Rose Marie (1954)

Simply A Masterpiece

Purely Joyful Movie!

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The classic operetta, filmed into a movie in 1936 with Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, was remade in 1954, but with significant changes. If you're used to the plot from the earlier version, you'll be surprised by this remake. It was an obvious choice to place Howard Keel in the leading role, since he'd twice played a character who fell for a tomboy after she had a makeover. Ann Blythe took the title role, but even though she tried really hard, I found rather irritating. Her French accent wasn't very good, and she didn't really bring anything to the already unlikable character. She plays a rough-and-tough young girl, brought up around Canadian Mounties, who doesn't really understand what it means to be a woman. Just when the sparks are starting to fly between her and Howard Keel, she gets distracted by no-good Fernando Lamas! It doesn't make any sense, and Fernando is portrayed as a scoundrel through and through.All in all, it's wonderful to hear Howard Keel singing the title song, but I'm not the biggest fan of the famous "Indian Love Call" song, sung between Ann and Fernando. Unless you really love this musical, or Ann Blythe, I recommend sticking with Annie Get Your Gun.

I first saw this movie as a young girl. I have loved it ever since. How can one miss with 2 incredible men and a young girl with such voices and oh the music. Who cares if Ann Blythe can't sing quite as well as Jeanette McDonald. I love the Tom Boy think. I was one when I was a girl. YOu are suppose to go to a movie to enjoy and come out happy and this movie makes me feel good. I don't go to see if in one seen the actor is wearing black shoes & the next blue when it should be black. WHO CARES. Then you have the scenery. Beautiful. Bert & Margarie. Their characters are so funny & lovable. The whole group of actors make this a funny & enjoyable movie.

I saw this movie when I was just entering my teen years... I loved it then and I would dearly love to see it again and own a copy of the movie. I can still hear that song Rose Marie in my head. I have the soundtrack record done on the smaller format 33rpm and don't even have a turntable to play it on so I can put the music on tape or CD...The movie had two of my favorite actors of that time. Howard Keel - my all time favorite actor/singer. Though I could not watch him when he was on Dallas.. Fernando Lamas was also a favorite and I loved him in this movie although I didn't think he could sing all that great. I have been checking for several years now and no luck so far. I keep hoping I will live long enough to see it again. Cheers All JE

Saw this on a massive CinemaScope screen during its first-run release at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, California. If memory serves (since I haven't caught it on a Turner Classic Movies broadcast recently) it was enjoyable and nicely mounted, although I seem to recall that a lot of it was done on some massive MGM soundstages rather than outdoors in the northern California and Canadian locations. Of course that was usually the case with musicals with outdoor settings. Technical considerations prompted the studios to go the easy route of utilizing the more easily controlled environments of, in MGM's case, their Culver City, Calif. lot and stages subbing for the great outdoors. Howard Keel and Ann Blyth (and Fernando Lamas, too) acquitted themselves quite nicely in the vocal department. And any movie that gives us Marjorie Main and Bert Lahr for some expert comic relief is to be fondly remembered. Although its popularity may not merit it, it would be nice to add a DVD version, not yet available, it appears, of this widescreen/stereo remake to one's video library.