User Reviews

'Roberta' with Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers wasn't immune to flaws (Randolph Scott, lacking story execution), but on the whole it is a much better film, especially for the songs and their timeless renditions, production values, the choreography and the rest of the cast being used to great advantage.

'Lovely to Look At' certainly is lovely to look at, being filmed in absolutely glorious Technicolor and boasting opulent costume and set design. Jerome Kern's songs are as timeless as ever, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is one of his classics though "I Won't Dance" and "I'll Be Hard to Handle" are the standout renditions of the film. They are accompanied by choreography that's witty and poised, again the delightfully charming "I Won't Dance" and Ann Miller's knockout performance of "I'll Be Hard to Handle".

Despite garnering a reasonably mixed reaction, the fashion show is sheer visual beauty and is where the energy and interest is most apparent. Some of the cast disappoint, but Marge and Gower Champion have a field day and triumph in "I Won't Dance". Ann Miller was a scene stealer in many of her films and anybody who loves her will in no way be disappointed by her enviously energetic and poised dancing in "I'll Be Hard to Handle". It has to be admitted too, that Howard Keel does sing sublimely, he is a tender singing partner in the title song and fares even better in "You're Devastating".

On the other hand, this cannot be said for the rest of the cast. Kathryn Grayson is not at her best, pouting her way through her role and she has been in better voice, sometimes very nice but at other times shrill and fatigued. As wonderful as Keel sounds, he is unusually stiff here and he and Grayson don't seem to share much chemistry together so some of their longer scenes border on the tedious.

Then there is Red Skelton (who always was a take or leave performer), who mugs embarrassingly and comes over as irritating, and Zsa Zsa Gabor whose performance generally lacks charisma and sass in a role that gives her little to do.

Much of the story is contrived and tedious, with flashes of greatness in two or three song renditions and the fashion show but falling flat especially in the scenes between Keel and Grayson. The script lacks the light-hearted touch that worked so well in 'Roberta', as well as its warm heart and wit, disadvantaged by the comedy falling so flat particularly with Skelton and the performances of the cast varying so wildly. Mervyn LeRoy directs quite sluggishly on the whole.

In conclusion, lovely to look at but to see this talented crew on better form look elsewhere. 5/10 Bethany Cox

"Roberta" (1935) was based on a play of the same name. Now here in 1952, MGM decided to remake it. However, they didn't really like the plot and the characters and so all they really kept were the songs and a few pieces here and there. Not exactly a re-make, huh?

I should point out that the reason I watched this is because I really like Red Skelton films. But, I don't usually like him in musicals because then his comedy clearly takes a back seat. Can this film somehow be a good musical AND a good Skelton vehicle?

Al (Skelton) and his two buddies (Howard Keel and Gower Champion) are trying to get backers for their Broadway show...but with no luck. Then, out of the blue, Al receives a telegram...his aunt in Paris has died and left him her fancy dress business. So, the three head to Paris...intent on selling the place and using the money for their show. But there's a problem...Al is smitten with one of the ladies running the business (Kathryn Grayson) and has a hard time telling her of his intentions. The same happens with his buddies and they decide, instead, to try to make the place even bigger and grander...and they seem to have forgotten about their play. This is odd...even odder is their idea of turning this dress shop into a combination dress shop and night club of sorts! If this sounds confusing, welcome to the club!!

The confusion gets worse when practically everyone seems to have fallen in love with Tony (Keel)...and you wonder whether he'll end up with Stephanie (Grayson) or Bubbles (Ann Miller) or the one he really seems to be in love with...Tony! As for the third friend, Jerry (Gower Champion) says very little and is really only there to do fancy dance numbers with his real life wife, Marge Champion.

So is this any good? Well, it depends. If you love a big, long and very splashy dance sequence at the end and don't mind that the film has many formulaic elements (pretty much all of them are embodied in Tony!), then you'll no doubt enjoy it. As for me, I wanted more comedy, more Skelton and less of everything else. Mildly entertaining and that's all.

