Athena (1954) User Reviews

Matching muscles and music

[shrine-2 · 7/10 · 26 March 2000]

Bodybuilding had a disreputable allure in the Eisenhower and Kennedy years. Few would admit to its hold on them, but how else could you explain the box-office success of movies like "Hercules Unchained" and subsequent gladiator trash with a fleet of amply-endowed stars like Gordon Scott, Mark Forrest, Dan Vadis, Mickey Hargitay, and Brad Harris bulging flagrantly in front of the camera?

The premiere member of this elite group was a former Mr. Universe--the dark, statuesque Steve Reeves. Before the days when he was sporting a leather loincloth, chained at the wrists, tensing his biceps, and literally bringing the house down, Reeves was introduced for the public's delectation in the 1954 musical "Athena." In it, he plays Ed Perkins, the prize stallion of a stable of physical culturalists groomed by the barrel-chested Louis Calhern--handlebar moustache, bluster and all--as Ulysses Mulvain, a septagenarian who espouses to a neo-Spartan approach to life, replete with vegetarian diet, and plenty of fresh air and exercise. Reeves vies for the affection of the title character, Mulvain's granddaughter (Jane Powell), who, much to the chagrin of the "stars," has eyes for a stuffy, young lawyer (played by the impossibly handsome Edmund Purdom--if there ever was an actor with a silky-milky-white complexion, it's him), himself being primed and tweaked for a U.S. senate seat. Reeves settles for a supporting role in his first major outing on the screen and sits on the sidelines while Powell charts her inevitable course with Purdom glowering at her incessantly. The body beautiful has his big scene with taking the title at a re-creation of the Mr. Universe contest that for insiders must have seemed pretty hokey.

That aside, if you're willing to go with it, "Athena" can be fun--a kind of stilted mixture of numerology, prurient interest, and music--all served up by the not-so-discerning minds of writers William Ludwig ("The Student Prince"), Leonard Spigelgass, and the by-then renowned songwriting team of Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. Their classic "The Boy Next Door" changes sex with Vic Damone singing it, and their "Love Can Change The Stars" is just syrupy enough for the sweet tooths of hopeless romantics. (My favorite is the spry "I Never Felt Better.") But none of these compares with the grandeur of blazingly blonde Powell's rendition of "Chacun Le Sait" from Donizetti's "La Fille du Regiment." It's full of passion and indignation and fire, and Powell has never achieved so high a note of glory on screen as she has in these few much-too-short minutes.

Also on the sidelines--Debbie Reynolds as Athena's sister Minerva, and, descending from the clouds of Hollywood movie mysticism, Evelyn Varden as Salome Mulvain, grandmother of the nymphs, greeting everyone with something that sounds like "Namari gongo par" and coming out trances every so often to bestow upon her loved ones the will of the stars.

7 girls for 7 muscle-men

[ptb-8 · 7/10 · 29 April 2004]

The robust smash hit of 7 Brides For 7 brothers literally spawned this star struck mini musical of 1954....and if one has a closer look in reels 1 2 and 3 (instead of 4 5 and 6) one can almost hear the board room pitch quoting the 7 Brides box office as the excuse to rush ATHENA into production: "That what they want! healthy boys and girls with an appetite for life living on some farm. The boys flex their muscles and the girls tend their.......er......garden." and so we have what is a lively and funny musical for the 20 year olds market that was called the teen market very soon after........quite rightly predating the AIP Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello frolics ten years later in Muscle Beach Party etc. Athena is good fun and well made. The muscle contest at the end to the tune "Jealousy" is well coded with beefcake antics....and all filmed from what might be called the bulging cossie angle. Hilarious! I would be fascinated to see the missing ten minutes as reported on the IMDb that the original running time was 115 minutes as opposed to the 95 mins only now available. I wonder was edited out and where can the footage be seen?

Unexceptional, but also irresistible

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 16 October 2016]

A film starring Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds and featuring songs by those behind the wonderful songs for 'Meet Me in St Louis' Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine promises much. They certainly do not disappoint, though 'Athena' could have been better than it turned out to be.

It is let down by a story that is paper-thin, flimsy is being generous, sometimes contrived and routine in direction in the non-singing and dancing scenes. The script is even sketchier (if shining in the scenes with the grandparents), with little logic and even less attention to characterisation which is all nice and pleasant (with nobody being characters that you hate) but not much else. And as beautifully as Vic Damone sings (and goodness isn't it a wondrous sound he makes), it is not matched by his dull presence and wooden acting.

However, Jane Powell is cute as a button and effortlessly charming as well as being on top-form vocally (especially in "Chacun Le Sait" from Donizetti's 'La Fille Du Regiment'). She is matched and partnered wonderfully by the energetic and spirited Debbie Reynolds, who also shows a knack for beautiful singing. Edmund Perdum brings a delicious dry wit to his character, and while the stuffy, pompous and stiff kind of character can easily be an annoyance when poorly executed Perdum does bring enough charm to stop him from being insufferable.

Louis Calhern is an absolute joy in his supporting role and it is a shame that he didn't have more scenes. Steve "Mr Universe" Reeves is imposing and commanding, with the body-building scene one of the film's highlights. Evelyn Varden is delightfully eccentric without overdoing it, while Virginia Gibson also has fun with her role.

