How to Marry a Millionaire is a
1953The year 1953 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*September 16 — The Robe debuts as the first anamorphic, widescreen CinemaScope film.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue
...
romantic comedyRomantic comedy is a hybrid genre of fiction, especially motion pictures, in which a story about romance is presented in a comedic style. Works in this genre are generally considered light-hearted, and are sometimes associated with the vaguely derogatory terms "chick lit" or "chick flick", meaning...
film made by
20th Century FoxTwentieth Century Fox Film Corporation , also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox, is one of the six major American film studios...
, directed by
Jean NegulescoJean Negulesco was a Romanian-born American film director and screenwriter....
and produced and written by
Nunnally JohnsonNunnally Hunter Johnson was an American filmmaker who wrote, produced, and directed films.Johnson was born in Columbus, Georgia. He began his career as a journalist, writing for the Columbus Enquirer Sun, the Savannah Press, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and the New York Herald Tribune...
. The screenplay was based on the plays
The Greeks Had a Word for It by
Zoe AkinsZoë Akins was an American playwright, poet, and author.- Early years :Born in Humansville, Missouri, Akins was educated in Illinois and later in St. Louis, where she began her writing career...
and
Loco by Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert. The music score was by
Alfred NewmanAlfred Newman was an American composer of music for films.He received 45 Academy Award nominations, making him the second most nominated person in the history of the Academy Awards, tied with John Williams Alfred Newman (March 17, 1900– February 17, 1970) was an American composer of music...
and the cinematography by Joseph MacDonald. The costume design was by
TravillaWilliam Travilla , who went by the professional name of Travilla, was an American costume designer for theatre, film, and television. He is perhaps best-known for dressing Marilyn Monroe in eight of her films....
.
The film stars
Lauren BacallLauren Bacall is an American film and stage actress and model, known for her husky voice and sultry looks....
,
Marilyn MonroeMarilyn Monroe , born Norma Jeane Mortenson, but baptized Norma Jeane Baker, was an American actress, singer and model....
, and
Betty GrableBetty Grable was an American dancer, singer, and actress.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the Life magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
as fortune hunters with
William PowellWilliam Horatio Powell was an American actor, noted for his sophisticated, cynical portrayals.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in fourteen films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
,
David WayneDavid Wayne was an American actor with a career spanning nearly half a century.Born Wayne James McMeekan in Traverse City, Michigan and growing up in Bloomingdale, Michigan, Wayne's first major Broadway role was Og the leprechaun in Finian's Rainbow, for which he won the Theatre World Award and...
,
Rory CalhounRory Calhoun was an American television and film actor, screenwriter, and producer best known for his roles in Westerns.-Early life:...
,
Cameron MitchellCameron Mitchell was an American film, television and Broadway star with close ties to one of Canada's most successful families, and considered, by Lee Strasberg, to be one of the founding members of The Actor's Studio in New York City.-Early life and career:Born Cameron MacDowell Mitzel in...
,
Alexander D'ArcyAlexander D'Arcy, was an Egyptian actor with an international career.Born Alexander Sarruf in Cairo, Egypt, D'Arcy, variously credited as Alexandre D'Arcy, Alex D'Arcy, Alexandre Darcy and Alex d'Arcy appeared in some 45 films, mostly as suave gentlemen or smooth rogues...
, and
Fred ClarkFrederick Leonard Clark was an American film character actor.-Career:Born in Lincoln, California, Clark made his film debut in 1947 in The Unsuspected. His 20-year film career included almost 70 films, and numerous television appearances...
.
How to Marry a Millionaire was the first film ever to be photographed in the new
CinemaScopeCinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used from 1953 to 1967 for shooting widescreen movies created by the president of 20th Century Fox from 1953, and marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection...
wide-screen process, and the second released, after
The RobeThe Robe is a 1953 Biblical epic film that tells the story of a Roman military tribune who commands the unit that crucifies Jesus. The film was made by 20th Century Fox and is notable for being the first film released in CinemaScope...
.
How to Marry a Millionaire was also the first 1950's color and Cinemascope film ever to be shown on prime time network television, when it was shown as the first installment of
NBC Saturday Night at the MoviesNBC Saturday Night at the Movies, was the first continuing weekly prime time network series to show relatively recent feature films from major studios in color...
in 1961.
