Review of Athena (1954) by Jennifer H — 16 Aug 2007

Ever wondered what teen movies were like before teens existed as we know it? They were cute, fluffy and squeaky-clean confections like this slice of kitsch exotica. It's a musical comedy about a starchy lawyer, Adam, who becomes romantically involved with a girl from a family of, well, proto-hippies really.

This is one of the very first films to look at alternative lifestyles - Athena's family are all exercise buffs and eat health food and are totally vegetarian, so it's an early look at what was a novel fad, nowadays everyone is at it.

To give the film its due, it doesn't poke fun at Athena's values or her family - Adam's high society friends are all very rude and derisory to Athena, but she manages to convert (actually, impose would not be too strong a word!) her lifestyle upon Adam and liberate him somewhat.

Adam's playboy friend and client, Johnny, gets in on the act by pairing up with Debbie Reynolds, here in her first incarnation as a perky young comic actress and versatile singer/dancer and not the camp persona of latterday.

'Athena' gets bonus points for featuring a musical number about Venice complete with masks and gondoliers, and a guest appearance by Mr. Universe Steve Reeves. It's so unhip it's cool.