Production values in 'Athena' are above average, with luminous photography and very attractive costumes. The sets are less than lavish but have enough imagination and colour to stop them from looking ugly. The songs, while not classics like the best of the composers' songs for 'Meet Me in St Louis', are better than given credit for. The melodies are easy to remember and very beautiful, the marvellous orchestration helps it, and there is some very clever and sophisticated lyric writing.

Standouts are "Love Can Change the Stars", "I Never Felt Better" and the role-reversal version of "The Boy Next Door" (here called "The Girl Next Door"). "Vocalise"/"Harmonise"/"Imagine" are also lovely. "Venezia" is touchingly wistful but holds the least relevance to the story. The dancing is full of dazzling energy and the choreography always avoids being overblown or routinely static.

On the whole, unexceptional story and script wise, but when it comes to all but one of the performances, the songs, the choreography, the singing and the dancing 'Athena' is also irresistible. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Film strangely magical for me

[joeljordanetex · 10 June 2004]

I caught this film on TCM the other day and I must say I was strangely enthralled by it. There was something magical about the atmosphere created in this film with the sets and the star fields. Jane Powell's singing of "Love can change the Stars" was especially mesmerizing and it made me want to immediately go and get "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers". Steve Reeves was especially notable in this film. The weightlifting competition was yet another treat to behold. The song and dance numbers were lively and Debbie Reynolds was a dynamo. All in all, I taped this film and have reviewed it many times since.

A Comet of Stars in MGM's huge Galaxy.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 10 November 2012]

MGM cast four of its biggest actors in this non-supernatural musical about an odd family living through health food, tons of exercise and visions through the stars. Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds are two of the six sisters starstruck in love with two outsiders-staid businessman Edmund Purdom and TV singer Vic Damone. Evelyn Varden ("Pinky", "The Bad Seed") and Louis Calhern ("Annie, Get Your Gun", "The Magnificent Yankee") are their eccentric grandparents who run an easy-going but disciplined ship filled with body builders (including Steve Reeves), sunshine and nuts and berries. No sooner have Purdom and Damone become involved with them than strange things begin to happen to their personalities. Grandma warns the lovers that the stars are not in favor of these romances.

A delightfully silly musical, "Athena" is probably the only MGM musical to feature practically naked men. They make their entrance into Varden and Calhern's dining room wearing only the briefest of briefs and sing along to a chorus of "Harmonize", making Purdom and Damone look like 90 pound weaklings. The songs are all wonderfully corny, especially a production number about re-decoration ("I Never Felt Better") lead by perky Reynolds. Powell gets the most beautiful song ("Love Can Change the Stars"), and seeing her as Reynolds' sister is a musical lovers dream. In fact, they had played sisters once before, in "Two Weeks With Love", and also appeared together in "Hit the Deck". When Reynolds left the Broadway musical "Irene" 20 years later, she personally chose Powell to replace her.

Look for Virginia Gibson, one of the "Seven Brides", as another one of the "Six Sisters". There's even a reference to the same years "The Student Prince" which starred Purdom. I don't think MGM realized when it made this film of the gay overtones of the body builders which would later be seen on Broadway and the big screen with "Li'l Abner".

Long before steroids and CGI became the film norm, family entertainment can be re-discovered with Athena

[Ed-Shullivan · 7/10 · 19 May 2021]

As Adam Calhorn Shaw (Edmund Purdom) states early in the film "What a pleasant surprise" I cannot describe the film any better. The cast is top notch, there are some great songs, and the health nut sisters Athena Mulvain (Jane Powell) and Minerva Mulvain (Debbie Reynolds) supported by their fittest family members have their eyes set on two young men who although lack muscles and endurance, possess plenty of charisma.

This is a unique fun film that combines a story line of a vey ambitious family who believe in an organic healthy lifestyle and building muscles find themselves falling in love with two mere mortal men who their Grandpa Ulysses Mulvain initially disapproves of based on their unhealthy lifestyle.

The film combines song and dance with a bodybuilding competition that is suprisingly entertaining. Adding even more value is the always perky and talented Debbie Reynolds, and her big sister in the film Jane Powell. The film is in Eastman color by MGM,

There is a bit of jealousy involved in the plot and hearts may get broken but romance wins in the end. I give it a respectable 7 out of 10 IMDB rating.

Mulvain Family Values

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 15 August 2016]

If you're into pretty girls and muscle boys than Athena is definitely for you. Louis Calhern and Evelyn Varden are the grandparents last name of Mulvain of six healthy girls the two oldest being Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds. They are health fanatics who raise their grandchildren on a strict diet. Calhern has many pupils, some of them male and they become bodybuilders and enter the Mr. Universe Contest. His current hopeful is a real former Mr. Universe and future Hercules Steve Reeves.

Into their lives come Back Bay scion Edmond Purdom and singer Vic Damone who like Powell and Reynolds but not the crazy way they're being tutored. Calhern has a diet like the late Euell Gibbons and Varden communes with nature. Both are into numerology and sometimes the numbers don't add up to anyone's happiness.

This is one goofy musical with a lot of forgettable songs by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin. The highlight is a revival of one of their hits from Meet Me In St. Louis and sung by Vic Damone as The Girl Next Door.

