How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

Three women set out to find eligible millionaires to marry, but find true love in the process.

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson (screen play), Zoe Akins (plays)

Stars:

Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Betty Grable	...	Loco Dempsey
Marilyn Monroe	...	Pola Debevoise
Lauren Bacall	...	Schatze Page
David Wayne	...	Freddie Denmark
Rory Calhoun	...	Eben Salem
Cameron Mitchell	...	Tom Brookman
Alexander D'Arcy	...	J. Stewart Merrill (as Alex D'Arcy)
Fred Clark	...	Waldo Brewster
William Powell	...	J.D. Hanley

Storyline

Three New York models, Shatze, Pola and Loco set up in an exclusive apartment with a plan....tired of cheap men and a lack of money, they intend to use all their talents to trap and marry three millionaires. The trouble is that it's not so easy to tell the rich men from the hucksters - and even when they can, is the money really worth it?

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Plot Keywords:

manhattan new york city | remake | millionaire | comedy of errors | mistaken identity | 

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Taglines:

Modern Sophisticated Comedy With All the Magic Scope of CinemaScope

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Latin Arabic

Release Date:

20 November 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wie angelt man sich einen Millionär

Filming Locations:

36 Sutton Place South, Sutton Place, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,870,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,000,000, 31 December 1953

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (1959 Reissue) (Western Electric Recording) (Stereo) Stereo (1959 Reissue) (Stereo)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In one scene, the three women are talking to each other about who they would like to marry. Pola (Marilyn Monroe) says she would like to marry "Mr. Cadillac" and Schatze (Lauren Bacall) replies, "No such person, I checked." However, there WAS a Mr. Cadillac. He was the French governor of Canada and founded the city of Detroit. In 1710 he was named the Governor of Louisiana. The Cadillac automobile was named after him and his surname lives on in the form of his descendants.

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Goofs

When driving back from the lodge on a twisting road, the driver is steering the car. The steering motions don't match the view from the rear window.

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Quotes

Schatze Page: Most women use more brains picking a horse in the third at Belmont than they do picking a husband.

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Connections

References The African Queen (1951)

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Soundtracks

I Know Why (and So Do You)
(1941) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played on the piano before the wedding

User Reviews

"Wealthy men are never old."

The opening prologue is an orchestra performance that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie. I began to wonder if I was watching the wrong movie. I've read they did this because it was the first movie shot in Cinemascope and they wanted to highlight the new stereophonic sound system. Seems to me it was unnecessary but times were different then I guess. Anyway, the plot is about three women on the hunt for husbands. Naturally, they would prefer rich husbands. Lauren Bacall plays the leader of the three -- she's the smart, sophisticated one. Betty Grable plays the ditzy, naïve one. A role Marilyn Monroe probably would have played just a few years later due to typecasting. Here Marilyn plays a sort of middleground between Bacall and Grable's characters. Not too bright and not too dumb. She wears glasses but frequently takes them off because she thinks men don't like girls who wear glasses. There are several amusing gags that come as a result of her poor eyesight. All three ladies are beautiful, of course. They are also very funny and immensely appealing. The men in the film are pretty good, too. Even the ones playing jerks, like the great Fred Clark. Cameron Mitchell, David Wayne, and Rory Calhoun play the three primary love interests and are all likable. William Powell, in his second-to-last film, is as classy as they come. The themes are a little dated but it's all light and fluffy so nothing to get indignant about, for those of you who might. It's a fun, enjoyable romantic comedy. Fans of the three leads will love it most.