This was a remake of the RKO Astaire-Rogers pastiche ROBERTA (1935), but it had its own merits. MGM used its 'Jack Cummings' unit of talent- most of the alumnae from SHOW BOAT and KISS ME KATE- to perform here. Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson represent the singing couple (Irene Dunne essayed the role originally in ROBERTA, but her mate was the non-singing Randolph Scott), and do very nice renditions of the songs 'The Touch of Your Hand' and their witty first duet, 'You're Devastating.' The dancing couple was none other than Marge & Gower Champion, married in real life and presenting the dances with a bit more romance. They first dance to the call-and-response ditty 'I Won't Dance' in a fitting room with mannequins on wheels. Later, in an after-hours café, they discover they are falling in love and dance to an instrumental version of 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes-' particularly breathtaking because it is staged as a love scene instead of a performance, and it makes the most of a dreamy, starry-night set piece, of which the dance floor is put to a great deal of use in its climax when the Champions swing each other around in romantic pirouettes. Finally, there is Red Skelton assuming the role of the actual salon heir, cutting up on a piano rag and narrating the gargantuan fashion show finale. The remake includes a sexier version of 'I'll Be Hard to Handle' tapped out by Ann Miller, and 'new' songs 'Tomorrow Night' and 'Lafayette.'

That 30 minutes includes the dance numbers by Ann Miller and The Champions (indeed they were). The other 15 minutes is at the end of the film, a gorgeous fashion show designed by Adrian. It's the ultimate display of fantasy 50s feminine fashion. The designers and runway models of today should view this on how it should be done rather than the current crop of strident and pouting stringbeans who posture and pose in the drab and dreary unimaginative rags that pass as au courant fashion.

Grayson and Keel didn't really gel in this confection. Grayson always seems to be pouting, but that seems to have been her basic acting style. Keel is a bit stiff here, but his singing is right on the money. Red Skelton was quite funny back then and hugely popular; alas, his type of humor seems to have lost its appeal over time. Zsa Zsa was never the consummate actress like her sister, Eva (!!!) but her presence here added a daffy charm that soon became the Gabor sisters' trademark.

Still, the star of this flick is Adrian with his array of fab 50s feminine fashions that are definitely "Lovely To Look At". The gowns were especially spectacular and they inspired many a prom dress back then; also, debutante balls, weddings, and beauty pageants.

Glad to see that this film has finally become available. For many years, I believe it had problems being released because of copyrights held by the Jerome Kern estate.

Neither the RKO 1935 version of Roberta or MGM's 1952 Lovely To Look At are anything like the original show on Broadway. RKO eschewed a male lead singer opposite Irene Dunne and went with Randolph Scott. In and of itself that necessitated change as the vocal chores got divided up between Irene Dunne and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers who were the secondary leads. In that version it was Scott who inherited the Parisian dress shop and romanced a woman who managed the place named Stephanie played by Dunne.

Stephanie played by Kathryn Grayson is still running the dress shop known as Madame Roberta's. But here it's Red Skelton who inherits half the place from his late aunt. He's partners in an act with Howard Keel and Gower Champion and they want him to sell his half so that they can get the money for a Broadway show. The three of them have to cut Ann Miller in on the deal just to get passage over to Paris.

Of course it's Keel who Grayson pairs off with and in doing so the film comes into balance vocally as the stage show did. Getting the dance numbers are Marge and Gower Champion, Marge playing Grayson's younger sister.

I think I can see the way the minds worked at MGM. In 1950 they copped the Best Picture Oscar for An American In Paris with a nice Parisian setting. Then the following year, Keel, Grayson, and the Champions were in a remake of another Jerome Kern classic Showboat which did very well. What to do, but combine all that in a Jerome Kern show that's Parisian based in Roberta. Besides why let all those expensive sets recreating Paris go to waste.

Also the fashion show finale was absolutely inspired by the fantasy ballet from An American In Paris. But the fantasy of Kelly in that film is replaced by a surreal reenactment of Jimmy Durante's famous line of 'everybody's getting into the act'.

Sometimes these things work and sometimes they don't. In this case the sum was definitely not greater than its parts. Howard Keel in his memoirs said that he felt that Mervyn LeRoy did not do right by him in this film that he had to make up his own interpretation of his character. Maybe LeRoy had too loose a hand and the film needed an overall creative genius like Gene Kelly.

Three penniless Broadway producers are desperate to get their play made, and they suddenly find their plans realized when one of them inherits a Paris dress shop.

A remake of the 1935 musical Roberta, Lovely to Look At should be good but is isn't. The cast is great, but being a huge Fred Astaire fan, I was naturally going to be a little hard on the dance scenes in the remake.