Plot summary
Resourceful Schatze Page (Lauren Bacall), spunky Loco Dempsey (Betty Grable) and ditsy Pola Debevoise (Marilyn Monroe) rent a luxurious
Sutton PlaceSutton Place is the name given to an affluent street and surrounding enclave of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. In the narrowest sense, Sutton Place is the wide avenue located on the cusp of the Midtown and Upper East Side neighborhoods, stretching between 57th Street and 59th Street,...
penthouse from Freddie Denmark (
David WayneDavid Wayne was an American actor with a career spanning nearly half a century.Born Wayne James McMeekan in Traverse City, Michigan and growing up in Bloomingdale, Michigan, Wayne's first major Broadway role was Og the leprechaun in Finian's Rainbow, for which he won the Theatre World Award and...
), who is avoiding the IRS by living in Europe. The women plan to use it to attract and marry millionaires. When money is tight, Schatze pawns some of Freddie's furniture, without his knowledge of course; as winter approaches, the furnishings gradually vanish.
One day, Loco carries in some groceries, assisted by Tom Brookman (
Cameron MitchellCameron Mitchell was an American film, television and Broadway star with close ties to one of Canada's most successful families, and considered, by Lee Strasberg, to be one of the founding members of The Actor's Studio in New York City.-Early life and career:Born Cameron MacDowell Mitzel in...
). Tom is very interested in Schatze, but she knows from prior marital experience what he is — a "gas pump jockey" — and tries repeatedly to brush him off, without success. She has her sights on bigger game: the charming, classy widower J.D. Hanley (
William PowellWilliam Horatio Powell was an American actor, noted for his sophisticated, cynical portrayals.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in fourteen films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
) whose worth is irreproachably large. All the while she's stalking the older J.D., Tom keeps after her. After every one of their dates, she tells him she never wants to see him again. She refuses to marry a poor man again.
Meanwhile, Loco (Grable) becomes acquainted with a grumpy businessman (
Fred ClarkFrederick Leonard Clark was an American film character actor.-Career:Born in Lincoln, California, Clark made his film debut in 1947 in The Unsuspected. His 20-year film career included almost 70 films, and numerous television appearances...
). He's married, but she agrees to go with him to his "lodge" in Maine, mistakenly thinking she's going to meet a bunch of Elks Club members. When she learns the truth, she wants nothing to do with his plans. Fortunately, he comes down with the measles. She stays and nurses him back to health, with the help of a strapping young man named Eben (
Rory CalhounRory Calhoun was an American television and film actor, screenwriter, and producer best known for his roles in Westerns.-Early life:...
), who she thinks owns most of the surrounding land. She has no trouble transferring her affections to the handsome outdoorsman and they become engaged. When she finds out that he's just a forest ranger, guarding against fires on "his" land, she is very disappointed, but she loves him and is willing to overlook his financial shortcomings.
The third member of the group, Pola (Monroe), is hilariously nearsighted, but hates to wear her glasses where any man might see her. As she puts it, "Men aren't attentive to girls who wear glasses." (a takeoff of
Dorothy ParkerDorothy Parker was an American writer and poet, best known for her caustic wit, wisecracks, and sharp eye for 20th century urban foibles....
's "Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses.") She falls for a phony Arab oil tycoon, not knowing he's really a crooked speculator. Luckily, when she takes a plane to meet him, she misreads an airport sign and ends up on the wrong plane. She sits next to a man, also wearing glasses, who thinks she's "quite a strudel" and encourages her to put hers on. It turns out that he is the mysterious Freddie Denmark; he is on his way to Kansas City to find the crooked accountant who got him into trouble with the IRS. He doesn't have much luck when he tracks the man down (he gets beaten up), but has much more success with Pola.
Loco and Pola are reunited with Schatze just before her wedding. She finally managed to overcome J.D.'s qualms about their age difference. Tom shows up and is recognized by the groom. It turns out that Tom is by far the richer of the two men. J.D. has an inkling how things are going to turn out, so he is not too surprised when Schatze finds herself unable to go through with the wedding because she doesn't love him. J.D. leaves graciously and Schatze, against her better judgement, ends up marrying Tom.
Afterwards, the three happy couples end up at a
greasy spoonGreasy spoon is a colloquial or slang term used in Britain, Ireland and North America for small, especially cheap, archetypal working class restaurants or diners...
, dining on hamburgers. Tom breaks the news to Schatze that he is extremely wealthy, naming all the things he owns, but she thinks he's kidding. He then pays the bill, pulling out an enormous wad of money. The three women faint dead away. The men then drink a toast to their unconscious wives.
Music
The film features an actual overture after the fashion of a live theatrical
extravaganzaAn extravaganza is a literary or musical work characterized by freedom of style and structure and usually containing elements of burlesque, pantomime, music hall and parody. It sometimes also has elements of cabaret, circus, revue, variety, vaudeville and mime...
