Love Is Better Than Ever (1952)

Sadly Over-hyped

Absolutely brilliant

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

A romantic comedy about how the fear of marriage was nearly enough to scare a guy (Larry Parks), a New York talent agent, away from the young and very good-looking Elizabeth Taylor. It portrays a wholesome family background set in suburban Connecticut, with Taylor living with her parents and the owner and number one dance instructor of a school which trains dozens of local children. Stanley Donen used the kids to good effect in several dance scenes, the best of which is the finale production the school puts on for the town, with Taylor standing in the middle of a long line of four to six year-olds. Her attraction to Parks' character forms the crux of the plot, bringing him to Connecticut and seeing his character as a savvy New York pro mingling with the small towners, a bit reminiscent of the story in The Music Man, where, after being subjected enough to the simple life, a cynical guy and committed bachelor finally gives in.

I just saw this film this morning on Turner Movie Classics, and was actually very surprised. The film is certainly pleasant to watch, and some of it is actually funny and very appealing. The two stars merit comment. Larry Parks, of course, turned out to be a truly tragic figure in Hollywood, and he was virtually decimated by the Hollywood black list in the 1950's. As the head reviewer on this page said, Parks would probably have evolved into an excellent character actor had his career not been destroyed (his wife, actress Betty Garrett, herself said in an interview that Park's life was ruined by the Hollywood blacklisting. To our country's shame, many others shared the same fate. In this film, he is convincing and moderately successful, but opposite Elizabeth Taylor, one would have expected a more handsome leading man. Elizabeth Taylor, at age 20, is, of course, drop-dead gorgeous, but more importantly, she exudes an appeal and demeanor that is altogether winning. She had this same quality in such films as "The Last Time I Saw Paris", "Father of the Bride", and "Giant". Then she entered her most intense period with the films that brought her Oscar nominations (as well as two Oscars). It's a shame that after "Virginia Woolf", her second Oscar-winning performance, she essentially kept repeating the same loudmouthed strident type of demeanor. She was never able to regain the vulnerability and tenderness that she so beautifully demonstrated during the early and middle 1950's. Of course her much publicized personal life played a major part. In essence, she became a parody of herself in the late 1960's and never recovered. Whatever the case, "Love is Better than Ever" is worth watching for the light entertainment, the uniqueness of Larry Parks, and above all, for the charm and sweetness Elizabeth Taylor brought to the screen at this stage of her career.

Larry Parks is a fast-talking, streetwise agent who falls for a Connecticut dance teacher against his will in "Love is Better Than Ever," directed by Stanley Donen. Parks and Taylor have a whirlwind romance in New York while she's there attending a dance teacher convention. She falls in love, only to learn at the end of their week together that he's only interested in a good time. Heartbroken, she returns to Connecticut, where her father helps her hatch a plot that will bring him running to New Haven and into her arms.This is a very slight comedy, but Taylor is exquisitely beautiful and in excellent shape. It's no wonder that cynical Larry Parks can't forget her, though he claims that he wants to. In one scene, they stand and talk in profile for several minutes, and all one can think about is how perfect Taylor's profile is. Larry Parks is another story - a very strange choice for a leading man. Had he not been blacklisted, it's likely he would have gone on to character roles fairly quickly. For a studio that boasted the likes of Clark Gable and Robert Taylor, it's curious that he was cast in leads. He is, however, a very good actor, though it's hard to see why Taylor would have been attracted to him. Sadly, he only made two films after this one.There are some nice dance sequences with the children, including some dancing fruits. "Love is Better Than Ever" has some nice moments and a dazzling 20-year-old Taylor, and that's about it.

there is really very little to recommend. The young Taylor is beautiful, but Larry Parks in the lead it totally unbelievable. Perhaps the fact he looks like a clone of Regis Philbin doesn't help. How could Taylor's character fall for this guy?? And, what is Gene Kelly doing in this flick? It is just a cameo, but I don't see the point.Supporting performances are fine, and there is a limited amount of location filming.I'm not sure why Taylor agreed to this MGM B movie - perhaps due to contract obligations. Probably my least favorite Taylor film from the 50s/60s.