Grounds for Marriage (1951)

Opera singer Ina Massine tries to win back former husband Dr. Lincoln I. Bartlett.

Director:

Robert Z. Leonard

Writers:

Laura Kerr (screenplay), Samuel Marx (story),

Stars:

Van Johnson, Kathryn Grayson, Paula Raymond

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Van Johnson	...	Dr. Lincoln I. Bartlett
Kathryn Grayson	...	Ina Massine
Paula Raymond	...	Agnes Oglethorpe Young
Barry Sullivan	...	Chris Bartlett
Reginald Owen	...	Dely Delacorte
Lewis Stone	...	Dr. Carleton Radwin Young
Richard Hageman	...	Dr. Engelstaat
Richard Anderson	...	Tommy
Paula Drew	...	Helen
Victor Desny	...	Count de Beaugard
Theresa Harris	...	Stella, Ina's Maid
Robert Sherwood	...	Petie
Elizabeth Flournoy	...	Brevarde
Torben Meyer	...	Donovan
Pat Williams	...	Office Manager

Storyline

Opera singer Ina Massine tries to win back former husband Dr. Lincoln I. Bartlett.

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Plot Keywords:

singer

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 January 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

J'épouse mon mari

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although uncredited, David Raksin is named by Dr. Engelstaat as composer of "Toy Concertino" before it is performed. Johnny Green encouraged Raksin to extend the piece to make it suitable for concert performance, resulting in a slightly longer version that received its premiere by the New York Philharmonic on December 19, 1954. It was included in the MGM Records 10-inch soundtrack LP.

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Soundtracks

"Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue"
(uncredited)
Written by Sam Lewis, Joe Young and Ray Henderson
Performed by Firehouse Five Plus Two

User Reviews

Opera And Operations, Do They Mix?

In Grounds For Marriage the burning question of whether opera and operations form the basis of a successful marriage. When they were married Van Johnson didn't think so, but Kathryn Grayson is willing to give it another try.

The plot of The Barkleys Of Broadway is shifted over to the grand opera as opera star Grayson tries to win back Dr. Johnson. Not so easy because Johnson is now engaged to Paula Raymond who happens to be the daughter of his boss Lewis Stone. Another complication is that Johnson's older brother Barry Sullivan, a toy manufacturer and a lady's man always has had a thing for Grayson and now that she's free....?

The opera sequences are performed nicely and Reginald Owen is in the cast giving a great performance as the Metropolitan Opera Empresario, a caricature of the real life Rudolf Bing.

A real fixture of the Metropolitan Opera was also in the cast. Milton Cross whom I well remember as a lad who hosted the Met broadcasts on radio narrates a dream sequence of Carmen as the film plot is played against the background of Carmen. Grayson of course sings for herself, but the rest of the cast is dubbed in these exaggerated operatic voices. The whole thing is quite hilarious.

Grounds For Marriage is not one of Kathryn Grayson's more well known films, but she acquits herself in the comedy demanded of the part. Van Johnson is as good as he always is in these parts and he has his best moments giving a lecture to Paula Raymond's women's club about the common cold as a real cold overtakes him gradually.

After 59 years Grounds For Marriage holds up well, but with no sopranos on the screen today, I doubt if the film will ever be remade, so catch this version.