voyage got even lonelier with the ending of his romance. Let's hope the music of Cugat, Powell, and Melchior revived his spirit.

Negative points were 1. the Pied Pipers, excellent in harmony as always but I did not care for their numbers' arrangements and 2. Powell's rendition of Peanut Vendor Song because I prefer Lupe Velez's. All in all, music pulls the viewer into a glamorous, relaxing voyage at sea in lovely Technicolor. Powell is awfully cute.

Like Watching Your Favorite Team Lose a Close Game

[trescia-1 · 7/10 · 10 February 2022]

When you watch your team lose a close game, you feel something like anger. You see all that talent out there and you also enjoy watching the stars perform, but, in the end, they lose by one point. It's just so...so...disappointing.

Luxury Liner is everything you want in old-time slow-paced good for the elderly entertainment. It's also surprisingly good. Really. It's better than it should be. But it's "missed it by THIS much" on every front. It's ALMOST a comedy. It's ALMOST a musical. It's ALMOST a romance. But you get the feeling that it's the insane amount of talent in a kid named Jane Powell that makes this thing tick. Without her, it's flat aa a pancake. And that's a lot of responsibility for a teenager.

But Hollywood stills makes 'em like that, and we pay to see the result. If only they'd hired some real songwriters, or a team of real comedians (Abbot and Costello?) or invested in Cary Grant as the harassed ship captain. But instead we get Jane Powell, who looks like she weighs about eighty pounds, carrying this whole thing on her back for ninety minutes. Way to go, Jane.

Jane Powell Great as usual, but........

[drvid · 6/10 · 10 December 2019]

Jane Powell, GREAT, the rest of this move 3-4 stars.

Jane Powell's first great MGM Musical is a real treat to watch

[RogerMooreTheBestBond · 10/10 · 13 May 2009]

This movie made me love Jane Powell. She is so happy and upbeat. She is impossible to dislike. George Brent plays the captain of the ship and her father. Jane wants to go on the ship with her father and he tells her to stay in school. She ends up a stowaway on the ship. He and she disown each other in a fun way. Frances Gifford is the love interest here and she believes the captain is treating Jane badly after she hears her side. She does not know she is his daughter, nor does she know it's not that bad what he is doing to her. She finds out and all three of them forgive each other. Later on Jane meets her singing idol who she calls "her Sinatra". She gets to sing for him. She also helps a man try to get back his girlfriend, who turns out to be Frances Gifford. She ends up picking George Brent and Jane gets to sing with her idol during the last scene. This is why movies are made, to entertain.

One for Powell fans!

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 27 May 2018]

Producer: Joe Pasternak. Copyright 28 July 1948 by Loew's Inc. An M-G-M picture. New York opening at the Capitol: 9 September 1948. U.S. release: September 1948. U.K. release: 28 February 1949. Australian release: 10 February 1949. 8,788 feet. 98 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: A teenage girl, whose father is captain of a luxury liner, stows away on his ship.

PRINCIPAL MIRACLE: Would you believe that Jane Powell was once super-popular? I stood right next to her once. Even with high heels, she came up only to my shoulder (and I'm no John Wayne in height). Her loud, raspy voice was also disillusioning. Take my tip: Don't try to meet your movie idols in real life. You may be somewhat disappointed.

COMMENT: Glossy-glossy-glossy, typical M-G-M escapist entertainment, encapsulating lots of glamour and bountiful production values with extras cavorting around gossamer sets and even some occasionally inventive staging - as in the Cugat number spotlighting the various instruments.

OTHER VIEWS (from a review by J.H.R. of four Jane Powell movies: Luxury Liner, Nancy Goes to Rio, Rich Young and Pretty and Two Weeks with Love): It's amazing how fatuous the story line is in all these films. Not only fatuous but plain dull. That wouldn't be so bad - after all, no audience expects great shakes from the plot of an MGM musical - if so much attention weren't paid to it.

The musical numbers seem almost an afterthought instead of the film's reason for being.

Luxury Liner combines a fatuous story with some very tepid musical numbers, plus a lot of so-so operatic stuff in which Lauritz Melchior is often encouraged to make a fool of himself.

Jane Powell's own peculiar brand of exuberant girlishness is always the center of attention.

A variety show at sea

[richard-1787 · 5/10 · 6 October 2018]

If you're in your 60s or older, you remember what a variety show was on tv: a series of unrelated musical and comedy numbers strung together to fill an hour. (If you're in your 90s, you remember what a vaudeville show was. Same thing.) That's really what this movie is: a series of musical numbers strung together with a truly uninteresting series of plot lines, all of which are best ignored.