Edmund Purdom tries his best to pull off a Cary Grant imitation, but believe me this is one knockoff Cary Grant.

If you're a fan of any of the leads it's OK entertainment.

Singing! Dancing! and Mr. Universe too!

[jjnxn-1 · 7/10 · 13 October 2013]

Middling musical filled with pretty people. Edmund Purdom may not have been the greatest actor but was an extremely handsome man. Jane and Debbie, in one of the several films they were paired in together in their early careers, are bubbly and fresh as sisters. The best performance comes from the terrific Louis Calhern as the somewhat daffy grandfather, with a twinkle in his eye and his breezy line readings he's a hoot. Interesting to compare Evelyn Varden's spacey Grandma here and her portrayal of the vicious Icey Spoon in the next year's Night of the Hunter. Probably the only movie, musical or otherwise that stops cold to have a Mr. Universe contest stuffed into it. Pleasant but minor.

Pretty far down the quality scale for an MGM musical but . . .

[pacificgroove · 5/10 · 29 April 2010]

Not one of the better "B" musicals of MGM's golden age, but worth a look despite unusually cheap looking sets, mediocre choreography, and wooden Purdom. Debbie Reynolds sparkles with energy and talent, Jane Powell looks and sings beautifully. Some of the songs are musically fresh and innovative, others just serviceable. The satire of the new age and fitness lifestyles are surprisingly ahead of it's time, though often show ignorance of the real thing (Debbie Reynolds sings and dances a song where she happily sprays some DDT, for example). Interesting: Some of Debbie and Jane's "sisters" are also in the far superior "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers".

Novelty musical from MGM juggles different styles and entertains in its fashion...

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 14 January 2010]

Two out of seven modern-day sisters, each named after a Greek Goddess and living with their vegetarian, health-conscious grandparents (no word on what happened to their actual mother and father!), find romance as destined by the stars. Numerologist Jane Powell quickly lays her lips upon stuffy lawyer Edmund Purdom, while pony-tailed Debbie Reynolds is matched with spiritless crooner Vic Damone. Opening predicament with Damone being sued by his agent is quickly dropped, as are Purdom's plans to run for Congress (!). Instead, the two men get involved in the lives of their lovely ladies--as well as with grandpa Louis Calhern, who is in the midst of training musclemen for the Mr. Universe contest. No memorable songs, but the presentation is colorful, airy, and pleasant. The hot-headed characters keep running off half-cocked, while the script becomes more and more illogical. Still, the energy displayed is infectious and the supporting cast is solid. **1/2 from ****

A man dumps his lovely fiancee in favor of a girl from a strange cult-like family.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 1 February 2022]

"Athena" is a very strange film...too strange to come from the #1 studio of the time, MGM. But, somehow MGM did make this film...and I wonder why. This is because the plot is more than just a bit bizarre!

When the film begins, Adam Shaw (Edmund Purdom) is asked to run for congress. However, soon after he meets Athena (Jane Powell), a most unusual lady from a most unusual family to say the least. This is because the family is very cult-like and unconventional...at least for California in the 1950s. The family patriarch (Louis Calhern) is an exercise freak who believes in vegetarianism, naming his daughters after Greek and Roman goddesses as well as numerology and 'healthy living'. This is going to cause problems for Shaw, as the non-conventional family isn't the type to help him get elected or liked by the average Californian of the day.

"Athena" has quite a few songs....with very forgettable lyrics. It also features many characters who just seemed flakey and weird...so much so that I can understand why the director apparently hated the production.

I read through the reviews and they mostly positive...including a person who claims they watch the film very often. Yet, at the same time, the overall score is only 5.9...a rather low score. All I know is that the story was weird but not especially good or enjoyable. And, frankly, the whole thing seemed rather wrong-headed.

By the way, one sister is named Athena another is Minerva...which are the same goddess. Athena is the Greek version and the Roman is Minerva.

Sparkling MGM musical. Jane Powell & Debbie Reynolds dazzle.

[sdiner82 · 8/10 · 21 September 2002]

Unlike MGM's expensive, classic musicals of the 1950s, the modest, light-hearted but equally delicious "Athena" has been all-but-forgotten. A shame, because this lilting, lively melodious lark is not only a wryly amusing satire on an eccentric family of health-food nutritionists/numerologists, but, most importantly, a dazzling showcase for some of the most tuneful musical numbers to grace any film of its era. The score, by Ralph Martin and Hugh Blane (of "Meet Me in St. Louis" fame), offers such treats as Jane Powell singing the poignant, haunting ballad "Love Can Change the Stars" (which should have become a popular hit); Powell, Debbie Reynolds and their 5 sisters performing a breathtakingly energetic, knockout song-and-dance production number "I Never Felt Better"; and Ms. Powell (never more bewitchingly alluring) setting off vocal fireworks with her superb rendition of Donizetti's "Chacun Le Sait" from the operetta "Daughter of the Regiment." The plot, wherein Powell & Ms. Reynolds defie their nutritionist fanatic grandfather's (a delightful Louis Calhern) dictums by falling in love with, respectively, Edmund Purdom and Vic Damone (two carnivores with the wrong "signs") is decades ahead of its time in its wise, gentle and good-humored satire of life-styles and fads (culminating in a body-builder contest where one of Calhern's proteges is Steve Reeves, who would a mere 4 years later attain international screen stardom as "Hercules"). Amusing as it is, the plot rightfully takes second-place to the wondrous cast of MGM's most gifted young musical talents of the day--in their full vocal and dancing glory captured in glistening pasteled Technicolor. (Sadly, they were all soon to be given their walking papers when Television became the new national rage, and the first of the terrified studio's contract players to be dismissed were the stars of its taken-for-granted musicals. Indeed, Powell, Reynolds and Damone would co-star in only one more MGM songfest, "Hit the Deck"--as warm, charming, and tuneful as "Athena"--as well as a boxoffice disappointment.) Meanwhile, tune in "Athena" the next time TCM shows it--and don't be surprised if, weeks later, you find yourself humming, whistling or singing Ms. Powell's glorious delivery of what is perhaps this delectable movie's most rousing, catchy tune--the zesty, jubilant "Vocalize"!