They added a bunch of songs from the original Broadway production (which were absent from the 1935 film) for Howard Keel to sing, and it's easy to see why they were dropped from the '35 film as they're all pretty forgettable. The best dance sequence is probably the Champion's "I Won't Dance", but even that pales in comparison to Astaire's performance of it. Ann Miller amazingly only gets one dance number, a rather mediocre version of "I'll Be Hard to Handle". There's a horrible comedy sequence with Red Skelton too.

The love square between Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson, Red Skelton and Ann Miller is silly, and the addition of Marge and Gower Champion's characters to the plot makes an already convoluted plot even more convoluted. After the film ended, I felt like Red Skelton, Howard Keel and Ann Miller all didn't have enough screen time, but then I realized that there were just too many characters.

The Vincente Minnelli-directed fashion show sequence is probably the best part of the film. MGM's top costume designer Adrian created some nice costumes which look beautiful; it was his last film.

Overall, unless you're a diehard musical fan, I'd avoid this.

Although one can certainly argue that any Technicolor musical featuring Red Skelton and Ann Miller in the cast can't be all bad, this remake of 1935's "Roberta" would surely stand as proof they can't be all good, either. Three bachelor showmen on Broadway--struggling to get funding for their latest musical comedy--instead fly to Paris when one of the men inherits part-ownership in a haute couture fashion salon. The thin plot, derived from Dorothy Fields' and Otto Harbuch's play via Alice Duer Miller's book "Gowns by Roberta", is a wheeze that eventually turns its own characters into fools. Kathryn Grayson keeps rejecting the sweetly-dreamy romantic overtures by Red Skelton to save herself for Howard Keel (she only seems to love Keel because he's strict with her--that old routine that all women love a good chase). Skelton, the comic of the bunch who longs for a white cottage with green shutters and six kids, is turned down so many times that he begins to seem a bit soft in the head (and Grayson comes off as a hard little number, without a trace of a jovial nature). It takes no-nonsense showgirl Ann Miller to cool green-eyed Grayson's jets (in the film's best scene), but there's no conviction in this plot. The men and women pair up romantically by design, not by cleverness (Skelton and Miller, both dejected, predictably turn to each other). The notion of three heterosexual men infiltrating a business run by women isn't given much attention, mainly because the filmmakers are only too eager to transform the whole picture into a fashion show by the film's final third. The Jerome Kern songs are retained, and there's a funny bit involving a faulty elevator, but otherwise this costume-vehicle isn't 'Lovely' so much as it is lacking. ** from ****

This could have been much better. Terrific cast, however Red Skelton (one of my favorites, usually) isn't in good form (but Ann Miller's form is terrific), Howard Keel is lackluster, and Zsa-Zsa is YOUNG! However blah the plot and acting are, I can highly recommend this picture on the basis of 3 dance routines by Marge & Gower Champion, two of which are unique. The first takes place among clothes racks, utilizing a wheeled dress-sizer. Take a long look at the dance... there are no cuts! IT IS ALL ONE TAKE! The last dance is near the end of the film, where jewel-thief Gower tries to take a diamond bracelet from mannekin Marge. Superb choreography in both routines! I gave it an 8 out of 10.

I'd forgotten how great Marge and Gower Champion were...just watched a VHS of this film I picked up at a video sale. Their dance to "I Won't Dance" is extremely well-staged in what looks like a very intricate one take, and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" has wonderful choreography as they float against a pale blue background with twinkling stars--it's beautiful. Ann Miller's knockout dance earlier in the film is memorable, too. Grayson and especially Keel have been heard to better advantage, though each is "lovely to look at." Skip the excruciating stand-up number by the Red Skelton in the party scene as well as the hideous fashion show at the end of the movie--OMG, those Fifties dresses were nightmarish. The art direction in this movie ranges from garish (the fashion show) to exquisite (cf. a stunning dawn park scene with Grayson and Keel and the aforementioned Champion number). All in all, a very mixed bag. The dancing by the Champions and Ann Miller is the best part of this film.

In a movie with all these phenomenal stars, the audience should be able to expect a riot of comedy and charm. Unfortunately, the talents of Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson tend to burn rather than smolder as the plot develops. Some scenes between the two main characters become absolutely tedious. That aside, Marge and Gower Champion are superb in this film, and Red Skelton with some help from Zsa Zsa Gabor adds several funny sketches to the overall production.

