Athena (1954) is a romantic musical comedy, starring Jane Powell, Edmund Purdom, Debbie Reynolds, Vic Damone, Louis Calhern, and Norma Varden, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Not a great success on its release, this motion picture has an unusual and somewhat campy appeal.
The film tells the story of a passionate girl with an extended family who share her unconventional beliefs. She falls in love with an old-fashioned man who is engaged to another woman!
The film includes many joyful songs with clever choreography.
The writers appear to have had fun inventing characters whose beliefs are an odd mixture of assertiveness, natural health, numerology, mythology, the supernatural, and bodybuilding for men.
Plot
The film stars Jane Powell as the energetic and eccentric "Athena Mulvain", who as the name suggests is not Greek, but comes from a family who appears to have been zanily inspired by classical antiquity. The entire family are anti-smoking, vegetarian, teetotallers, and into astrology and numerology.
Edmund Purdom plays the conservative lawyer "Adam Calhorn Shaw" who hopes to be elected to office like his father and his father's father, and who is, at the start of the film is engaged to sophisticated society lady, Beth Hallson.
Destiny or "the stars" dramatically begin to change the course of Adam's life when he meets Athena at a nursery. Athena, believing she has found her soulmate, follows Adam home where she meets Adam's fiance Beth, and begins mulching Adam's peach trees. She sings a song which captivates Adam and his Japanese butler Roy.
On her way home Athena meets an old ex-navy friend of Adam's who is now a successful crooner popular with the girls. Using numerology, Athena confidently introduces her sister "Minerva" (Debbie Reynolds) to this man Johnny Nyle (Vic Damone). Minerva is suspicious of Johnny's advertising of alcohol and meat products, however she believes Johnny might be alright "after some work with Grandpa".
Athena returns to Adam's house the next morning to the shock of Adam's fiance. Adam promises to tell Athena that he has no romantic interest in her, but finds she has left. He asks his legal secretary Miss Seely to search for her but to no avail. Eventually Johnny returns and tells Adam where Athena lives.
That night when Adam goes to the house, he meets the meditating Grandma Salome, Minerva and Athena's 5 other beautiful, singing and dancing sisters Niobe, Aphrodite, Calliope, Medea and Ceres. He is also surprised to find a number of scantily clad body builders wearing high-waisted 1950s swimshorts!
Next he runs into Grandpa (Louis Calhern), the charismatic head of the family who believes in exercise and "the direct approach". He also meets Grandpa's hopes for the title of Mr Universe, Ed Perkins (Steve Reeves) and possible runner-up Bill Nichols.
Despite the bizarre ways of the family, and although Adam initially tries to resist Athena, he eventually succumbs to her charms, and breaks up with Beth. Just when all is looking rosy, Grandma foresees difficult times ahead. Athena's sisters advise Athena to break up with Adam, however Athena chooses to push ahead with the relationship, knowing that "love can change the stars".
The sisters visit Adam's house while he is out and perform a makeover, removing rugs and screens and installing large urns and fresh flowers. Adam's influential family friend, Mr Grenville, Adam's law firm partner Mr Griswalde and Adam's campaign manager for election to the United States Congress Mr Tremaine phone Adam's house and reach Athena on the phone. Curious, they visit Adam's house only to find Grandma there in place of the girls.
Adam invites Athena to a formal reception at Mr Grenville's home. Athena at first charms the party with her pleasant nature and an off-the-cuff rendition of an aria from a Donizetti Opera. However she loses her temper when Beth presents Athena with a buffet dinner where all of the vegetables are stuffed with meat.
More difficulties arise when Adam humiliates Ed Perkins and Grandpa on television at the "Mr Universe" final. Grandpa had hoped that Ed would marry Athena to produce perfect children. Adam verbally attacks Grandpa over the hypocrisy of many of his beliefs. Ed threatens Adam by putting him in a hold that Adam gets out of by throwing Ed in a jiu jitsu throw with both events appearing on nationwide television. Adam is told by his minders that his political career is over by his embarrassing the belief system of Athena's people that would alienate voters with those sympathies whilst those opposed to their beliefs would associate Adam with holding their beliefs by merely being with them.
Despite requisite further conflict, harmony is restored and all of the main players gather around for a Mulvain-style feast.
