Let’s Make Love *** (1960, Yves Montand, Marilyn Monroe, Tony Randall, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Frankie Vaughan) – Classic Movie Review 2655

Director George Cukor’s 1960 movie is a lightweight, rather bumpy showbiz comedy-romance. But it does raise some sparks and laughs with a sparkling, appealing star team in Yves Montand and Marilyn Monroe plus welcome support performers in Tony Randall, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Frankie Vaughan and David Burns. And all can be forgiven when, in her penultimate film (before The Misfits), Marilyn unforgettably sings Cole Porter’s ‘My Heart Belongs to Daddy’.

In Norman Krasna and Hal Kanter’s easy-going screenplay, an off-Broadway revue show is about to satirise ultra-rich billionaire tycoon Jean-Marc Clement (Montand). So he passes himself off as an actor playing him, and joins the cast members, who include the beautiful star of the show, Amanda Dell (Monroe), and of course soon falls for her. But he naturally still doesn’t tell her who he is, pretending to be the penniless actor.

It’s not really much of a plot to hang a major movie on. The problem is it is convoluted without being fascinating. So it’s hardly surprising if some magic ingredient is missing in the soufflé to make it rise impressively, but director Cukor is a master baker and the special talent involved here can’t help from making it tasty.

Montand is entirely good enough but maybe doesn’t prove the ideal co-star for Marilyn. Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, Rock Hudson, James Stewart and Yul Brynner all turned down the part, so it’s hard to know who would have been the perfect fit.

The practised comedy turns from Randall and Hyde-White effortlessly upstage the tentative acting performance of singer Vaughan. Special guest stars Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly and especially Milton Berle add to the fun, playing themselves as the stars employed by Montand to teach him the musical-comedy skills that he needs to keep up the charade. Dick Dale plays Elvis Presley.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2655

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