There’s an old adage that says avoid movies that are packed with stars. This proves how true that is. No one has anything to work with it and it’s up for grabs who is the most bored, the actors or anyone trying to stay awake while watching it.
There are five vignettes about couples who discover two and a half years later that the JP that performed the ceremony jumped the gun and had several days before his license kicked in.
On Christmas Eve, Steve Gladwyn (Fred Allen) and Ramona (Ginger Rogers) stop into JP Melvin Bush’s (Victor Moore) home to get married. His wife Martha (Jane Darwell) helps out. They’re due to start a morning radio show as a married couple.
Two and a half years go by and the state Attorney General finds out Melvin’s license didn’t become legal until January first. Six couples have to be notified that their marriages aren’t legal. One couple has gotten a divorce so there are five to go. The movie shows what happens when the letter arrives.
#1: Steve and Ramona aren’t getting along. They fight at home, in the radio studio before the show and anywhere else where they have to be together. Their producer reminds them about their contract. It’s worth five grand a week only if they’re married.
#2: Annabel Norris (Marilyn Monroe) is the winner of the Mrs.Mississippi contest. Her husband Jeff (David Wayne) is happy until he finds out from her manager Duffy (James Gleason) how busy she’ll be and won’t have time to take care of him and their baby.
#3: Katie Woodruff (Eve Arden) and husband Hector (Paul Douglas) are living a boring life in the suburbs. Hector dreams about all kinds of women and Katie is involved with various clubs. Then the letter arrives.
#4: Eve Melrose (Zsa Zsa Gabor) married oil executive Freddie Melrose (Louise Calhern) for his money. To grab at least half she sets up a situation in a hotel room that will give her grounds for divorce. Freddie will be photographed with another woman. In Freddie’s office Eve and her attorney (Paul Stewart) start going over all of Freddie’s assets. Calhern is the only one of the entire cast that doesn’t phone it in.
#5: Willie (Eddie Bracken) and Patsy Fisher (Mitzi Gaynor) are happy that they’re about to have a baby. They get upset when Navy man Willie gets deployed overseas. While the train is leaving Willie reads the letter from the state. Now the baby will be illegitimate. Despite the advice to stay put from his buddy Pinky (Lee Marvin), Willy leaves the train and is AWOL. He sends a telegram to Patsy to meet him so they can get married again. He has to stay a step ahead of the MP’s.
Not one vignette works and it all adds up to a complete waste of time.
Vintage45's Blog 