What I'd like to focus on here is the contribution of Lauritz Melchior, who gets third billing. By the time this movie was made, 1948, Melchior had spent two decades being one of the world's great Wagnerian tenors in some of the world's great opera houses. His many recordings prove that he was truly a great singer. Reviews suggest, however, that he was an at best indifferent actor on the opera stage.

What we see in this movie is that he was a natural comedian, someone who knew better than to take himself too seriously, and someone with a lot of very cheerful screen presence. He made five movies, and this one shows him off at his best as a comic costar. He's fun to watch in his various musical numbers, and when he waltzes with Powell at the end - a good half a foot taller than she - it's fun to see.

Why, on the other hand, they put him in such a god-awful costume for his Aida duet I have no idea. He looks terrible.

Also fun in this movie is Nina Koschetz, who doesn't get to sing as much, but who very much outshines Powell when she does. (I suppose that's why she doesn't get to sing as much.) She comes off as a parody of Illona Massey in her acting, if you can call it that, but when she sings, it's very impressive.

Powell sounds like a teenager. She brutalizes the gavotte from Manon, but she's fine in the lighter numbers, which were really what she did best. She didn't have Deanna Durbin's voice or her personality, though this movie tries to turn her into a Durbin clone.

The rest of the movie, the plot, is forgettable, so I won't waste your time with it here. Watch this for Melchior, and Koschetz. If this were an operetta recording with tracks, I'd say skip the dialogue and just go from musical number to musical number. That will spare you the sub-par script.

P.S. If you know the movie *April in Paris*, which came out several years after this one, you'll notice that the musical number Doris Day sings in that movie with the kitchen staff aboard a Paris-bound ocean liner, *Ring that bell*, one of the best things in that very uneven movie, had its very clear inspiration in the kitchen musical number in this movie, which is nowhere nearly as good.

I find it impossible not to like

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 17 May 2010]

The story may be schmaltzy, but this movie is so charming and refreshing I find it impossible not to like. It looks lovely, with evergreen cinematography, beautiful costumes and lovingly-rendered ship. And the music is like a treasure trove, just utterly amazing to listen to, The Peanut Vendor and Wintersturme are particularly wonderful. The movie runs 98 minutes or so, and for me it is a 98 minutes well spent, the film does move briskly and is full of charm, exuberance and freshness. The direction is able, as is the script. And yes I loved the performances, Jane Powell is just a gem in this film. She looks utterly gorgeous with a darling, beautiful face and she sings wonderfully. Her duets with Lauritz Melchoir are lovely, he may have the stronger voice but she blends pretty well with him. George Brent is more than a pretty face as well, he is funny and he is cute, and Lauritz Melchoir as Olaf Eriksen(aka. My Sinatra) is a sheer delight. Hardly surprising as here he has a homely and warm presence with a huge ringing voice, no wonder he was considered one of the greatest Wagnerian tenors of the twentieth century because his Wintersturme was really powerful. Overall, a real treasure with wonderful music and performances. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Little Miss Fix-It is at it again!

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 23 July 2012]

Taking over where Deanna Durbin stopped in a series of lighthearted Universal musicals produced by Joseph Pasternak in the late 30's and early 40's, Jane Powell (Pasternak's next protégée) solves everybody's problems while creating more. As a 16 year old daughter of a luxury liner sea captain (George Brent) forced to stay in private school while he sails down to Rio, she stows away, and proves herself a nosy troublemaker with good intentions that only manage to make her a burden to her father. The always likable Powell manages to keep her character from becoming annoying, singing such catchy tunes as "Alouette" and "The Peanut Vendor". But Lauritz Melchoir, her aging portly idol, comes off more like a singing S.Z. Sakall, and when he sings the role of the young prince in "Aida", I found myself groaning out loud. If Melchoir is annoying, than Marina Koshetz (as his pesky opera singer partner) is downright frightening. She not only photographs horribly (check out her cheekbones), but pesters everybody on the boat until you really want to see her walk the plank. I know she's supposed to be a spoof of an obnoxious diva, but every moment she is on screen is simply a miserable one.

