''Lovely to Look At'' is a 1952 American

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 Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typic ...

film directed by

Mervyn LeRoy Mervyn LeRoy (; October 15, 1900 – September 13, 1987) was an American film director and producer. In his youth he played juvenile roles in vaudeville and silent film comedies. During the 1930s, LeRoy was one of the two great practitioners of ...

, based on the 1933

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

'' Roberta''.

Plot

Broadway producers Al Marsh, Tony Naylor, and Jerry Ralby are desperately searching for investors to back their new show. After being continuously denied for pitches, Al receives a letter from Paris, notifying him that his Aunt Roberta has died and left him half of her dress salon located in Paris. The three men and their "lady-friend" Bubbles, the person who funds their lengthy trip, then eagerly travel to Paris in hopes of profiting from the sale of Al's share in the shop. To their dismay, the men are met with a bankrupt shop that is in no shape to have shares sold. Here is when the film introduces the two other main characters in detail, the two other women who own the other half of the dress shop, Stephanie and Clarisse. From this point forward, the film develops in two main routes of plot: getting the shop into better shape to gain money, and the many confusing and slightly cheesy love story lines. Al, Tony, and Jerry make it their mission to talk to the creditors that have been harassing the shop to give them time to showcase a fashion show that will bring Roberta's more business. This ends up being successful, and Roberta's dress shop legacy lives on. As the plot progresses, Tony is torn between his growing affection for Stephanie and his desire to finance his show. Meanwhile, Jerry falls for Clarisse, and Al has a crush on Stephanie. Eventually, Al goes for Bubbles, who has followed the men from New York City.

Cast

* Kathryn Grayson as Stephanie *

Red Skelton Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...

as Al Marsh *

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 te ...

as Tony Naylor *

Marge Champion Marjorie Celeste Champion ( Belcher; September 2, 1919October 21, 2020) was an American dancer and actress. At fourteen, she was hired as a dance model for Walt Disney Studios animated films. Later, she performed as an actress and dancer in film ...

as Clarisse *

Gower Champion Gower Carlyle Champion (June 22, 1919 – August 25, 1980) was an American actor, theatre director, choreographer, and dancer. Early years Champion was born on June 22, 1919, in Geneva, Illinois, as the son of John W. Champion and Beatrice Car ...

as Jerry Ralby *

Ann Miller Ann Miller (born Johnnie Lucille Collier; April 12, 1923 – January 22, 2004) was an American retired actress and former dancer. She is best remembered for her work in the Classical Hollywood cinema musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. Her early ...

as Bubbles Cassidy *

Zsa Zsa Gabor Zsa Zsa Gabor (, ; born Sári Gábor ; February 6, 1917 – December 18, 2016) was a Hungarian-American socialite and actress. Her sisters were actresses Eva and Magda Gabor. Gabor competed in the 1933 Miss Hungary pageant, where she ...

as Zsa Zsa * Kurt Kasznar as Max Fogelsby *

Marcel Dalio Marcel Dalio (born Marcel Benoit Blauschild; 23 November 1899 in Paris – 18 November 1983) was a French movie actor. He had major roles in two films directed by Jean Renoir, '' La Grande Illusion'' (1937) and '' The Rules of the Game'' (1939) ...

as Pierre * Diane Cassidy as Diane

Production

The film was originally announced as a vehicle for

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

and

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

, who had teamed together several times previously. They would have co-starred with

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

and Betty Garrett Aside from keeping the musical score and retaining the idea of a dress shop being inherited by someone, it bears almost no resemblance to the show or 1935 film. The finale, a fashion show, was directed by

Vincente Minnelli Vincente Minnelli (born Lester Anthony Minnelli; February 28, 1903 – July 25, 1986) was an American stage director and film director. He directed the classic movie musicals '' Meet Me in St. Louis'' (1944), '' An American in Paris'' (1951), ' ...

, with costumes by Adrian, who designed more than 40 costumes for the film, at a cost of $100,000.

Songs

The music was written by

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

. * "

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is a show tune written by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harbach for the 1933 musical '' Roberta''. The song was sung in the Broadway show by Tamara Drasin. Its first recorded performance was by Ge ...

", sung by Kathryn Grayson, and later danced to by Marge and Gower Champion; lyrics by Otto A. Harbach and

Dorothy Fields Dorothy Fields (July 15, 1904 – March 28, 1974) was an American librettist and lyricist. She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films. Her best-known pieces include "The Way You Look Tonight" (1936), "A Fine Romance" (1936), " On t ...

. * "Lovely to Look At", sung by Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel; lyrics by

. The song was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

when it was first used in the 1935 version of '' Roberta''.Awards for ''Roberta'' (1935) at Internet Movie Database
/ref> * "The Touch of Your Hand", sung by Kathryn Grayson; lyrics by Otto A. Harbach. * "

I Won't Dance "I Won't Dance" is a song with music by Jerome Kern that has become a jazz standard. The song has two different sets of lyrics: the first written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto Harbach in 1934, and second written by Dorothy Fields (though Jimmy ...

", sung and danced to by Marge and Gower Champion; lyrics by

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight ...

and Dorothy Fields. * " Yesterdays", sung by Kathryn Grayson; lyrics by Harbach. * "You're Devastating", sung by Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson; lyrics by Harbach. * " I'll Be Hard to Handle", sung and danced to by Ann Miller and Men's Chorus; Lyrics by Bernard Dougall. * "Lafayette", performed by Howard Keel, Red Skelton and Gower Champion.

Reception

According to MGM records the film earned $2,571,000 in the United States and Canada, and $1,203,000 elsewhere, resulting in an overall loss of $735,000. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' reviewer wrote: "The producers ... have used the full and wonderful complement of tunes from the sturdy score f ''Roberta'' Thus, only the tone deaf can be apathetic to Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel's rendition of "You're Devastating" or "The Touch of Your Hand." The bittersweet lilt of "Yesterdays", as sung by Miss Grayson, has not lost its haunting quality and the now-classic "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" still has notes and lyrics of poetic beauty... Although all of the dance numbers choreographed by Hermes Pan are not inspired, he has inventively devised spirited turns for "I Won't Dance" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" to which Marge and Gower Champion contribute professional grace, verve and charm. And Ann Miller is permitted to exhibit both her beautiful legs and her staccato tapping in a snappy run through of "I'll be Hard to Handle. Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson, who have no need to prove their eminence as singers, again are in fine voice and make a handsome couple whose misunderstandings are inconsequential."" 'Lovely to Look At,' Based on Musical Comedy, 'Roberta,' Arrives at Music Hall"
''The New York Times'', May 30, 1952

References

External links

* * * * {{Mervyn LeRoy 1952 films 1952 musical comedy films 1952 romantic comedy films 1950s American films 1950s English-language films 1950s romantic musical films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films American romantic musical films Films about fashion in France Films based on musicals Films directed by Mervyn LeRoy Films scored by Carmen Dragon Films set in Paris Films with screenplays by George Wells Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films