Duchess of Idaho (1950)

Ellen Hallit is in love with her playboy boss, Douglas Morrison, but is too timid to do anything about it. To help her, her roommate Chris decides to step in, and devises a plan. Chris ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Z. Leonard

Writers:

Dorothy Cooper (original screenplay), Jerry Davis (original screenplay),

Stars:

Esther Williams, Van Johnson, John Lund

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Esther Williams	...	Christine Riverton Duncan
Van Johnson	...	Dick Layne
John Lund	...	Douglas J. Morrison Jr.
Paula Raymond	...	Ellen Hallit
Clinton Sundberg	...	Matson
Connie Haines	...	Peggy Elliot
Mel Tormé	...	Cyril, the Bellhop
Amanda Blake	...	Linda Kinston
Tommy Farrell	...	Chuck
Sig Arno	...	M. Le Blanche
Dick Simmons	...	Alec J. Collins
Lena Horne	...	Lena Horne
Eleanor Powell	...	Eleanor Powell

Storyline

Ellen Hallit is in love with her playboy boss, Douglas Morrison, but is too timid to do anything about it. To help her, her roommate Chris decides to step in, and devises a plan. Chris follows Morrison on his trip to Sun Valley, Idaho and plays the overattentive female, hoping that he will send for Ellen (who often played his "fiancée" when he had a female he couldn't discourage otherwise.) Complications arise when Chris catches the eye of band leader Dick Layne, and finds herself caught in a triangle between the two men.

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Plot Keywords:

love | tap dancing | butler | matchmaker | state name in title | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 July 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Venus verliebt sich

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Warm Hands, Cold Heart" (music and lyrics by Al Rinker and Floyd Huddleston), sung by Mel Tormé, was deleted from this film, leaving The Velvet Fog tuneless and with only a bit of dialogue. The prerecording can be heard on the Rhino CD, "Mel Tormé in Hollywood."

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Connections

Featured in American Masters: Lena Horne: In Her Own Voice (1996)

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Soundtracks

"Of All Things"
Written by Al Rinker and Floyd Huddleston
Sung by Connie Haines

User Reviews

Vapid but harmless ball of fluff

Esther Williams musicals have always made me squirm a bit, but here she's thankfully limited to just a couple of waterlogged numbers and spends most of her time romantically juggling John Lund and Van Johnson. This picture is as glossy and slight on story as they come, but it's an entertaining enough time waster and features the odd fun cameo by MGM stars assigned to the production to keep things lively, most notably Red Skelton and Eleanor Powell. Mel Torme and Amanda Blake are also visible in small roles. A few nice winter shots of Sun Valley and a couple of decent tunes but be warned - the only thing even remotely deep about this picture is the swimming pool.