While I have to agree with many of the points made in the preceding reviews (and I'm surprised there are so many) no one has pointed out one of the main attractions of LOVELY TO LOOK AT; it is simply one of the most beautiful Technicolor films ever made.

Once upon a pre-home-video time this was one of the legendary vanished films of my youth. So (some years ago) I jumped at the chance to see a rare revival of it at the late, much lamented Regency in New York when it was screened as part of a Jerome Kern film retrospective.

The Regency must have unearthed an original Technicolor print because the film was even more stunning visually than I remembered. The deep blues in the Champions' "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" number, the infernal reds in their "Yesterdays" sequence in the fashion show, the misty pastels in Keel and Grayson's dawn ride in the Bois de Bologna, the gilded primitif look of Miller's "Hard To Handle" nightclub act…..

These are among the most stunning Technicolor sequences ever shot.

MGM Technicolor seemed to peak in the late 40s and early 50s (prior, I might add to the industry-wide conversion to inferior but cheaper Eastman color). MGM films such as HOLIDAY IN Mexico (1946) and THE PIRATE (1948) through LOVELY and SCARAMOUCHE (both 1952) brought the art of color cinematography to a peak it was never to equal again.

Musically LOVELY is stunning too, with it vintage Jerome Kern score, beautifully arranged (mostly) by Leo Arnaud. The modernistic, sometimes jazz-tinged orchestrations are brilliant, especially in the fashion show instrumentals. (Listen again to the "Yesterdays" arrangement here, if the smoldering reds behind the Champions do not blow you away).

And Kathryn Grayson's rendition of the classic "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is one of the highlights of her career.

Rhino recently released the full soundtrack in stereo, a CD worth pursuing for those with an interest in vintage musicals and arrangements.

Both musically and visually LOVELY TO LOOK AT defines'50s Populuxe. It will take a super DVD release to reveal both the visual and aural riches of this flawed under-rated classic.

Grayson and Keel allegedly both loathed this film, but everyone in it is also at their peak of '50s attractiveness. The plot is secondary, and there are emphatic lapses such as Red Skelton's routine about mid-film when director Mervyn Leroy, in a rather shocking sequence for MGM, apparently just let the camera roll because Skelton was on one.

The Tuesday matinée series at the Los Angeles Museum of Art has LOVELY TO LOOK AT scheduled for screening in Dec. By fortuitous coincidence one of the most gorgeous Technicolor musicals is followed (the next week) by one of the most beautiful BxW musicals ever made, Lubitch's 193 THE MERRY WIDOW.

I only hope LACMA gets a print comparable to the one I saw at the Regency in New York so many moons ago! (Did anyone mention Vincente Minnelli guest-directed the fashion show finale?)

Anyone up for a remake of Roberta? I like the original just fine, but since I love Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel, I was pretty excited to see what they'd do with it. The story has a few changes, and unfortunately, not for the better. Instead of giving Aunt Roberta a sentimental character and a touching death scene, she's already passed on by the time the movie starts. Instead of taking over the clothing line, the male inheritor (Red Buttons) wants to gather up money to put on a show with his pals. It's a glorified "Let's put on a show" movie, but with songs from another musical thrown in. Kathryn Grayson gets to sing "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and Howard Keel gets to serenade her with "Lovely to Look At." The story itself, as well as the characters, aren't that fantastic, though.

Howard Keel plays a total jerk in this movie, so have another of his movies handy to watch afterwards and restore your high opinion of him. He's a smooth talker who soaks his friends for all they're worth. He's constantly borrowing money from Buttons, and he talks him into using his inheritance for his own Broadway dreams. Ann Miller is his sweetie pie, but when she's away, he quickly starts romancing Kathryn Grayson-even though Buttons saw and fell for her first. Red Buttons is his usual sympathetic, sweet self, so you'll be rooting for him time and again.

There are ups and downs to the movie, depending on how much you like the cast members. If you love Ann Miller, you'll enjoy seeing her tap dance to "I'll Be Hard to Handle." If you don't, you'll sigh your way through it. The same goes for Red Buttons' monologue about a drunk Irishman. My favorite part was Marge and Gower Champion's "I Won't Dance" number. It's even cuter than in the original, and that's quite a compliment! With Marge's confidence, and Gower's good looks, it's a wonder why they didn't make more movies.