Before the hippies and beatniks--there were the "health nuts"

[rlcsljo · 6/10 · 1 January 2001]

What! burgers, fries, steaks, chops aren't healthy? You must be some kind of freak! After we just kicked Jap ass in WWII, how dare you suggest that Japanese interior design may be superior to good old American--what are you some kind of commie?

It's all here: free love, numerology, astrology, organic diets, and most subversive--exercise! Well, the hippies abandoned the exercise and took up with drugs, and the music was a lot better--but these guys were the first.

Jane Powell is marvelous as the woman who is way ahead of her time as being all to free with her body with the man she is "destined" to be with.

Jane Powell and a young Debbie Reynolds in short shorts are a real delight in this one, although it is all to brief.

strange story line, and lots of sub plots

[ksf-2 · 5/10 · 7 February 2022]

When two of the many mulvain sisters find love, naturally, the family doesn't approve. Jane powell and debbie reynolds are athena and minerva (not too much pressure, with those names!), and they fall for adam and johnny (ed purdom, vic damone). Kind of a strange story line... the family runs a gym and health food store, and that's all they care about. They try to make a health nut out of adam, but he's not having it. At first. He's already engaged to someone else. Lots of singing. Keep an eye out for ray collins... he was always the advisor or the attorney in films. The story goes all over the place. With odd little sub plots, which don't go anywhere. Johnny is being sued by his agent. Adam is running for some office. And the mister universe contest is going on. With all the musical numbers and bizarre, sugary, love story, i would probably have bailed out halfway through... but i didn't. Just out of curiousity. Early roles for reynolds and damone. It's odd, but entertaining. Directed by richard thorpe. Worked with debbie reynolds on three films. And made two with elvis!

Strictly for fans of Jane Powell.

[gregcouture · 26 April 2003]

On a visit some weeks ago to my local Hollywood Video store, I noticed this title available among the VHS tapes in the Musicals section. Since I knew it had not been produced in CinemaScope (and therefore wouldn't suffer from the dread "formatting") and being a Jane Powell fan from 'way back, I rented it. It is certainly an odd concoction for a very conservative major studio of the mid-Fifties era; studio bound; directed by the pedestrian Richard Thorpe; packed with a cast selected to appeal, presumably, to the the younger members of its potential audience; and not as overflowing with musical numbers as I had hoped.

Jane is as pretty as ever, in overlit but warmly rich Eastmancolor, chirrupping in her matchless colortura; Debbie Reynolds lends her usual lively support; Vic Damone, despite his eminently listenable baritone, once again demonstrates why he never became a top boxoffice draw; and Edmund Purdom is perfectly cast as an unlikely stuffed-shirt suitor to Jane's way-out-there Athena. One can only imagine the chasm of misunderstandings that would bedevil their future marital bliss. With the elegant Louis Calhern as an unlikely patriarch, health and fitness obsessed, and the lovable Evelyn Varden as his woozy mate, convinced that astrology is the key to happiness. Add a passel of pre-steroid Muscle Beach denizens, including the handsome Steve Reeves and Ed Fury, before their emigration to Italy to appear in all those Hercules epics, and you've got a brew that's not really indigestible but doesn't really coalesce as its makers may have hoped.

odd mix

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 25 June 2023]

Adam Calhorn Shaw (Edmund Purdom) is a lawyer with a peach tree problem. He and Beth Hallson (Linda Christian) are a conservative couple. They don't know what to make of number-obsessed flighty arborist Athena Mulvain (Jane Powell). She's also the oldest of seven sisters. She introduces Adam's singing friend Johnny Nyle (Vic Damone) to her sister Minerva (Debbie Reynolds). Their grandfather (Louis Calhern) is training bodybuilders.

I like Athena's wackiness. Adam's a stiff. They could work as a couple, but he fits better as a stiff couple with Beth. Vic Damone and Debbie Reynolds are a fun musical secondary couple. I don't mind them at all. The bodybuilding part is a bit strange relative to a musical rom-com. This is an odd mix.

