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I Love Melvin More at IMDbPro »

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13 reviews in total

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12 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
How sad that the 'age of the movie musicals' has been allowed to fade into the sunset., 21 April 2004

Author: MaryAnn Dumond (MADUMOND) from Bristol, Ct.

I was eleven years old when I saw "I Love Melvin" and, immediately, fell in love with Donald O'Connor. He was teamed with Debbie Reynolds and I was sooooo jealous of her. It was my dream to become a dancer/singer/actor when I 'grew up'. But, for then, I lived for those visits to the local theatre where I could fill my soul with the glitz, glamour and wonder of it all. At that time, I had no way of knowing that this wonderful genre would, over the years, fade away from absolute glory to the dusty archives of today. Thank God for these websites, where we surviving lovers can rekindle those old flames by buying or renting our favorites. How comforting to know the actors will be forever young, in our eyes; and, in our hearts, so will we.

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13 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Given short shrift in the pantheon of MGM musicals, this is one of the best..., 26 January 2003

Author: sdiner82 (sdiner82@aol.com) from New York City, USA

Delightful follow-up to "Singing in the Rain" (minus Gene Kelly, which is fine with me), "I Love Melvin" is a snappy(76 minutes), tuneful Technicolored treat with one show-stopping musical number after another. A serviceable plot (Donald O'Connor plays a free-lance photographer who becomes so enamored with aspiring singer/dancer Debbie Reynolds that he promises he'll get her the cover of Look Magazine) provides a nifty frame for a series of first-rate, beautifully choreographed musical numbers that make one wonder why this terrific little MGM gem has been overlooked. The music is sensational (thank you, Joseph Myrow), the evocation of the Manhattan setting is a visual delight (MGM actually went on location for a few scenes--watching Ms. Reynolds walk across Central Park South is a time-capsule come to life.) And O'Connor and Ms. Reynolds have probably tbe best displays of their singing & dancing talents in their entire careers (their frenetic "Where Did You Learn to Dance?" is a knockout; O'Connor's solo "I Want to Wander" is a classic; and Debbie's opening dream number, "The Lady Loves," wherein she is attired in slithering pink as she delivers the sultry lyrics, hint at the dreamy sexiness she was allowed to exude in future films.) MGM produced so many classic musicals in the early 1950s that "I Love Melvin" has been unjustly neglected. Too bad, because it's a sparkling, melodious, toe-tapping treat that ranks among MGM's finest and is long-overdue for the accolades it deserves.

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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
A real surprise package., 8 September 1999
Author: David Atfield (bits@alphalink.com.au) from Canberra, Australia

This film is an absolute delight from the pre-credit sequence where Debbie Reynolds writes the title of the film in lipstick on a mirror to the hilarious chase through Central Park at the end. In between Debbie dreams of becoming a Hollywood star in some magnificently staged dream sequences, thanks to the genius of Cedric Gibbons, in one of which she meets Robert Taylor as Robert Taylor! In another sequence she dances with three dancers in Fred Astaire masks and three in Gene Kelly masks - before winning an Oscar! Great stuff.

Debbie is perfect as both great movie star and girl next door. Her Broadway performance as a football is a riot. Equally good is Donald O'Connor as her lover and aspiring photographer. His roller-skate sequence is brilliant, as is a dance sequence in which he travels the world and plays numerous characters (again thanks to Gibbons). There is great support from Allyn Joslyn, as Debbie's exasperated father, and from Jim Backus as a crabby photographer. And the little girl has a good song too.

The score is jazzy and upbeat, and it's great to see the real Central Park and other New York locations, shot in gorgeous technicolor. I think this terrific musical is very under-rated.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
But I love Melbourne..., 26 March 2004

Author: ptb-8 from Australia

When I used to show this hilarious musical in the late 70s (and with a new print too!) I often ran it with another funny 1953 musical GIVE A GIRL A BREAK which starred Bob Fosse and Debbie Reynolds. Customers phoning the cinema ALWAYS thought I said "Tonight we have...err...Give a Girl a Break..and .I Love Melbourne" which of course they all thought was my personal comment. The programme was such fun and it did sell a lot of tickets too! Both new prints looked so good on a movie screen! The alternative version of "The lady Loves" as the opening dance number in I LOVE MELVIN can be found in THATS ENTERTAINMENT PART 3. ....and suggest you find it .......I can see why it was changed....can you?.....I LOVE MELVIN is perfect small town (girl) MGM quality ....and must have been one of their last Technicolour filmed musicals....they made everything in ansco or metro color after 1953.