Frances Gifford manages to be alright as Brent's love interest, playing the motherly figure to Powell that she desperately needs. Xavier Cugat is around too for some lively Spanish musical interludes, complete with gremlin (oops, I mean Chihuahua) as he conducts his orchestra. I did feel sorry for this little pooch as his overly large ears had the sounds of maracas and sambas banging in them. I kept waiting for the poor pup to mouth, "Yo Quiero Silencio!". Colorfully made, "Luxary Liner" isn't MGM's worst musical of 1948 (check out "The Kissing Bandit!") and is harmless entertainment. But with certain segments overloaded with cheesiness, it can get annoying. The opening sequence (featuring Powell as the romantic hero in her all-girl school operetta) is amusing with a few laughs. The Pied Pipers, whom I recall from a Judy Garland record singing "On the Antison Topeka and the Santa Fe", get to do an amusing "Yes We Have No Bananas" that is another highlight.

Fine ex. of the genre known as the "Xavier Cugat Musical"

[jcochran-1 · 15 March 2004]

This movie is pap, but it's pleasant enough pap and offers some wonderful musical moments. The plot is a sit-com all about a girl (Jane Powell) who stows away on the luxury ocean liner her daddy (George Brent, in his second outing in a film with this title!) just happens to captain. Havoc ensues, of course -- the details are beside the point. The real point is that Xavier Cugat is on board with his orchestra -- and lots of surprise musical guests. Audiences in the 40s knew quite well what to expect from this sort of thing -- The Xavier Cugat/Jose Iturbi Musical -- lots of "Latin-style" fun, eye-dazzling Technicolor, and tunes galore. This one is no worse than any of them, and for a few reasons may actually be a bit better. Here's the really great thing about this pic: One of the musical "surprises" on the ship turns out to be operatic tenor Lauritz Melchior! Melchior's voice was one of the finest of his era, and his Wagnerian outing here ("Winter Storms," from Die Walküre) gives a hint of just what a pleasure he was in his prime. His performs duets with Powell from the Viennese repertoire, but she's no match for his power and finesse. Also, Marina Koshetz sings a FAAAAAABulous rendition of Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin."

All in all, worth the time it takes to watch.

Totally refreshing and delightful music from Powell & Melchoir!

[mewake · 8/10 · 15 March 2006]

On a windy, cold March afternoon I loved hearing Lauritz Melchoir, one of the great tenors, a formidable fore-runner to today's tenors. He was able to relate, even in film, his great joy in life and music - a skill that would well serve many of today's artists.

Ms. Powell is as refreshing in this role as the day she performed it. Todays youth can learn from the standards of that era. Her natural talent has always been remarkable both as a singer and actress in later years.

This motion picture joins many of the delightful films of both Ms. Powell and Mr.Melchoir as a part of a heritage and history in the industry we must cherish.

It is good to be reminded in these difficult days in our world that we can still find joy in the moment and seize these pleasant opportunities to reflect on happier times.

The original Love Boat.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 11 October 2018]

"Luxury Liner" is a film that surprised me. Although it is chock full of opera singing, I still loved it! Surprise, surprise, surprise!

When the story begins, a cruise ship captain (George Brent) is about to go out to sea once again. His VERY precocious daughter (Jane Powell) stows away and spends much of her time telling various ridiculous lies, trying to set up a woman with a future husband as well as trying to get a world famous opera singer (Lauritz Melchior) to listen to her sing. While this might sound pretty annoying, Powell is marvelous as this character....very likable in spite of being a busy-body! The reason is that the film is very charming and well written...and comes off much like an episode of "The Love Boat"...but with opera music! Well worth seeing and very cute.

Jane marvelous singer

[gkeith_1 · 10/10 · 10 August 2006]

Jane in beautiful voice. Melchior wonderful. Brent cute and funny. Miss Dean (Dene?) powerful, sweet and beautiful. The 'boy with funny faces' a laugh riot. Exterior shot of ship looking quite modern. I realized that 1948 was only 36 years after Titanic demise, and of course people were comfortable again in going by ship. By 1948, people were flying commercially, but big boats were still very popular. A plane flight, however, wouldn't have the time needed for story development, though. Miss Dean's fiancé was very handsome, I thought. I loved all the tons of flowers he sent her, that took up so much space in her stateroom. Jane scrubbing floors on her hands and knees: pretty hard on the knees. If going by liner, it might as well have been luxury, so good thing Jane got out of those scrubbing clothes and into better looking outfits. Jane was so outgoing and cheeky in trying to get an audience with Melchior. It is good that he was so nice to her, and so accommodating. It would be a dream come true for any singer.