The cast couldn't save this turkey

[SimonJack · 4/10 · 22 April 2024]

"Athena" was and is billed as a comedy musical and drama. It was touted as an original story, with all original music (but for one revised song). The cast of Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds and singer Vic Damone should be a great draw and portend of top musical entertainment. And the popular supporting actors like Louis Calhern and Ray Collins should further signal fine comedy. Why then is this film such a dud? Why then did it flop at the box office?

The answer is because it failed on three of the four aspects of comedy musicals. Instead of attributes, these turned out to be drawbacks. It takes all four aspects in top form to make great musicals, and three of four for very good musicals. Even two of the four can make a good film if they are strong and good enough to overcome the liabilities of the other two. Well, "Athena" has the cast, but nothing else. Where is the comedy? The script is completely devoid of any clever, witty or funny dialog. There are no antics with any humor to suggest comedy. Where is the very good and memorable music? It's a concoction of forgettable tunes and incoherent theme music. Vic Damone gives one weak variation of a revised tune of the day, as "The Girl Next Door." And Jane Powell has one good operatic song. But those can't save this humdrum musical score with nary a catchy or memorable tune. There isn't even another solo or lead number by Powell or Reynolds. A couple of fair dance scenes, Powell's operatic solo, and the cast showing up are the only things that keep this film from being a complete zero.

But, what about a plot - to go with the cast? Indeed, that's the clincher that drives a stake through the heart of this film. The three writers listed for "Athena" all had careers with some fine credits for writing and working on very good comedies and musicals, as well as a range of other films. It's not clear whose "original idea" it was for this film, but the plot has one of the weirdest screenplays I can recall from decades of theater-going and watching movies. The setting in and around the Mulvain family - which is most of the cast, is a concoction of mixed mythologies, astrology, numerology, and vegetarian eating and living.

Look at the names of the characters. The sisters have names from Greek and Roman mythology. Three are goddesses, one is a muse and another is a daughter of a god and wife who kills Jason's children. Grandma Salome's name comes out of the Bible - a granddaughter of Herod the Great. Grandpa Ulysses is named after the king of Greek mythology in Homer's Odyssey. Grandma's numerology and astrology dictate the future of all of the mystical namesakes. And, then these people live in some isolated hilltop close to the city, and thrive on nothing but vegetables -- including some exotic plants. And they run an esoteric fitness hostel of some sort. It could only have been more wierd if this had all been under water.

Well, the first audiences of the film in 1954 struggled through it ut afyrt that even fans who liked musicals "stayed away in droves." MGM lost over half a million dollars on the film. It finished 96th in box office for the year And that was a year that saw several great musicals. Paramount's "White Christmas" topped the box office sales for the year. It had a great musical cast, a great plot, great songs with several memorable tunes, and wonderful comedy. Universal's ":Glenn Miller Story" finished third for the year at the box office. It also had a great cast, the music of Glenn Miller, and a wonderful fictionalized biopic plot. Another big Paramount success was Danny Kaye's "Knock on Wood" that finished 24th for the year. It's zany plot had great comedy and wonderful music.

And, MGM had two successful musicals for the year that helped cover its losses from "Athena" and other weak films. Before Athena's release in November, MGM's "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" drew crowds to theaters across the country. That Jane Powell and Howard Keel musical comedy had tremendous talents, wonderful songs with superb dance scenes, a very good plot and setting, and wonderful humor. It finished the year in sixth place at the box office. The other MGM musical success for the year was "Brigadoon," with Gene Kelly, Van Johnson and Cyd Charisse. It finished 54th at the box office.

The 1930s through 1950s were the golden era of the Hollywood musicals. That they began to lose popularity may be partly attributable to poorer and weaker films being made - such as this. And, with the demise of the studios went the assembled pools of exceptional talents for dancing, choreography, singing, and musicians that are needed for great musicals.

Many people still enjoy good musicals, and there have been many superb box office hits since the golden era. I wonder what the next great musical will be about. And who will be the performer? And how long before it comes out?

Time for a DVD release!

[overseer-3 · 10/10 · 6 October 2006]

Athena is a musical that grows better with time. Starring lovely Jane Powell, handsome Edmund Purdom, lively Debbie Reynolds, and cute Vic Damone, this story of a new age family living in the hills of California, whose tenants include numerology, spiritualism, vegetarianism, no smoking or drinking, astrology, weight building, group singing, etc. manages to be a delight today, whereas other musicals of that era look rather dated. At the time it premiered it was considered rather a flop, but today it looks fresh and sparkling and topical. It's time for an official DVD release so we can obtain the film in a nice crisp digital print, instead of fuzzy VHS.

The few songs in the film are all beautiful and snappy, with a touch of irony and humor. I wish they were available in sheet music form, so that those of us who love "Love Can Change The Stars" can warble it while playing on our pianos or guitars.

I'm glad TCM plays it occasionally, it's always a treat, and nice to know that, at the time of this writing, all the major stars still seem to be alive and kicking. There was just something about the early training of the stars at MGM that helped the performers achieve longevity. Look at most of the major MGM musical stars of the 1940's and 1950's and many lived into their 80's or 90's, or are still with us. I guess it taught them endurance. So much better than being a couch potato! ;)

I wish the old fashioned musical would come back to our theaters, but failing that, we always have these golden oldies to dream upon, whenever we need a break from this cruel world.