I can't remember the last time I saw such a wonderful, talented cast in such a forgettable movie. Take a look at that cast: Red Skelton, Howard Keel, Marge and Gower Champion, Ann Miller, even Zsa Zsa Gabor (and yes, I'm leaving out Grayson intentionally; she was not that talented). But the script is God-awful, and nothing works. What was the point of redoing a very exceptional previous movie, the 1930s Roberta with Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire, and Ginger Rodgers - and yes, Randolph Scott - if you weren't going to do something at least as good? Grayson can't hold a candle to Dunne when it comes to singing the big numbers in the show - Yesterdays, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes; they don't trust her with You're Lovely to Look At, and give it to the chorus instead - and she certainly was not in Dunne's league as an actress. The Champions do a beautiful dance number with Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, which is probably the highlight of the movie, but they don't have any charisma as actors. Keel is a great singer and has real charisma as an actor, but he's largely wasted here, as is Skelton, who has an embarrassing comedy number.

If you know the 1930s Roberta, this will make you cringe. If you don't, it still won't hold your interest.

Why they bothered with this, I don't know. Everyone in it did much better elsewhere.

--------------------------------

I watched it again last night on TCM, and saw better why this movie, even when not compared to its predecessor, just doesn't work for me: it's the script.

I don't care that it is different from the Broadway original, to which the 1930s version adheres more closely (though not altogether). Hollywood had always been in the habit of changing the plots of operettas. Here, since they changed the title from Roberta to Lovely to Look At, they really gave themselves the freedom to do just that.

Rather, the problem, as I saw it last night, was that they created several unlikeable characters for a show that really didn't need any. Howard Keel's role is the most disagreeable. What was the point of making him obnoxious???? Red Skelton's character (more or less the one Fred Astaire played in the 1930s version) comes off as too weak to be really interesting. Again, a real loss. Kathryn Grayson always came off as cold, to me at least, but here the script goes out of its way to make her unromantic. I found NO chemistry between her character and Keel's, which really guts an important part of the plot.

Keel sings well. Grayson sings as she always did, which I find grating, though I know it appealed to others. (To me, she makes Jeannette MacDonald sound like Helen Traubel.) As I said in my original review, above, everyone here did better elsewhere. With the exception of the Champions' dancing, which I really enjoy, I don't see any reason for sitting through this - unless you really can't sleep and there's nothing else on, which was my case last night.

The original treatment of this musical is from RKO in 1935 and called ROBERTA. It is possibly one of the most sublime movies, yet alone a musical, ever created. This healthy and sumptuous remake from 1952 has several genuinely jaw-dropping sequences, such is the lavish talent and extraordinary musical treatment from MGM at their musical zenith. Imagine Hollywood trying to come even close to making this film today! That is a genuine Mission Impossible. They would have to add a few killings to get the marketing dept to even understand it. That moan aside, I am very grateful to have LOVELY TO LOOK AT as well as ROBERTA in my life to charm me and to make me and my friends very happy. The two standout sequences in particular are "I won't dance" with Marge and Gower at their snazzy stylish dancing best...and yes all in one very clever take...and the astonishing fashion show finale, which should be mandatory for study in every part of every film school. The only misgivings are the lame and out of date comedy from Red Skelton hamming it up for the American Mid West audiences, and Howard Keel bellowing as usual. But for great women and eye popping clothes..the title says it all.

Broadway producers Al Marsh (Red Skelton), Tony Naylor, and Jerry Ralby are desperate for money. Al inherits a dress salon in Paris from his late Aunt Roberta. The trio sets off to get Al's money. The shop turns out to be a bust and one half of it is already owned by sisters, Stephanie and Clarisse. Their performer friend Bubbles Cassidy comes looking for Tony and Stephanie gets jealous.

Aside from Red, I'm not that familiar with these performers. I'm not really invested in anyone other than Red. It's a romantic musical. There is a lot of old fashion crooning. Musical is not my best genre and this type of music is really not mine. I'm not going to complain about the singing when the songs aren't doing it for me. The production value is good and there is some good dancing. Others may like this. I'm not the best judge for this one.

