The Love Lottery

19541954
1h 29m

Rex Allerton is a top Hollywood star and an idol of the female population. To get away from the pressure of the fans who won't leave him alone, he relocates to a remote Italian village where... Read allRex Allerton is a top Hollywood star and an idol of the female population. To get away from the pressure of the fans who won't leave him alone, he relocates to a remote Italian village where unanticipated trouble arises when unwittingly he becomes the prize for an international l... Read allRex Allerton is a top Hollywood star and an idol of the female population. To get away from the pressure of the fans who won't leave him alone, he relocates to a remote Italian village where unanticipated trouble arises when unwittingly he becomes the prize for an international lottery.

5.5/10

270

Director
- Charles Crichton
Writers
- Charles Neilson Gattey(story)
- Zelma Bramley Moore(story)
- Harry Kurnitz(screenplay)
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

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David Niven and Peggy Cummins in The Love Lottery (1954)

Peggy Cummins in The Love Lottery (1954)

David Niven, Peggy Cummins, and Gordon Jackson in The Love Lottery (1954)

Taglines
- Ten million women wanted Hollywood's top star on a string...But the lucky ticket-holder had his wedding night wrapped up!
Genres
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

Trivia
About ten minutes in, Rex Allerton (D.Niven) is seen filming a scene of a costume drama. The director calls "Cut!" and the view pulls back to reveal a large camera pointing at the stage. This is the famous three-strip Technicolor camera in its enormous blue-painted sync sound blimp. This is interesting since The Love Lottery was shot in three-strip.

Quotes
Rex Allerton: What do you do?
Jane Dubois: I am a mathematician.
Rex Allerton: Teehee, you're what?
Jane Dubois: I see what you mean. It's improbable, isn't it?
Rex Allerton: No, I'm sorry. No, I didn't mean to...
Jane Dubois: No, no. It's quite alright. Hardly anyone believes me at first but when I multiply a few 10 digit numbers and give them the cube root for a few more, they come around.
Rex Allerton: You do all that?
Jane Dubois: And more, Smithy, and more.
Rex Allerton: Look this may be my last night in Tremaggio. Will you have dinner with me?
Jane Dubois: Of course! I've been sitting in this wet suit waiting for you to speak up. Come around at 8:30. We'll do some compound fractions before dinner.

Crazy credits
Opening credits prologue: But in Italy it is the gentlemen who serenade the ladies and not - as in our story - vice versa.

Connections
Featured in Richard E. Grant on Ealing Comedies: Killer Jokes (2016)

Soundtracks
It May be You
Music by Benjamin Frankel (as Ben Bernard) (uncredited)
The Lyric by Harold Purcell

Top review

5/10

Niven in a Bind!

This 1954 Ealing comedy is pleasant enough, but does stand out for a few distinctive features.

The international settings around Lake Como are splendid, especially since we're fortunate, in that they are presented in colour.

David Niven gives a lively, energetic, physical performance, even though (somewhat incongruously) he is playing a burnt out, but very popular matinee idol.

The rather bland script is given extra life when one considers, the main storyline involving a competition to raffle Niven's character to be married off, anticipates popular (I seriously don't know why.), contemporary reality TV shows such as Married at First Sight, The Farmer Wants a Wife and The Bachelor.

Lastly, the concluding scene, filmed overlooking the Thames River, includes one of the great actors of the 40's and 50's in a surprising wordless cameo. It's a corker and does finish the movie on the right note.

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