Powell And Reynolds Shine

[atlasmb · 8/10 · 20 June 2019]

Jane Powell is Athena. Her sister, Minerva, is played by Debbie Reynolds. One is named after the Greek goddess of wisdom; the other is named after the Roman goddess of wisdom. They have five others sisters named after figures from ancient mythology, and they all live with their grandparents (named Ulysses and Salome) in an enclave that celebrates vegetarianism, healthy living, exercise, astrology and a lifestyle designed to create healthy individuals. Those familiar with Jack Lalanne might recognize some tenets of his lifestyle.

To those on the "outside", like the characters played by Vic Damone and Edmund Purdom, this can be confusing or kooky. But there is no denying the allure of these comely beauties who also happen to be surrounded by bodybuilding hunks like Steve Reeves.

This quirky film falls under the musical comedy umbrella, but it seems to offer something different---an outlook on the world. Although it bears a resemblance to another film released in 1954---"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", its depiction of an alternate culture separate from the rest of the world is similar to another film musical released that year: "Brigadoon".

The unique soundtrack includes songs by Martin and Blane that fit the unusual narrative and allow the cast to demonstrate their vocal talents.

This film is not for everyone, but I find it charming and enjoyable.

I never find fault with movies.

[stelco · 9/10 · 20 August 2006]

I watch this movie on an average of twice a week and still find it as delightful as the first time. The teaming up of Vic Damone & Debbie Reynolds was a wonderful choice, they certainly compliment each other both in voice as well as temperament, they are a delight to watch. Edmund Purdom is absolutely priceless with his dry wit & pompous superior air, and the bantering dialogue between him & Vic Damone lends an extra dimension to the movie. Always a pleasure to watch him on screen. Charles Purdom was correct when he said Edmund was a natural on stage. What can one say about Jane Powell, always a delight to watch and her voice needs no comment from anyone, it is always superb and a joy to listen to. Louis Calhern & Evelyn Vardin are well matched again as in "The Student Prince". What I do not understand is that everyone seems to forget "Miss Seely", Kathleen Freeman, what a delight it is to watch her as the ever willing secretary to Adam Calhorn Shaw, even to chomping away at a carrot to fit in with his new health regime. Lets not forget about "Roy", Henry Nakamura, also a little gem & a delight in his movies. I wonder what happened to him as he seemed to have had a very short movie career. All told, this may not have been a box office hit, but will always remain one of my favourite movies to watch.

Brilliant and sophisticated Musical Score

[lrrap · 8/10 · 12 June 2016]

I am very glad to have recently discovered this wacky, breezy musical from the waning days of MGM's glorious heyday. The other reviews here do a fine job of summing up ATHENA'S attributes; my only real disappointment is the fact that the film's final ten minutes is not as well-constructed as the rest; too many back-and-forth confrontations between the main characters, all wrapped up in an unexpected final reprise of the song "Harmonize" (or is it "Vocalize"?).

HOWEVER--- this is a relatively minor quibble when compared to the delights which seem to tumble forth from this silly, quirky, but immensely enjoyable romp. And Martin and Blane's score, while a bit meager in terms of the number of songs which it contains, is TOP-NOTCH.

The opening credits feature the lush title-song "Athena", in the quintessential "exotica/lounge" idiom (complete with MGM's expert chorus), so much a part of the 1950's pop-culture. This song functions solely as "presentation" music and is never actually sung in the film.

Then there's "VOCALIZE/HARMONIZE", a robust, life-affirming waltz that features Hugh Martin's distinctive and novel melody and harmonic progressions. It is very sophisticated, and several cuts above what one normally encounters in the average film musical.

"IMAGINE" is also very intriguing in its musical language; it's essentially a light-jazz "Swing" ballad but again, it's far from ordinary, since it's melody and blues-inspired harmonies continually shift when you least expect them to. Beautifully crafted stuff, especially when carried by Blane's clever lyrics.

"LOVE CAN CHANGE THE STARS" is the score's major romantic ballad, and it is superb. Again, it is anything but predictable in musical terms, but it is utterly, exquisitely logical and beautifully shaped, to boot. MGM's legendary, lush "house" orchestration *(see below)is delicate and shimmery, and demonstrates a phenomenal command of orchestral color.

The Rhino Handmade CD of the ATHENA soundtrack contains the original demos of all of the songs, performed by Ralph Blane (vocal) and Hugh Martin (piano); they are a JOY to listen to (though sometimes Mr. Blane's upper vocal register gets a bit annoying). If you enjoy this score, you really must hear the songs as performed by their creators. I would go so far as to say that the final portion of their piano/vocal rendition of "Love Can Change the Stars" elevates it to the level of Kurt Weill's Broadway ballads-- seriously....it's that good.

"I NEVER FELT BETTER" is another musical marvel. Ralph Blane's lyrics must be heard to be believed; the amazing Johnny Mercer could not have produced anything wittier and more inventive than Blane's lyrics for this tune. It's dazzling, as is the on screen choreography (uncredited!?!), which must have taken three weeks to rehearse, since it was mostly filmed in L-O-N-G, extremely intricate takes.