This is a very loose remake of The wonderful "Roberta", one of Jerome Kern's finest Broadway shows. The original movie starred Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Irene Dunne (in one of her finest singing roles on screen, the other being the original "Showboat"). There is absolutely no comparison between these movies. The original is really a fabulous Art Deco wonder, and includes a fashion show near the end, during which an extremely young, very blond Lucille Ball can be seen as a model. Skip this horrible movie and see the original in all of its splendor. As much as I love Ann Miller and Kathryn Grayson, this is far from their best work, and I simply cannot stand Red Skelton.

"Lovely to Look At" is one of the lesser films of the legendary MGM musical era. It doesn't have the extravagance of musical numbers or elaborate and flashy choreographed dance numbers that were MGM trademarks. It's a remake of the 1935 RKO smash hit , "Roberta." And while it doesn't have Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Irene Dunne, it has a very good cast of musical performers. The story has some major changes in the characters to accommodate the cast. The plot and some original songs of the first film followed the successful Broadway play it was based on. And it had some added tunes, including two that would become hit tunes and long-time favorites - "Lovely to Look At," and "I Won't Dance." While MGM used the one hit tune for the title of this film, and kept that song, the rest of the film has mostly very good Jerome Kern tunes from previous years.

That's not to say this isn't a very good and entertaining film. How could one not watch and enjoy the singing of Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel? How could one not enjoy the wonderful music of Jerome Kern, whenever it's played or sung? The camera work and color are very good, and it has a different twist with a splashy fashion show set music and some colorful set designs. And, the public liked it in 1952 when it finished the year in 28th place in box office revenues.

Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel are the musical leads as Stephanie and Tony Naylor. Red Skelton is most of the comedy in the film, but his Al Marsh isn't a barrel of laughs. Ann Miller does a couple of dance numbers with songs and Zsa Zsa Gabor adds some light humor in her flighty champagne-drinking and partying fun.

But the best reason to see this film - and what raises it to the level of very good, is the dancing of Gower and Marge Champion. This is just one of seven films in which they have respectable lead or supporting roles. They are fine as actors, but it's their dancing that shines. It's too bad that MGM didn't have some better films that the Champions could have acted and danced in. But this one is a keeper if just for one big electric dance number.

They were not Astaire and Rogers, nor were they Kelly and Charisse. But the Champions had a vibrant, fast and snappy dance style that showed great talent and that entertained many people. They did appear in a number of other movies - usually, just for one or two dance routines. They were in some TV programs and had a short-lived program of their own in 1957. As interest in musical films decline, the Champions turned to Broadway.

The couple married in 1947 and divorced in 1973. Marge won an Emmy in 1975 for choreography of the TV movie, "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom." Gower Champion received 15 Tony nominations from 1949 to 1981. He won eight Tony's, five for choreography and three for directing musicals. His last Tony for choreography was presented posthumously for the smash hit musical, "42nd Street," for which he also received a directing nomination.

Champion never saw the show because he died the morning of its opening. After long standing applause with several curtain calls that night, producer David Merrick announced from the stage that Gower Champion had died that morning of a rare cancer. He was 59. The show was the best hit of all of Gower Champion's musicals that included "Bye Bye Birdie," "Hello, Dolly!" and "I Do! I Do!" When it closed after 3,486 performances in 1989, "42nd Street" was the third longest running Broadway show in history. As of November 2018, it was in 14th place of all time.

Besides this movie, there are some others in which the Champions have solid parts or leads with superb dance numbers. The best are "Mr. Music" of 1950, "Show Boat" of 1951, "Everything I Have is Yours" of 1952, "Give a Girl a Break" of 1953, and "Three for the Show" of 1955.

Here are a couple of favorite lines from the film.

Tony Naylor, looking at the dress shop catalog, "Now, there's a little number calculated to drive a man clean out of his mind. Who dreamed that one up?" Stephanie, "I did. That was designed for the Baroness de Risor, our oldest customer." Naylor, "And when she dies, you're out of business, huh?"

Tony Naylor, when his girlfriend arrives from America, "This is, uh, Miss Stephanie, uh, Bubbles Cassidy. She, uh, owns a small piece of, uh, our piece, of.. your piece."

The studios were churning out musical comedies in grosses in the 50's and this is a great example of why the genre eventually died. Red Skelton had NO chemistry with the Grayson-Keel pairing. The comedy does not mesh with the singing which is out of balance with the dancing, and there's no plot to speak of anyway. Try Kiss Me Kate instead. My score: 4/10.