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5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
A Great 50's Musical - Talented Cast - Great Song-Writing!, 28 August 2000

Author: inclass (inclass@earthlink.net) from Pennsylvania

This movie really lets you know that back in the 50's, they really knew how to make an excellent musical! The cast includes Donald O'Connor as Melvin, a small-time photographer working for "Look" Magazine. He turns his attention and camera to Judy LeRoy, a beautiful dancer who dreams of making it big one day, played by Debbie Reynolds. The songs in this film are wonderfully written and performed, including a very charming outdoor song and dance routine performed by O'Connor and the film's youngest actress, 9 year old Noreen Corcoran, who brightens the many scenes she's in, playing Judy's sister, Clarabelle, who seems to like to be involved in everything. (The songs have very clever lyrics as well!) Melvin seeks to win the hand of Judy, but her usual date, Harry Black (Richard Anderson), who's pretty much a square, is about to pop the question to the delight of Judy's dad, while her dad dislikes Melvin. O'Connnor and Reynolds are brilliant. Jim Backus adds some laughs also. The whole cast comes together to make this a delightful film, which is yet another great one that was overlooked by video & DVD companies! A MUST SEE! Try your favorite movie channels.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Sparkling, 6 February 2010

Author: dougdoepke from Claremont, USA

Talk about an energy crisis! None of that here. Reynolds and O'Connor generate enough sheer bounce to light up a city. This is Reynolds at her most likable, a chorus girl with ambitions beyond being a human football. It's also O'Connor at his nimble toed best. They're an ideal pairing. There's not much plot, but when did a musical need much story. Melvin loves Judy, Judy loves Melvin, but first poor Mel must get past cranky Dad and then past rival Harry Flack. Good thing he's a photographer for Look magazine. Okay, if you remember Look and Life, you probably saw the movie in a theatre. The year is 1953, the Korean War is over, Ike's in the White House, and the economy has taken off. It's the 50's of Ozzie and Harriet, and happily, that carefree spirit percolates throughout the movie's candy box colors.

It's also the kind of movie dream factory MGM specialized in, a chance for their younger performers to show their stuff. But catch oldster Jim Backus as O'Connor's boss. His array of comedic expressions are a real hoot. The music may be forgettable, but the dancing is infectious. Thanks to the kids' charm and sparkle, plus fast-moving direction, the movie's an unheralded little gem. Then too, if you like this musical, catch up with The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953). It's with Reynolds and Bobby Van, and is just as sparkling as this companion sleeper.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
slight fun for Donald and Debbie, 8 October 2003
Author: didi-5 from United Kingdom

Undemanding but energetic fare from MGM teaming the vivacious Debbie Reynolds as the day-dreaming dancing football and the late Donald O'Connor as the goofy magazine gopher who wants to put her on the front cover. It's hardly "Singin' in the Rain" but it does have glorious Technicolor, a snappy dance number set in a park, and a memorable song in "The Lady Loves" (which doubles as a glamour showcase for Reynolds). Nice cameo from Robert Taylor too!

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4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Should be a classic!, 8 October 2002

Author: propchick from Florida

Donald O'Connor should be revered as the musicals god he was (and still very probably could be). "I Love Melvin" should be considered a classic, right up with the rest of the musicals. I guess life really isn't fair, lol.

As cute as they come, and with Debbie Reynolds, to boot!

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4 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
I saw Donald O'Connor dancing, in an unfamiliar movie...., 28 August 2002
Author: Anita de Acosta Keith (g_keith@sbcglobal.net) from Columbus, Ohio USA

I love tap dance, and Donald O'Connor is a Tap Master. When I saw him today, I was surfing to my favorite TCM, and wondered what movie this was. I looked at the channel guide, saw the name, and decided to watch. I remembered Debbie Reynolds' name associated with this movie, so I ended up watching. Debbie and Donald were really cute, as was Noreen Corcoran (Moochie's sister, of original Mickey Mouse Club).... Judy's mother's face I remember from Ginger Rogers movies. It was nice how first Melvin got rid of Judy's dumb suitor, first temporarily and later permanently. I enjoyed seeing Jim Backus. I also liked seeing Central Park from 1953; I visited NYC two weeks ago (almost one year after 9/11). At the end, I liked the search and run scene through the park, everyone looking for Melvin, and I was really surprised when he and Judy literally ran into each other (the whole thing was excellent choreography). I also liked when Debbie was being thrown around as the football, but I know that this was the subservient-50's when a female was stereotyped as an object - but a job's a job, ya know? The movie was a delightful romp. Judy's father was funny. Changing his name because he thought his daughter was going to be a big star. I saw Barbara Ruick in the closing credits, I think she was in "Carousel". I hope to see more Donald O'Connor dancing movies. Too bad he has all that fame for "Francis, the Talking Mule." I am a tap dancer. Let's hear it for the hoofers!