Then there's VENEZIA, obviously written to showcase the incomparable singing of Vic Damone (since the song serves no dramatic function in the film). But it's SO lovely, especially since its dark, chromatic musical language creates an exotic, wistful quality that is both alluring and sentimental. Add to it the stunning arrangement and orchestration by Albert Sendrey (another of the unsung musical masters who labored uncredited on MGM's staff) which practically drips with luxuriant color (not to mention Jeff Alexander's choral background), and you have another superb example of the Hollywood musical artistry at its height.

Again, the true beauty of VENEZIA is only revealed on the Rhino CD release, which is in the original 1954 optical stereo, amazingly rich, full-bodied and detailed; it sounds as good as anything that's been recorded since. Happily, the audio quality of the DVD soundtrack is also excellent.

* (How deplorable and unjust that MGM arranger and orchestrator Albert Sendry, whose superb work is heard in the Main Title, "Vocalize", "Love Can Change the Stars" and "Venezia" received NO screen credit, while Robert van Eps, who produced mostly shorter, incidental numbers in the score, was listed in the opening credits as sole orchestrator. A raw deal if there ever was one).

Just one more comment about the film itself: most of the script is quite well written. The dialogue is snappy and clever, and I continually crack up at stuffy, stick-in-the-mud lawyer Edmund Purdom as he deals with a continual stream of vexing, annoying and confusing situations. His big dialogue scene with the irrepressible Louis Calhern in the Mulvain family gym is truly funny.

"SINGIN' IN THE RAIN" is definitely the more classic musical when compared to "ATHENA"---what Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor accomplished on screen was in a class by itself----but I will be so bold as to say that "ATHENA'S score is the better of the two.

So sue me.

ATHENA is definitely worth getting to know. It's a unique piece of our Hollywood film-musical heritage, and cannot be allowed to remain in oblivion. Check it out-- I guarantee that, after listening to these delightful,enchanting tunes a few times, you will NOT be able to get them out of your head for days.

LR

PS-- The charming and supremely talented Vic Damone is 88 years old today (JUNE 12, 2016).

Love Can Change The Stars

[jhkp · 8/10 · 17 June 2012]

This film is a delight. It's about a culture clash in the LA of the mid-fifties, between Athena (Jane Powell), a numerologist from a large, eccentric family who own and operate a health-food store and live in a kind of New Age Olympus on top of one of the Hollywood hills, and Adam (Edmund Purdom), a conservative lawyer whose family hails from Massachusetts and who likes steaks, cigarettes, and martinis. He also happens to be running for Congress, which makes his relationship with Athena and her unusual family problematic.

This 60+ year old film humorously but respectfully presents the Southern-California health culture of the mid-1950's, that was still considered by many to be way-out and crazy - including vegetarianism, strenuous exercise, bikes vs. Cars, and body building.

The songs by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine are fantastic, including the lovely "Love Can Change the Stars", with its wonderful, unusual rhymes, and "I Never Felt Better," an energetic number headlined by Debbie Reynolds and Powell, and choreographed (as is the whole film) by Valerie Bettis.

Another great tune is Vocalize, first sung by Jane as she mulches some peach trees, and reprised several times.

The bodybuilders (Steve Reeves, Richard DuBois, et al) mostly come off as jerks, which I guess was necessary to the plot, so that the "regular" guys can get the best of them, but it's a bit unfair. By the end of the film there's harmony between all parties - not really adequately explained, but hey, it's not War And Peace, it's just an MGM musical, and a fun one.

Edmund Purdom is handsome, quietly charming, and appropriately stiff as the lawyer who loves Athena, but when he's supposed to be loosening up, well, he's still maybe a bit stiff. Vic Damone, in the second lead, plays a TV crooner who woos Debbie and has a couple of numbers to showcase his superb skills, including a reworking of "The Boy (Girl) Next Door" from Meet Me In St. Louis, and "Venezia," which has nothing to do with the plot (it's sung in a nightclub act) but is another terrific song by Martin-Blaine. The lovely and very talented Jane also gets to sing the obligatory classical piece (from Donizetti's "Daughter Of The Regiment") and really sells it. All in all, the musical interludes are legit, and make the picture one of the more truly enjoyable MGM musical shows.

The supporting actors in the film are great, especially Louis Calhern as the 78 year old grandfather who can still do gymnastics (Calhern was actually in his late 50's); Evelyn Varden ("I love you, let us be friends") as Grandma, who communes with a spirit called Narda; Ray Collins, Carl Benton Reid, and Howard Wendell as the three older law partners urging Purdom to maintain his dignity; the wonderful Kathleen Freeman as Purdom's stuffy secretary (who starts out eating chocolates and winds up munching on a raw carrot); and the subtly bitchy Linda Christian, who is so good as Athena's blue blood adversary you somehow can't quite hate her as much as you should. Also in the cast are the lovely actress-singer Virginia Gibson, as well as talented Nancy Kilgas, both of whom were also in "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" (1954) with Jane. Also delightful is Henry Nakamura (you may remember him from "Westward The Women", or "Go For Broke") as Purdom's houseboy, who informs his boss that Powell speaks Japanese with a Spanish accent.

The settings are imaginative and expertly realized, especially the modernistic hilltop home of the Mulvains, and the vocal, orchestral and choral arrangements are fantastic.