Once again, I have to start out that if you have never seen these old musical films on the big screen in the movie theaters, you've missed out experiencing the power and glory of these old films. You can't really experience this energy on a television screen and without the audience participation, that even adds to a let down in seeing these wonderful films. For instance, to watch "Who Was That Lady?" with Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis, and Dean Martin in the movie theater with the audience reaction to the comedy makes it a delight, but to see it on the television by yourself without being in the audience makes the film not a very enjoyable experience! You must have the audience! So, what about "Lovely To Look At"? First of all, these movies were never really meant to be cinematic masterpieces. This movie, just like others, was a boy meets girl, girl hates boy, boy chases after the girl anyway, and then - girl gets boy! Typical plot following Irving Berlin's song "A Man Chases A Girl Until She Catches Him". Everyone says see the Fred Astair/Ginger Rogers version originally called "Roberta". Well, even they had a formula: When Ginger meets Fred for the first time, she doesn't like him, but then in everyone of their movies, except for Barkley's of Broadway in which they played husband and wife, Ginger falls in love with Fred after they have their first dance together. This was the key plot in most of their movies, but - it worked, and the people went to droves to see them on the silver screen! But, there's another reason why these movies like "Lovely To Look At" are not considered any good today. First: You had o grow up in that era to enjoy this film and others like it! Second: There was much love in the world which the world is lacking! Third: Look at what's in the movies today. Either remakes of past classics like King Kong or violence, murder, crime, adultery, etc. etc. etc., but - where are the musicals? There aren't any! That's why no one can enjoy at film like "Lovely To Look At". Fourth: Where are our musical comedy performers in films? Where are the Kathryn Graysons, Howard Keels, Ann Millers, Gene Kellys, Fred Astairs, Cyd Charisses'? I saw Chicago and I really don't see anything musical about Richard Gere doing a tap dance in his undershorts! Forget the usual boy meets girl plot of "Lovely To Look At". The plot is only there to keep the glorious Jerome Kern music in the film, and what music? Lovely To Look At, Yesterday, You're Devastating, I Won't Dance, and the rest of the glorious score. You couldn't get a better cast including Red Skelton, Ann Miller, and Marge and Gower Champion, with a cameo by Zza Zsa Gabor who didn't really make that many movies but remained a Star! Irene Dunn? Please! You can't get any better than Kathryn Grayson who could sing rings around Dunn, and I and others consider Grayson to be the best singer that Hollywood ever turned out. We will never see the likes of her singing talent ever again in the movies.

Sadly, most of these old musical performers have passed, and Ann Miller was right in an interview when she said: "We will never see the days of those glorious M.G.M. musicals again!" And she also said, "These performers were incredible! We'll never have another Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, or Gene Kelly!" And you know what? She's right! And for a little trivia, look at Marge Champions face, then watch Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. At the age of 19, Marge Champion was known as Margorie Belcher and she was hired by Disney to be the model for Snow White. They rotoscoped key frames of her modeling for Snow White directly on to celluloid frames and if you watch closely, you'll see the resemblance!

One is tempted to call this a standard MGM musical for its time though that is not necessarily a put down. The lavish sets for the musical numbers as well as the stunning gowns are as eye dropping today as they were back then. The trouble is the script and the dialogue. A master director, Leroy does not have the goods here to work with. There are some decent moments and the actors do the best they can but u get the idea that everybody knows something is missing here.

Lovely to Look At (Mervyn LeRoy, 1952) is a remake of the Randolph Scott and Irene Dunne romance Roberta that trims and polishes Alice Duer Miller's plot, reworks the musical numbers and winds up a whole lot more satisfying. It's also something of a dry-run for the phenomenal Kiss Me Kate (the source play of which is referenced in the script) uniting three of that movie's stars a year ahead of time: tenor Howard Keel, soprano Kathryn Grayson and curvy tap dancer Ann Miller. The toothy Keel, my mum's favourite movie star, plays an aspiring Broadway producer, trying to get a new musical off the ground. When his fellow impresario, comic Red Skelton, inherits Parisian dress shop Roberta's, they and pal Gower Champion decide they'll sell up and splash the cash on their stage show – until they catch a look of the tasty co-owners (Grayson and Marge Champion).