A fun cruise

[ryancm · 8/10 · 30 July 2009]

MGM's musicals are meant to be enjoyed and this one sure is. Simple plot of daughter of captain (JANE POWELL and GEORGE BRENT) stows away on his liner. Typical funny business and misunderstandings pursue and it all comes out just fine in the end. But of course!! Remember, LUXURY LINER is an MGM entertainment, not message film. JANE POWELL excel is her performance and the beautfiful FRANCES GIFFORD (whom I never head of) is one great leading lady. Wish she had made more films. Good music helps this unbelievable story line just fine. There seems to have been some footage left on the cutting room floor as a couple of scenes don't make sense, and where does JANE get all that wardrobe when she stows away with a shirt and pair of jeans?? Oh well, again, remember, it's an MGM musical. Doesn't have to make sense, just entertain, which it certainly does. A must see for fans of this ilk.

A cruise with comedy, singing competitions, and romance

[SimonJack · 8/10 · 29 May 2021]

"Luxury Liner" has a wonderful cast, two plots cleverly intertwined for humor, and a romantic and fun setting. The last first - an ocean liner that's more of a cruise ship en route from New York to Rio De Janiero, whose captain is Jeremy Bradford. Second -- he's part of the two plots along with his daughter, Polly. The first plot is Polly's leaving her boarding school to cruise with her dad, unbeknownst to him until it's too late, so that she can be with him and two guests who are sailing with him - Metropolitan Opera stars Olaf Eriksen and Zita Romanka. The second plot is a love triangle in which Polly's dad, Jeremy, is one-third, and in which she inadvertently becomes a cog to her dad's chagrin.

Third - the cast is excellent with Jane Powell as Polly, George Brent as Jeremy, Lauritz Melchior as Olaf, and Marina Koshetz as Zita. The other members of the love triangle are Laura Dene and Charles Worton, played by Frances Gifford and Richard Derr, respectively. Xavier Cugat is himself, and with his orchestra he provides much of the music for the singers and for dancing. The rest of the cast lend nicely to the stories.

The petit Jane Powell had a strong, beautiful voice, and her songs in this and similar musical comedies and romance films were a mix of operatic and popular tunes. Powell's bubbly personality always gives an uplifting to the films she is in. In this and her next film in 1950, "Nancy Goes to Rio," her character is just slightly naïve about circumstances around her, and in each case her naivete is played for laughter. More so in the later film, but still very pleasantly so in "Luxury Liner."

George Brent's Captain Jeremey Bradford is a somewhat subdued character. But that's made up for by sterling performances of the two opera singers. I wasn't familiar with Mr. Melchior or Ms. Koshetz before this film. I see that he had a very short stint in films after a long career in opera, and that she mixed the screen with stage, opera and other work. Both are very pleasant in this film. Melchior's nice range and voice is very good for his operatic and popular songs. Powell worked well with him. And Koshetz has a delightful flare for comedy to go with her singing.

This 1948 MGM film truly reflects its label as a comedy musical. It belongs in a mixed genre of films that could just as well be labeled as musical comedies. In other words, each of the two genres make up a substantial part of this movie. But for another genre, this film could be considered 50-50 for comedy and music But, as with many such films that combine those genres, a third genre is part of this picture - romance. Here it is part of what drives much of the comedy, but it's a small part.

Most of the good films that Hollywood labels as comedy and musical - often with romance or some other genre as well, are mainly comedy or musical, with the other genres tossed in in varying degrees. In other words, their plots could stand alone as one or the other - comedy or musical. The other aspects could easily be written out without hurting the story and main genre. Think of all the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, Abbott and Costello, Marx Brothers and many other films that are mostly comedies with song and dance numbers and routines. The music could be deleted and the films would be able to stand alone as solid comedies. Likewise, there are many musicals that would stand alone as such, with the lesser comedy parts written out.

Then there are some films such as this one, in which each genre makes up a significant part, and the story would be much less minus one or the other. Or, there wouldn't even be enough of a plot for a feature film. So, the comedy and music are both important for this film. One thing about all such films that I have seen to date is that they are always very entertaining and very enjoyable. Some favorites of nearly equal comedy and music that I have seen over the years are "Holiday Inn" of 1942, "Cover Girl" of 1944, "Nancy Goes to Rio" and "Tea for Two" of 1950, "On the Riviera" and "On Moonlight Bay" of 1951, "White Christmas" of 1954, "Follow the Boys" of 1963, "Hello Dolly" of 1969, and "Brassed Off" of 1996.

This is a film that the most people should still enjoy well into the 21st century. Here are some favorite lines.

Polly Bradford, "Don't you realize that... that I don't have any more home life than... than a fish?"