. The 20th Century Fox Orchestra is arrayed before the camera to perform "Street Scene," conducted by its composer (and Fox studio music chief)
Alfred NewmanAlfred Newman was an American composer of music for films.He received 45 Academy Award nominations, making him the second most nominated person in the history of the Academy Awards, tied with John Williams Alfred Newman (March 17, 1900– February 17, 1970) was an American composer of music...
. This serves to highlight CinemaScope's new four-track magnetic
stereophonic soundStereophonic sound, commonly called stereo, is the reproduction of sound using two or more independent audio channels through a symmetrical configuration of loudspeakers in such a way as to create the impression of sound heard from various directions, as in natural hearing...
system and widescreen visuals. The orchestra appears throughout in wide shots and there are no closeups of any of the players, nor of Newman. At the conclusion of "Street Scene," Newman turns to take a bow before launching into the "Main Title". The orchestra reappears briefly for the "End Title", also an arrangement of "Street Scene".
Newman originally composed "Street Scene" for
Elmer RiceElmer Rice was an American playwright. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his 1929 play, Street Scene.-Early years:...
's film
Street SceneStreet Scene is a 1931 black-and-white drama film produced by Samuel Goldwyn and directed by King Vidor. With a screenplay by Elmer Rice adapted from his Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Street Scene takes place on a New York City street from one evening until the following afternoon...
(1931), a flattering portrayal of
New YorkNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
(which explains its distinctly Gershwinesque flavour, a la
Rhapsody in BlueRhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. The composition was orchestrated by Ferde Grofé three times, in 1924, in 1926, and finally in 1946...
), and used it in numerous subsequent New York-based films (
The Dark CornerThe Dark Corner is a 1946 film noir directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Lucille Ball, Mark Stevens and Clifton Webb. The film is an example of a classic film noir and features a rare dramatic role for Ball.- Plot :...
,
Kiss of DeathKiss of Death is a 1947 film noir movie directed by Henry Hathaway and written by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer from a story by Eleazar Lipsky. The story revolves around the story of the film's protagonist and antagonist...
,
Cry of the CityCry of the City is a 1948 black-and-white film noir directed by Robert Siodmak based on the novel by Henry Edward Helseth, "The Chair for Martin Rome." Veteran film noir-writer Ben Hecht worked on the film's script, but is not credited...
,
I Wake Up ScreamingI Wake Up Screaming is a black-and-white suspense film starring Betty Grable, Victor Mature, and Carole Landis. The film is an early example of the film noir style. It is based on the novel with the same title by Steve Fisher, with a screenplay by Fisher and Dwight Taylor...
,
How to Marry a Millionaire). Much of the rest of the score for
How to Marry a Millionaire consists of similarly familiar, preexisting compositions, including several pieces composed by
George GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are universally familiar....
.
The music soundtrack from
How to Marry a Millionaire was released on CD by Membran International in 2004. The film's arrangement of Newman's "Street Scene" was performed in 1973 by
National Philharmonic OrchestraThe National Philharmonic Orchestra was a British orchestra created exclusively for recording purposes. It was founded by RCA producer Charles Gerhardt and orchestra leader / contractor Sidney Sax due in part to the requirements of the Reader's Digest...
, conducted by
Charles GerhardtCharles Allan Gerhardt was a conductor, record producer, and arranger.-Early years:Gerhardt grew up in Little Rock, where he studied the piano at age five and composition at age nine...
, for the vinyl/CD-album
Captain from Castille - Classic Film Scores of Alfred Newman, accompanied by a booklet in which Page Cook chronicles the background of the piece.
Remake
Nicole KidmanNicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, fashion model, singer and humanitarian. In 2006, Kidman was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, Australia's highest civilian honour. In 2006, she was also the highest-paid actress in the motion picture industry.Kidman's...
has bought the rights to
How to Marry a Millionaire, and is set to produce and possibly star in a remake.
Academy AwardsThe Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is...
- 1954: Best Costume Design, Color, Charles LeMaire
Charles LeMaire was an American costume designer. Despite his French sounding name, he was born in Chicago.LeMaire's early career was as a vaudeville performer, but he became a costume designer for such Broadway productions as Ziegfeld Follies and The Five O'Clock Girl. By 1925 he turned to the...
, William TravillaWilliam Travilla , who went by the professional name of Travilla, was an American costume designer for theatre, film, and television. He is perhaps best-known for dressing Marilyn Monroe in eight of her films....
External links