There is just something fresh and likable about the movie, its setting, characters, tunes, and dances. Sadly, the era of the MGM musicals was on the wane when this one was made. Jane Powell's film career didn't survive her departure from the studio, though Debbie Reynolds became an even bigger star over then next ten years.

Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds make this worth watching

[RogerMooreTheBestBond · 8/10 · 8 May 2009]

I love Jane Powell and have started collecting her movies on DVD. This is the first film I have seen. Jane Powell and Debbic Reynolds play 2 of 7 sisters who believe in the stars and a healthy lifestyle. I have no problem with a healthy lifestyle, but believing in the stars is bunk(take a star off for that). Jane courts Edmund Purdom and Debbie courts Vic Damone. Both men do a good job in the film and they have good chemistry with their partner. Jane, Debbie and Vic all sing and the songs are good, but not great(take another star away). The plot states that Jane must marry before Debbie can marry. Jane and Edmund like each other and then they meet one another's friends and the different lifestyle almost destroy the relationship. However, both try to make changes and they end up together in the end. Louis Calhern is a favorite of mine and he plays the girls grandfather. He is kind of the leader of the pack. I wished he had a bigger part. He only had three scenes in the movie. The other highlight of the film was seeing Jane in a nice short skirt while she served dinner. I really liked her figure. She is really a beautiful woman, especially with blonde hair. Overall this is a film worth watching.

Loony, enjoyable and underrated musical.

[tjonasgreen · 10 June 2004]

ATHENA is a strange movie in many ways, some of which still resonate today. As a satire of a certain kind of Southern California lifestyle it was ahead of its time. Astrology, numerology, exercise, body-building, vegetarianism, non-smoking, environmental allergies, animal rights, contemporary art and architecture are all parodied or touched on here, and all became joke punchlines in the '50s and '60s -- until these 'isms' became part of mainstream culture. Here for the first time in movies we see familiar aspects of American life as we take it for granted in 2004.

On a completely different front, it was the lack of tuneful, memorable original scores that began to kill the movie musical in the 1950s and the exceptions were few: ROYAL WEDDING, CALAMITY JANE, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, GIGI, then much later, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE. Can you think of others? Those that were as good or better were either revues of old song catalogs (SINGING IN THE RAIN, THE BAND WAGON) or else were filmed versions of hit Broadway shows. On the other hand I LOVE MELVIN, HIT THE DECK, LUCKY ME, TWO TICKETS TO Broadway, Texas CARNIVAL, GIVE A GIRL A BREAK, SMALL TOWN GIRL, THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, THE GIRL MOST LIKELY, THE GIRL RUSH and others like them presided over the slow death of a great film genre. Blane and Martin's score for ATHENA isn't top notch, but it's good and it deserves to be better known than it is.

Then we have the coded gay sensibility that slumbers in every film musical but occasionally awakens in '50s Hollywood in the 'Is There Anyone Here For Love?' number in GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, in the 'Put 'Em Back' number from L'IL ABNER and throughout ATHENA, which even has an appearance by physique god and gay icon Steve Reeves, along with a gaggle of other adorable, glossy-haired muscle studs who were almost certainly gay to a man (for the right price, anyway). Somehow, ATHENA weaves these various skeins in a way that is simultaneously entertaining and mind-blowing, awful yet kinda terrific. All this and Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds in the same picture.

Which turns out to be revealing. Jane Powell was always pretty, peppy and efficient, and I've always preferred her operetta-style singing voice to those of Jeanette MacDonald, Deanna Durbin or Kathryn Grayson. And yet more than some others, this role reveals a certain detachment, a lack of affect. Having now watched six or eight Powell films over a short period (via the Universite de TCM), it gradually dawned on me that for all her niceness and professionalism she never really seems to connect to her material, her surroundings or her co-stars. Did she ever make you believe she was Walter Pigeon's daughter? George Brent's? Fred Astaire's sister? Or that she was in love with Peter Lawford, Cliff Robertson or (in this picture) Edmund Purdom? It's as if she's starring in a film in her own head where the other actors are her creations. Compare her to Debbie Reynolds here, whose talent and personality seem so much more engaged and energetic -- this may be a construction (Debbie was an ambitious and hard-working gal) but she is more immediate, more alive than Powell, and she effortlessly steals the 'I Never Felt Better' number out from under Janie, making it the best in the film.

Need more reasons to check out this curious and curiously enjoyable musical? Well, there is the very handsome Edmund Purdom, whose stiffness is for once used well in a film, and who manages, in his sly, quiet way to be very sexy and charming. Then there is dishy, bitchy Linda Christian, who loses Edmund to Jane, but who is so much more believable as his consort. As she must have seemed in real life: after husband Tyrone Power died, she briefly married Purdom. And then there's the fact reported by Esther Williams in her memoir "Million Dollar Mermaid" that she and Charles Walters originally dreamed up ATHENA as a swimming musical for her. Do seek it out. It's not entirely successful, even on its own terms, but it's worth a look.

Great campy fun!

[rteiger · 10/10 · 20 August 2022]

I had never heard of this movie so my expectations were low, but from the start it turned out to be nonstop fun! Lots of happy songs, dancing, hunky bodybuilders, funny satire, and great escapism! If you need to totally escape the current era, this will make you laugh and smile and sing for joy! You'll be sad to see it end.