The film dispenses with much of its predecessor's plottiness, using Roberta's as a metaphor, rather than thinking a dress shop is massively important in itself. Howard Keel is more like Coward Heel, you see, and the selfish showman needs to learn how to do right by his friends, and the gownerie they hold so dear. Keel, who went stratospheric after Annie Get Your Gun and starred in several key musicals of the period, including Calamity Jane and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, had a wonderful voice and fair comic instincts, but appeared to lack dramatic range. That's not necessarily true, evidenced by his commanding performance in Kiss Me Kate, but he was one-dimensional unless otherwise encouraged. Skelton is asked to truly act, as well as provide the usual buffoonery, and his scenes of heartbreak contrast nicely with his over-the-top comic shenanigans. As Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler (see Punch-Drunk Love) would after him, he finds a sentimental dramatic groove through intelligent underplaying, and confounds expectations. He still puts paper in his ears and shoots a woman's fur, though, if you're worried. Skelton also has the funniest line of the picture, reminiscing about the girl he "could have married". In support, Kurt Kasznar is the pick, playing the buffoonish Max, who holds hidden depths. The way he approaches a business meeting is hilarious.

Roberta featured the incomparable Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as cinema's most attractive second leads. They're replaced here by husband-and-wife dance team, Marge and Gower Champion. MGM apparently planned to remake all of Fred and Ginger's movies using the married hoofers, but this was the only one to come to fruition. They offer a pair of brilliant dance numbers, the joyous I Won't Dance – which is all done in one take – and a spot in the finale that sees them scrapping over a diamond bracelet. I was really taken with their agility, slinkiness and easy on-screen chemistry. The best number of all, though, is from Ann Miller, whose Hard to Handle is an absolute knockout: the leggy hoofer shoving aside wolfish admirers in a display of shimmering bravado. It could barely be more different from Ginger Rogers' version back in '35, which was performed in a heavy Russian accent, into a standing mic. Lafayette, a jaunty number that sees the three male leads bouncing around Paris, is great fun. The film also allows Grayson and Keel – never the most enthusiastic dancers – to stick to their strong suits and bellow two American standards introduced by Roberta. The title tune is sung by Keel, while Grayson does a touching reading of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, which is modestly staged and perhaps performed at the wrong time, but lovely to listen to.

Several of these performers would scale greater heights the following year in the dizzyingly, dazzlingly inventive Kiss Me Kate. While Lovely to Look At isn't in that league, it remains an accomplished slice of high-grade entertainment, complete with some eye-popping numbers.

Trivia note: As well as leaning on Roberta, the film borrows a couple of tricks from an MGM classic of decades past: Ninotchka, which was also set in Paris. Grayson's straight-faced recollection of stats about the Eiffel Tower is taken straight from that masterpiece, while the shot of Keel upon his return is pure Lubitsch.

Other than the Gower's occasional dances in this film, this movie just falls flat. True, there are some great songs, but Red Skelton is purely annoying, Zsa Zsa Gabor is wasted in a thankless role, and Ann Miller has all the personality of a sponge. I just watched it for the first time today. Now I understand why so many younger people think the old movie musicals are hokey. Occasionally they work - but not in this case...steer clear...the plot and acting are generally sub-par! Compared to the films of Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, and even Judy Garland, this film seems amateurish. Watch "In The Good Old Summertime" or "Carmen Jones" instead.

Usually it is mostly the visuals that get mentioned here and, certainly, the Technicolor photography in this film is outstanding. However the sound track can be appreciated more fully now that it has been released in a complete form on CD. The MGM orchestra was in fine form on these sessions and the scores by Leo Arnaud do Mr Kern's music justice. My vote goes to "I Wont Dance" as the epitome of the MGM 'big band' sound of the era. It's hard to believe, listening to this track now, that it was recorded in 1951! Of course it was recorded in that wonderful studio on what was the MGM lot in Culver City. I have been in there and the studio is a bit dingy; I believe it doesn't get a coat of paint for fear of disturbing the acoustics!

I have a pretty high fluff tolerance when it comes to classic MGM musicals. "Lovely to Look At" makes me want to lower that level. They way the men treat the women, whose stake in the shop is equal to theirs, makes me want to scream, but those were the times. I can't help but wonder who's actually making those extravagant gowns, because the sisters don't even thread a needle. Much of it is pretty outdated.

What's not outdated are the Champion dance numbers. I've seen them all before, and they remain fresh, inventive, graceful and delightful to watch.

"Lovely to Look At" is worth watching just for those.