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''Jupiter's Darling'' is a 1955 American
Eastman Color Eastmancolor is a trade name used by Eastman Kodak for a number of related film and processing technologies associated with color motion picture production and referring to George Eastman, founder of Kodak. Eastmancolor, introduced in 1950, was on ...
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
romance film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...
released by
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
and directed by
George Sidney George Sidney (October 4, 1916May 5, 2002) was an American film director and producer who worked primarily at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His work includes cult classics ''Bye Bye Birdie'' (1963) and ''Viva Las Vegas'' (1964). With an extensive backgro ...
filmed in
CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...
. It starred
Esther Williams Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Ol ...
as the Roman woman Amytis,
Howard Keel Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), known professionally as Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer, known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s and in the CBS tel ...
as
Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Puni ...
, the
Carthaginian The term Carthaginian ( la, Carthaginiensis ) usually refers to a citizen of Ancient Carthage. It can also refer to: * Carthaginian (ship), a three-masted schooner built in 1921 * Insurgent privateers; nineteenth-century South American privateers, ...
military commander and
George Sanders George Henry Sanders (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth, bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous chara ...
as
Fabius Maximus Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, surnamed Cunctator ( 280 – 203 BC), was a Roman statesman and general of the third century BC. He was consul five times (233, 228, 215, 214, and 209 BC) and was appointed dictator in 221 and 217 BC. He was ...
, Amytis's fiancé. In the film, Amytis helps Hannibal swim the
Tiber River The Tiber ( ; it, Tevere ; la, Tiberis) is the third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the Riv ...
to take a closer look at Rome's fortifications. The film features many historical characters, including Roman generals
Fabius Maximus Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, surnamed Cunctator ( 280 – 203 BC), was a Roman statesman and general of the third century BC. He was consul five times (233, 228, 215, 214, and 209 BC) and was appointed dictator in 221 and 217 BC. He was ...
and
Scipio Africanus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (, , ; 236/235–183 BC) was a Roman general and statesman, most notable as one of the main architects of Rome's victory against Carthage in the Second Punic War. Often regarded as one of the best military com ...
who appears briefly, in addition to Hannibal. Carthaginians
Mago Barca Mago Barca ( xpu, 𐤌𐤂‬𐤍 𐤁𐤓𐤒‬, ; 243–203BC) was a Barcid Carthaginian who played an important role in the Second Punic War, leading forces of Carthage against the Roman Republic in Iberia and northern and central Italy. Mag ...
and
Maharbal Maharbal ( xpu, 𐤌‬𐤄‬𐤓𐤁‬𐤏𐤋, ; centuryBC) was a Numidian army commander in charge of the cavalry under Hannibal and his second-in-command during the Second Punic War. Maharbal was a very close friend to Hannibal and admired hi ...
also appear. ''Jupiter's Darling'' was based on
Robert E. Sherwood Robert Emmet Sherwood (April 4, 1896 – November 14, 1955) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He is the author of '' Waterloo Bridge, Idiot's Delight, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Rebecca, There Shall Be No Night, The Best Years of Our ...
's anti-war comedy play ''
The Road to Rome ''The Road to Rome'' is a play by American author Robert Sherwood. The plot revolves around Hannibal's attempt to capture Rome during the Second Punic War. It was Sherwood's first published play. The play opened on Jan. 31, 1927 at the Playh ...
'' (1927).New York Times review
/ref> The film was the last of three films Williams and Keel made together, the other two being ''
Pagan Love Song ''Pagan Love Song'' is a 1950 American romantic musical film released by MGM and starring Esther Williams and Howard Keel. Set in Tahiti, it was based on the novel ''Tahiti Landfall'' by William S. Stone. Plot Mimi Bennett lives with her weal ...
'' (1950) and ''
Texas Carnival ''Texas Carnival'' is a 1951 American Technicolor musical film directed by Charles Walters and starring Esther Williams, Red Skelton and Howard Keel. Plot A dunk tank at a Texas carnival is operated by Debbie Telford and partner Cornie Quinell. A ...
'' (1951). He later said he felt it was the best picture they made together.Keel p 179 The movie was a huge financial flop and the last movie Williams made at MGM.