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This forgotten gem "Makes Me Feel So Young", 25 April 2012

Author: william walker (weezeralfalfa@yahoo.com) from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The sheer energy and delight of Debbie Reynolds and Don O'Connor in their frequent musical/comedy numbers in a rather short (76 min.)film is best summed up in the best remembered song by the film composer-lyricist team of Josef Myrow and Mack Gordon:"You Make Me Feel So Young".Unfortunately, this song, previously composed for another film, was not included. Nonetheless, this team comes up with some quite serviceable songs that express the feelings of the duo or are appropriate for their stage productions. Debbie is in 3 elaborate song and dance or comedy routines, while O'Connor gets 2 solo dance/comedy routines. They only have one song and dance number together, but it's a very energetic 'getting to know you' one, where they bound and bounce all over the furniture in her family's living room. There is also a very clever early scene where Debbie and O'Connor are walking/frolicking on opposite sides of a Manhatten Central Park hedge row, singing about what their ideal mate will be like, before crashing into each other at the end of the hedge row. This hedge will show up again in the final comedic scene of the film. In addition, pint-sized Noreen Corcoran, as Debbie's little sister, Clarabelle, sings "Life Has Its Funny Little Ups and Downs" to O'Connor to cheer him up, after being hold he's not welcome to share dinner with Debbie's family.

Debbie's character,Judy, has two goals:find Mr. Right, and to become a big Hollywood star. She discovers that O'Connor's character, Melvin, may be the answer to both her desires, if he can somehow convince the editor of Look magazine to feature her on their cover, and if she can convince her father to back Melvin as her fiancé, instead of handsome, established, but rather dull Harry Flack. These are both very formidable obstacles for Melvin. But, where there's a will, there's usually a way, even if it involves a bit of trickery, deception, embarrassment, and luck. I leave the details for you to see.

Judy has two dream sequences, one before and one after she meets Melvin, where she is a show starlet. Both are quite entertaining. In the first, she sings "A Lady Loves", in a routine tailor-made for Marilyn Monroe, mobbed by a bevy of press photographers and men in cloaks and top hats. In the second, she is clearly a big Hollywood star, initially in imitation of Marilyn Monroe(I assume), then as herself, dancing with 3 men with Fred Astaire masks and 3 men with Gene Kelly masks.She even wins the Academy Award, with a giant statue. Judy also has a spectacular non-dream role as a human football, in a Manhatten Crown Theater show: "Quarterback Kelly", which includes two alternatively dancing/playing teams, which toss, carry and kick her around. Must have been some trick photography involved when she goes tumbling through the goalposts!..There is also an outtake on the current DVD release of a reprise of "A Lady Loves", that I wish they had kept in. It appears to be part of Judy's second dream sequence, with O'Connor as the cinematographer and sometimes dance partner. Certainly, excessive film lengthening wasn't an excuse for deletion!

O'Connor scooped Gene Kelly by about 2 years in his tap dance on roller skates scene, which was part of his overall roller skating act in an elevated gazebo, for the entertainment of little Clarabelle, whose skates he borrowed. Woudn't think her skates would fit him! Reportedly, skates with locked wheels were used for his tap dancing segment, and a string(sometimes slightly visible at slow motion)was tied around his waist to keep him from flying off the gazebo during his speed skating segment, until it was time to land in the shrubbery. Kelly's more extensive and much better known roller skating act was performed in "It's Always Fair Weather", which was done very much like his classic "Singing in the Rain" act, on a crowded street and sidewalk.

In O'Connor's second solo act, he really goes into his hyperactive mode, first singing and dancing to " I Wanna Wander", before going through a period of frantically changing from one ethnic costume to another, for just a few seconds each. After falling off a Swiss mountain, he becomes a Hollywood version of a cannibal, then played various characters in a bizarre Sherlock Holmes-like skit. Parts were good but, overall,it would have been more entertaining if he had stuck to fewer characters and exploited their potential more.Also, the addition of another person, maybe Debbie, in some parts,would have been a plus. My favorite was his transformation, while hidden in a giant stew cauldron, from a cannibal into an over-the-top version of Carmen Miranda.

Honorable mention should be made of Jim Backus, who played Melvin's ever needling boss, to Richard Anderson, for his thankless role as Melvin's romantic competition for Judy, to Allyn Joslyn, as Judy's one-step-behind-reality father, to Una Merkel, as Judy's mother, and again to Noreen Corcoran, who added much more than her pint size to the enjoyment of the film.

I dare you to watch this film just after "Singing in the Rain" and tell me which was more enjoyable! About equal?

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