Review of How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) by Blake P — 21 Aug 2013

"How to Marry a Millionaire" may not be looked at as a classic comedy today, but it certainly is a good one.  Making use of the brand-new Cinemascope process, bringing the warmest of colors to the screen, and loving its ability to flaunt its three leading starlets, the film is great entertainment.  It's stylish, charming, funny and ultimately gives you a nostalgic feeling that reminds us why vintage films are so lovable.  .

Taking place in 1950s New York, "How to Marry a Millionaire" follows three models, Schatze Page (Lauren Bacall), Loco Dempsey (Betty Grable), and Pola Debevoise (Marilyn Monroe) in their attempts to get hitched to a guy with a great deal of money. Since the film is set in a time where gold-diggers weren't plastic surgery laden bimbos, instantly the three women are much more likable.

Schatze, the leader, is the most experienced, and snags a 55-year old millionaire (William Powell) who is still mourning the loss of his wife. Loco, who acts wise but is really somewhat unintelligent, takes up with a married executive (Fred Clark) who she doesn't very much like, but still ends up spending a weekend with up in the mountains. Pola, blind as a bat but paranoid about wearing her classes, begins a courtship with an eye-patched (phony, according to Schatze) millionaire (Alexander D'Arcy).

Yet despite how easy it is to get their suitors' attention, the women know that they aren't marrying for love, and it isn't very hard to get distracted by normal, middle-class men.

"How to Marry a Millionaire"'s trio of women, Bacall, Grable and Monroe, are enticing right from the start, as they all have qualities that one can only dream of in the movies.  Bacall brings her sultry, husky-voiced femme fatale to the table, Grable flashes her finely-tuned comedic timing, and Monroe shows-off her famous dumb-blonde routine in the best sense possible.  They all are considered jewels from different genres, but their chemistry is more electric with each other than any of their love-interests.  In a star-powered film like this, that's definitely a good thing.

Yet you can't help but wonder: how does this film work so well? After all, its main characters are selfish and every detail revolves around materialistic things.  But somehow, the glamorousness of everything, combined with the eye-catching setting, draws you in, regardless.  Everything is handled with such beauty and humor, that "How to Marry a Millionaire" proves to be popcorn-fare at its finest.  It's easy to tell when nothing thought-provoking is on display, but everything else seduces you.

"How to Marry a Millionaire" is a great film when it comes to the filmography of its three leading ladies.  When looked at in the spectrum of the classic movie world, it's minor.  Nevertheless, this film is a delicious exercise in '50s entertainment, and that's good enough for me.