Fu Dong, Chinese Chef, "Don't look so unhappy, little girl. Things could be worse." Polly Bradford, who is peeling potatoes in the ship's galley, "How?" Chef Fu Dong, "Those might be onions."

Chef Fu Dong, when the captain enter the kitchen and breaks up the staff singing, "We were just singing for fun." Captain Bradford, "And the passengers are just waiting for food."

Sail Away with Jane Powell!

[JLRMovieReviews · 9/10 · 16 June 2011]

Jane Powell is a stowaway, when her father, captain George Brent, told her to "stay in school, young lady, and study your spelling." But she was determined to be with her daddy, because she misses him so. Her mother died when Jane was little and daddy's always at work on another cruise. When caught and confronted by her father on board, they dramatically disown each other. At least, she does. From thereon, she referred to him only as "the captain" and then later on as her "ex-daddy." On board, the luxury liner is Lauritz Melchior, who has a great voice and of whom Jane has dreams of singing with. She herself has one heck of a classical voice, what is called a coloratura soprano. I know it's hard to imagine it, but not only does her voice rival that of Deanna Durbin, Kathryn Grayson, Irene Dunne, and Jeannette MacDonald, but in some ways it is richer and has more range, instead of just caressing around high notes. The plot revolves her causing chaos when put to work and paying her fare and her trying to meet and audition for Lauritz Melchior, and then there's a subplot of Frances Gifford running away from a fiancée, but she, of course, takes an instant liking to George and vice versa. The movie itself may be rather inconsequential and/or predictable, but the musical numbers are simply outstanding and worth the price of admission themselves. The main criticism of the movie is that the conflicts are wrapped up so quickly, it makes one feel like, what was the problem - they couldn't solve their problems until the end of the movie? Although it tends to leave with a silly feel and pat ending to it, when the characters make a complete 180', I think you'll like this for what it is, an MGM answer to the love boat with grand singing by Jane Powell and Lauritz Melchior. Just float your troubles away!

Luxury- Valuable Asset ***1/2

[edwagreen · 25 July 2011]

This film has got what everyone wants. Jane Powell, as a perky teenager, who stows away on the boat that her George Brent father happens to be the captain.

The plot is a good one with Jane unwittingly helping her widowed dad's rival to get the woman that her father has fallen for. On top of all this we have L. Melchior's wonderful voice as well as Jane belting them out as well.

We have a soprano singer who is a riot here. If that's her singing, she does a beautiful job; in addition, to her never ending comical search to hook a man.

Smooth sailing

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 24 August 2016]

LUXURY LINER is a cute piece of fluff that has a rather simple premise-- the daughter of a tough captain stows away on an ocean liner he commandeers all the way to Rio. Jane Powell is the girl, and George Brent plays the father in what was his only MGM film. It was a big hit for the studio, probably because of the way these two interact on screen, pretending not really to be related while he metes out her punishment. Punishment means forcing her to peel potatoes and scrub hallway floors. It also means not fraternizing with the other employees or the passengers. She quickly ignores these orders.

Meanwhile, there are two musicians that just happen to be cruising on the vessel with everyone else. One is bandleader Xavier Cugat, and the other is operatic tenor Lauritz Melchoir. They get the chance to perform several musical selections. In addition to their numbers, Jane Powell gets to sing a few tunes, too. Early on, she bursts into song inside the ship's kitchen, memorably singing 'Alouette' with a cook named Bertha (character actress Connie Gilchrist) and others. Later, she has her own opera solo. When these things happen, you can't possibly take any of it seriously. But the cast is having such fun, and it's all so infectious, that it's not difficult to get swept up in the schmaltz and just enjoy it.

Besides the teen rebellion and musical scenes, there are a few romantic complications. A female passenger (Frances Gifford) has taken pity on Powell and goes to the captain's office to give Brent a piece of her mind. This leads to immediate sparks between them. At dinner they discuss the girl, and Gifford learns Powell is Brent's daughter. Gifford decides to pay for Powell's passage, and from this point forward, she becomes the girl's chaperone. Obviously, this foreshadows the fact Gifford's character will probably wind up marrying Brent and become Powell's stepmother. But Gifford s being pursued by one of America's wealthiest men who also sneaked on board in the hopes he might marry her.

At the same time, Powell decides it is now her turn to dole out a punishment for her father (meaning the silent treatment and calling him her "ex-father"). He's a man she loves but also a man with whom she is in a constant power struggle. Nobody said it would be smooth sailing, even with MGM's excellent production values.