How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

You won't be disappointed!

Powerful

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Three "socialities" set up camp in a New York apartment determined to find Mr Right, but complications ensue when the 3 women seemingly find their perfect soulmates...Despite having a fun set-up there is precious little to care about in this rather flimsy premise; all 3 women are go getting socialites (which is probably the kindest and most politically correct way to describe these women) as they go about ensnaring unsuspecting male victims. There's no depth to the script as we continuously witness our 3 broads shallowly picking off the unsuspecting male victims. The film continues on in this vein with perhaps the only warm exchange existing between Marilyn Monroe and the sappy passenger who she meets on the plane - not only was this a warm exchange, but it meant we also got to see a rare moment where Monroe 'geeked' out - she was a gorgeous looking woman no questions, but this is perhaps the only role I've seen her in where she wasn't apparently the' hot one' on the face of it which was a near impossible feat in retrospect.Despite Marilyn's wonderful curves and Lauren Bacall's sprightly performance I didn't much care for this film; I found it rather shallow and the whole concept is horribly dated and doesn't exactly paint women in a positive light (though this is perhaps down to the era that the film was made). Some of the production values are also quite poor with some of the sets looking quite tacky - although the film is over 60 years old so perhaps this is to be expected. The three leads do OK with what they have to work with, but the basic story isn't easy to become invested in and I did feel myself not really giving a damn about who ended up with who or what happened to anyone towards the end.Despite the star power of Monroe and Bacall (and despite Bacall's best efforts) this is a pretty crappy film that is best forgotten.

How to Marry a Millionaire is a very 1950s movie. A glossy technicolor cinemascope flick that starts with a remarkably long and tedious overture, the movie is slickly made and stars three Hollywood legends, Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, and Lauren Bacall, as three golddiggers on the make. It's a story that was made several times in the 30s and 40s but doesn't age well. Bacall seems smart and capable, yet instead of starting a business, which is what someone like her would do nowadays, she says the ultimate goal of any woman is to be married and she decides she'll take money over love. She also seems too smart to fail to second-guess her instincts about the guy she doesn't know is rich.Monroe has a reputation for playing the dumb blonde, but here she's really more of the insecure blonde whose refusal to wear her glasses in public has her bumping into walls. The actual dumb blonde is Betty Grable, who is amusingly earthy as a genial idiot who is stupider than a typical 13-year-old.Monroe and Grable are pretty amusing, and Monroe has her typical radiance, but they fail to elevate the predictable story and the bland comedy. There are occasional bright moments, as when Bacall says she likes older men like "that old guy from the African Queen," but most of the movie is stupid and rather witless.The movie's portrayal of women is also pretty awful. Not only is their plot to catch millionaires creepy, but they rent someone's apartment and then sell all their furniture, which is played for laughs even though its criminal behavior. All of the women and most of the men are actually pretty awful people, and it's weird how the movie doesn't seem to even recognize that. I read an interesting critique that portrayed this movie as anti-feminist propaganda determined to show women that their proper place was as pleasure objects for men, and it's a reasonable theory (it did come out just a few years after The Second Sex was published). It's certainly a movie that has aged poorly, especially when it trots out one of the most common terrible features of 1950s movies - the endless fashion show, and a movie that feels like a low blow in the war between the sexes.Not really worth watching except for the stars, who put their all into this terrible thing.

Three of America's most famous and talented sex icons of Hollywood's Golden Age join forces to deliver a classic romantic comedy that'll leave your sides split. It's truly remarkable to witness these ladies pave the way for many actresses to come.Composer Alfred Newman directed and conducted the score of this film, featuring the 20th Century Fox Orchestra. Newman brings 1950's New York City to life with the fast-paced number entitled "New York". The staccato of the brass instruments and a colorfully playful orchestra were met with a sparkling piano chiming in throughout the tune. This exquisite arrangement shows the two sides of the Big Apple Americans have come to know and love: the hectic streets swarming with pedestrians and yellow taxi cabs, and the twinkling lights of the city's beautiful skyline after the sun sets.In addition to the dazzling score, the acting, particularly that of Marilyn Monroe, really plays a significant role in the establishment of "How to Marry a Millionaire" as a genuine Hollywood classic. Throughout the 20th century, the stereotype of the "dumb blonde" became a big part of American contemporary culture thanks to roles held by Marilyn Monroe, such as Pola Debevoise. Betty Grable also portrays a "dumb blonde" character, but her performance, although comical, was sub- par standing along side Miss Monroe's.The main reason I love and appreciate this film is because it's a snapshot of American pop culture of the 1950's. But in its very unique time-capsule quality lies a huge issue I have with "How to Marry a Millionaire". Blatant classism and sexism is heavily shown throughout the movie. Despite having three women as the leading roles, the plot features a recurring theme of women needing the financial support of a man to make it in America. Not only is this theme sexist, it portrays people, in this case men, of lower-income households are deemed unfit and undeserving of a beautiful wife. Yes, one could argue that sexism and classism add to the accurate representation of the 1950's, but they give the film somewhat of a shelf life. After a while, more and more people might find these parts of the story negatively outweighing its accomplishments.That being said, this film is an overall success and goes down as a true Hollywood classic in my books. It's one thing to see old photographs of Golden Age actresses like Marilyn Monroe, but actually seeing what gave her the reputation of a legendary performer and American sex icon is a remarkably magical experience unique to a film like "How to Marry a Millionaire".

Well what do you say about an obvious vehicle to showcase a select group of stars who are stuck with one of Nunnally Johnson's worst scripts? You talk about the cinematography, that's what! I'll let others discuss the storyline and failings of this celluloid crapper.Joe MacDonald's camera-work is glorious, and could be in fact the best part of the film.The shots of New York City are especially memorable.But other settings in the film are equally as good.This is a great example of the relatively new process (at that time) of Cinemascope.It is worth putting the mute on and just watching the scenery (besides Marilyn, Betty and Lauren) go by.