Cast


Production

The film was based on a 1927 play ''Road to Rome''. Film rights were bought by MGM. In May 1933 the studio announced they would make a movie from the play. In June the studio listed the project among their upcoming productions. Rights appear to have lapsed because in April 1939 MGM announced they had purchased the property again as a vehicle for
Myrna Loy Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. ...
and
Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...
with Joseph L Mankiewicz to produce. In May 1940 MGM announced the film would star Loy. In January 1950, MGM announced that Charles Schnee had just completed a script for Clarence Brown to direct and that they hoped
Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Do ...
to star. However no film resulted. In January 1954, MGM announced they would turn the play into a musical called ''Jupiter's Darling'' starring Esther Williams and Howard Keel. MGM said because of this casting, Jane Powell was to go into ''Athena'' which had been intended for Williams, Ava Gardner would replace Powell in ''Love Me or Leave Me'', and Lana Turner would replace Gardner in ''My Most Intimate Friend''. In her memoirs, Williams said she had been on maternity leave for three months while pregnant with daughter Susan, and had assumed that she would get straight to work on the film ''
Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...
''. She, along with writers Leo Pogostin and Chuck Walters created the premise for ''Athena'' while making '' Easy to Love'', and Walters finished the script while Williams was on maternity leave. However, Athena had already begun shooting when Williams arrived back from leave, and the studio had changed the swimming sequences to dancing sequences and replaced Williams with
Jane Powell Jane Powell (born Suzanne Lorraine Burce; April 1, 1929 – September 16, 2021) was an American actress, singer, and dancer who first appeared in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals in the 1940s and 50s. With her soprano voice and girl-next-door ima ...
. Williams was then assigned ''Jupiter's Darling''. Howard Keel later said the studio decided to change the title from ''Road to Rome'' so audiences did not think it was a "Road" picture. He suggested ''Hannibal's Darling'' which led to the title of ''Jupiter's Darling''. In February 1954, George Sanders was announced as co-star; it was said he agreed to do it because he had the chance to sing. Keel said that Sanders' singing numbers were cut out of the final film. Marge and Gower Champion joined the cast; Howard Keel signed a new long-term contract with MGM in April. Williams says director George Sidney delayed filming three months so the Champions could make the movie (they were doing ''Three for the Show'' at Columbia), but she says the real reason was Sidney was having marital difficulties with his wife, Lillian Burns, and did not want to go home; she says this led to Sidney insisting on long shoot days and rehearsal.


Shooting

During shooting, Williams broke her left eardrum, which had already been broken in five other films. She was fitted with a prosthesis from latex that covered her nose and ears that prevented water from rushing in. As a result, she could barely hear, taste or smell while wearing it, and her diving had to be limited. Stunt woman Ginger Stanley was Williams' body double in some of the underwater scenes. In one of the film's scenes, Amytis, while fleeing from Hannibal and his soldiers, rides a horse over the edges of a cliff on the Tiber River. Williams refused to do the scene, and when the studio refused to cut it, the director called in a platform diver that Williams knew, Al Lewin. The stunt took place one time; the studio got its shot, and Lewin broke his back. Filming of a sequence in Catalina Island took place in February 1954. There was also filming at Silver Springs in Florida. The sequence involving painted elephants was hugely expensive. It was the only Esther Williams musical at MGM to lose money. Dorothy Kingsley, who wrote the script, later said she wanted to do a musical version of ''Road to Rome'':
It was a satire and, in fact, we even had Hannibal's elephants painted pastel colors—orange and green. Dore chary, head of MGMwas always against it, I must say. He was worried about doing satire and I have to agree with him: there were some wonderful visual things in it, even an elephant dance, but the satire didn't work. We took it out to a preview and I was sitting behind people in the front rows who took it seriously. It wasn't until halfway through the picture that someone in front said, "Oh, it's a satire." That's the only flop I had, I think.
Editor Ralph Winters called the movie "a real dog. I was stuck on this turkey for six months but the people who made the picture really were darling."


Release

The film's world premiere was held in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
. The cast, including a 350-pound baby elephant named Jupiter's Darling, embarked on a tour of nine U.S. cities.


Critical reception

A 1955 ''New York Times'' review of the film claimed that "Esther Williams must be getting bored with water. She goes swimming only three times in M-G-M's "Jupiter's Darling," which came yesterday to the Music Hall, and two of these times are forced upon her. She dunks only once for fun. And that, we might note, is the most attractive and buoyant thing in the film. It comes when Miss Williams, cast rashly as the fiancée of Emperor Fabius Maximus of Rome, peels off her stola and tunic after a long hot day in town and goes swimming in the pool of her villa, which is fancier than any pool in Hollywood." It also stated that "Miss Williams had better get back in that water and start blowing bubbles again." ''Variety'' called it "fairly entertaining though a hit and miss affair." Keel said he felt his performance as Hannibal was his best at MGM.


Box office

Box office reception was poor - according to MGM records, it made $1,493,000 in the US and Canada and $1,027,000 elsewhere resulting in a loss of $2,232,000.Scott Eyman, ''Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer'', Robson, 2005 p 464 Williams was meant to follow the movie with ''Say It in French'' but the film was never made.Drama: Another Swimming Role Set for Esther Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Los Angeles, Calif. os Angeles, Calif6 Mar 1954: B8.


Notes


See also

*
List of American films of 1955 A list of American films released in 1955. The United Artists film '' Marty'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture for 1955. A–B C–D E–H I–L M–R S–Z See also * 1955 in the United States External links 1955 filmsat ...
*
List of films set in ancient Rome This article lists films set in the city of Rome during the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, or the Roman Empire. The films only partly set in Rome are so noted. The founding of Rome Films set during the founding of Rome include: The Roman K ...


References

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External links

* * * * {{George Sidney 1955 films 1955 musical comedy films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films American romantic fantasy films American romantic musical films Second Punic War films American films based on plays Films set in ancient Rome Films directed by George Sidney Films scored by David Rose Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films American musical fantasy films Swimming films Cultural depictions of Hannibal Cultural depictions of Scipio Africanus 1955 romantic comedy films 1950s romantic fantasy films CinemaScope films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films