Main Cast: Jane Powell, Danielle Darrieux, Wendell Corey, Vic Damone, Fernando Lamas
Release Year: 1951
Country: US
Run Time: 95 minutes
Plot
Rich, Young and Pretty succinctly describes Jane Powell, the heroine of this frothy MGM musical. Vacationing in Paris with her father, Jim Stauton Rogers (Wendell Corey) -- a cattle baron-turned-politician, Elizabeth Rogers (Powell) falls in love with handsome Andre Milan (Vic Damone, in his film debut). She also learns to her surprise that her Gallic mother, Marie (Danielle Darrieux), is not dead as she's been led to believe, but very much alive and very much involved with suave South American Paul Sarnac (Fernando Lamas). The plot is merely there to provide breathing space for the film's ten -- count 'em, ten -- musical numbers. If Rich, Young and Pretty resembles a Deanna Durbin picture at times, it may because it was produced by Durbin's discoverer, Joseph Pasternak. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
They don't make musicals like Rich, Young and Pretty anymore, and how one interprets that comment is a clue as to whether one will fall for the film's charms or find it an annoying contrivance. Certainly, no one can argue that Rich has much going for it in the way of a screenplay, as it is chock-full of plot contrivances, silly dialogue, and characters with little in the way of depth. However, Rich is a very musical musical, with a new number coming every few minutes; if the songs themselves are not really anything to write home about, they are all tuneful and quite pleasant. They also are well-delivered by the performers, with Jane Powell in peak voice, Vic Damone sounding appropriately crooner-ish, and Fernando Lamas employing his fine baritone to good effect. The luscious Danielle Darrieux also gets the chance to use her Gallic pipes in her very special manner, which is hard to resist. Powell is perky fun throughout, and if Damone's acting is stiff, it doesn't damage things too much. The whole enterprise is wrapped up with some yummy costumes and attractive sets. It's all much ado about nothing, of course, but for those who just love movie musicals, Rich, Young and Pretty will be a very agreeable little diversion. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Marcel Dalio - Claude Duval; Una Merkel - Glynnie; Richard Anderson - Bob Lennart; Jean Murat - Mons. Henri Milan; Duci de Kerekjailo - Gypsy Leader; Hans Conried - Jean the Maitre D'; Monique Chantal - Maid; Four Freshman Quartet - Four Musicians; George and Katrin Tatar - Hungarian Dancers
The film is the story of Elizabeth, a wealthy Texas rancher's daughter (played by Powell). Elizabeth accompanies her father (Corey) on a visit to Paris, where her mother (Darrieux) lives; while in Paris, she meets Andre (Damone), an eager young Frenchman. The father tries to keep her from marrying the Frenchman and thus repeating the mistake he had made when he married her mother.
MGM promotion for the film emphasized the film's "songs rather than its patter"[1]; Sammy Cahn wrote the lyrics and Nicholas Brodszky the music for several songs, including "Wonder Why" (which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song). Other original songs by Cahn and Brodszky include "We Never Talk Much (We Just Sit Around)", "How D'Ya Like Your Eggs in the Morning?" and "I Can See You", both of which received radio airplay; "I Can See You" was also a jukebox favorite.[1]
The film also features a "studied going over"[1] of songs such as "Deep in the Heart of Texas" (written by June Hershey and Don Swander), "There's Danger in Your Eyes, Cherie" (written by Jack Maskill, Harry Richman, Pete Wendling) and "Old Piano Roll Blues" (written by Cy Coben).
Reception
Time said the film was "aglow with Technicolor and plush sets" and said it treated a "light cinemusical subject with the butterscotch-caramel sentimentality of the bobby-soxers it is designed to please"; the film "tackles its situations without verve or humor, and handles its lightweight problems as ponderously as if they had been propounded by Ibsen in one of his gloomier moods."[3]Bosley Crowther of The New York Times called it "pretty as a picture postcard and just about as exciting."[1]
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