Songs
The film features several songs by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane including
- "Athena" (Chorus)
- "The girl next door" (Johnny Nyle), a slight variation on the 1944 hit "The boy next door" from "Meet me in St Louis"
- "Vocalize" (Athena Mulvain) which is reprised later in a choral arrangement as "Harmonize" (Athena Mulvain, Ulysses Mulvain, Chorus)
- "Imagine" (Minerva Mulvain, Johnny Nyle)
- "Love can change the Stars" (Athena Mulvain, Athena's sisters, Johnny Nyle)
- "I never felt better" (Minerva Mulvain, Athena Mulvain, sisters)
- "Venezia" (Johnny Nyle)
A poetic verse from "Love can change the Stars" includes the words:
"When two hearts are entwined,
Venus dances with Mars,
Hand in hand we will find,
Love can change the Stars."
Jane Powell also performs Donizetti's "Charcun le sait" from La fille du régiment (Daughter of the Regiment).
During the Mr Universe final, the body builders 'pose-off' to the popular and stirring "Tango Jalousie" by Jacob Gade from 1925. The music enhances the dramatic moment when Grandma realises Ed has drawn the unlucky number 13. It is not until after the competition that Ed's jealousy becomes apparent.
Players
Starring
Jane Powell as Athena Mulvain
Edmund Purdom as Adam Calhorn Shaw
Debbie Reynolds as Minerva Mulvain
Vic Damone as Johnny Nyle
Louis Calhern as Ulysses Mulvain
With
Linda Christian as Beth Hallson
Evelyn Varden as Salome Mulvain
Ray Collins as Mr Tremaine
Carl Benton Reid as Mr Griswalde
Howard Wendell as Mr Grenville
Virginia Gibson as Niobe
Henry Nakamura as Roy
Additional Actors listed in the Closing Credits:
Nancy Kilgas as Aphrodite
Dolores Starr as Calliope
Jane Fischer as Medea
Cecile Rogers as Ceres
Kathleen Freeman as Miss Seely
Steve Reeves as Ed Perkins
Richard Sabre as Bill Nichols
Facts about the film
- Early in the film, Athena believes that Adam is unsuitable for her because according to numerology, "he is a 4 man, born in a 3 month with a 9 car". However Athena soon realises her mistake when she says, "Mr Benvenuchi told me you had 5 peach trees, which syphons you out and makes your system fluid... You're really Neuter - isn't that heaven."
- In Athena's quote above, she mispronounces Mr Benevuchi's name. Adam pronounces it better in an earlier scene.
- Minerva displays a belief in karma when she tells Johnny Nyle that money he earns from advertising alcohol or meat products will bring him no pleasure.
- One line in the song "Imagine" appears to be out of character for Minerva when she sings
Imagine you're a weevil - an old Boll Weevil,
suppose a field of cotton is me,
if you came along and settled down in it -
fetch the DDT
and she sprays insecticide around the "Mulvain's Health Foods" shop.
- The sign at the front of the Mulvain residence says:
For the traveller in want
For the traveller in pain
Take this rocky road
to the house of Mulvain
- Grandpa Ulysses Mulvain is 78 but looks like he is in his 50's. Louis Calhern was 59 when he played the role, but died 2 years later.
- Grandma Salome Mulvain says "I love you, let us be friends" in a mystery language that sounds like "Num mirray gon gopawl". Is this a mantra invented for the film? Grandma also finds solace or gains insight by "communing with Narda", a mythological being perhaps also invented for "Athena".
- At the start of the film Miss Seely is eating chocolates. Later when Adam's 3 gentlemen advisors are concerned about Adam's involvement with Athena, Miss Seely appears at the end of the scene crunching on a carrot.
- Grandma Salome Mulvain instructs Mr Grenville to "Open your eyes. Look up at the sun. Don't be afraid... Pretend you're a tulip." While most doctors advise not to look at the sun, William H Bates (1860 - 1931) taught that glasses were bad for eyesight and magnifying sunlight into the whites of the eyes was beneficial!! You may read the conventional attitude to the dangers of sun observation here.
- Both Minerva and Grandma advise the boys to "Hold the good thought". This appears to be a reference to the New Thought Movement, which teaches that you attract what you think about, good or bad.
- Steve Reeves and John Grimek were tied in the 1948 Mr Universe competition. Despite Steve Reeves superior physique, John Grimek won because he could lift more weight.
- Edmund Purdon married Linda Christian in 1962, 8 years after "Athena" was made. However their marriage did not last long.
- The original film had an aspect ratio of 1.75 which is very well suited to DVD widescreen (16:9). However the film has not yet been restored and only a low quality television version (1.33 or 4:3) based on the VHS release has been made available on DVD in Australia.
See also
References
External links
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The films of Richard Thorpe |
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