One Touch of Venus (1948)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

William A. Seiter

Writers:

F. Anstey (novel)
S.J. Perelman (book) ...

Release Date:

August 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The Gal Who Invented Love!

Plot:

Fantasy comedy about a young window dresser who kisses a statue of Venus, which then comes to life in the form of Ava Gardner. The problems begin, however, when Venus falls in love with him.

Plot Keywords:

Statue | Love | Department Store | Window Dresser | Park

Cast

Robert Walker	...	Eddie Hatch
Ava Gardner	...	Venus
Dick Haymes	...	Joe Grant
Eve Arden	...	Molly Stewart
Olga San Juan	...	Gloria
Tom Conway	...	Whitfield Savory II
James Flavin	...	Det. Kerrigan
Sara Allgood	...	Mrs. Fogarty
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hugh Herbert	...	Mercury (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #13181) | West Germany:12 | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Artists Alliance

Trivia:

MGM loaned Ava Gardner to Universal Studios to make this movie. Universal sent her to sculptor Joseph Nicolosi to make a proper life-size statue of the goddess. Nicolosi's first statue was entirely nude, and the studio told the sculptor to go back and make a more modest goddess. Universal sent members of the press a small souvenir knockoff of the second statue as a promotional item. According to author Lee Server in his biography "Ava Gardner: Love is Nothing", Robert Walker was so infatuated with his co-star that, when he found rival Howard Duff in her dressing room, he slapped Ava. She left the studio and filming ended.

Quotes:

Pretty girl: What's this about a certain "most eligible bachelor" falling in love with a statue?
Whitfield Savory: Perhaps, my dear, she reminds me of you.
[Walks away with Pretty Girl. ]
Molly Grant: Yeah, they both have large pedestals.
[Referring to statue and Pretty Girl. ]
Dowager: [Sashays up to Savory, who has reappeared] Whitfield, you remember my daughter, Brenda?
Whitfield Savory: Not little Brenda? You've - uh
[looks her over ]
Whitfield Savory: - grown, Brenda.
Molly Grant: [Reappears] Hatch is waiting, chief. He finished the drapes.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Costume Designer (1950)

Soundtrack:

Don't Look Now But My Heart is Showing

a light frothy musical that's pure enjoyment

I think that this was the first movie 'musical' I ever saw, and I loved it immediately. The script is so perfect and the actors to matched to their parts that the whole thing is lyrical.

Robert Walker is a great actor who does comedy the way he does drama...sincerely. Ava Gardner is young and beautiful as....well...as Venus! I was very disappointed when I found out she didn't sing the songs herself, but it sure looks like she does.

Eve Arden is the real star of this movie. Every line that she delivers is either a great wisecrack or lets us know more about her. Olga San Juan and Dick Haymes are wonderful particularly when they sing, "Don't Look Now But My Heart is Showing."

In the 'old days' they could make wonderful, inexpensive black and white musicals and everyone had a good time. Too bad we've all gotten to jaded.