TheLittleSongbird 'Libeled Lady' is a marvellous and thoroughly enjoyable comedy, a near-classic with three of the four stars on top form (especially Jean Harlow and William Powell, Spencer Tracy's comedic chops became more refined and more at ease in his later films in my opinion).'Easy to Wed' is a musical remake but is nowhere near as good and one may question its point. It is by no means a bad film though and makes for more than serviceable entertainment. Starting with its faults, Esther Williams has little to do and her role does not play to her strengths while Van Johnson is wooden in a role just as underwritten and looks uninterested.The musical numbers don't feel necessary (despite Ethel Smith contributing very nicely on the organ), are not that compellingly staged and are also not particularly memorable, while the story is even more contrived than that of 'Libeled Lady' and lacks its zippy energy (the musical numbers do it no favours), some of it badly drags. The ending feels too pat and incomplete.However, the classy cinematography, beautiful use of colour and elegant wardrobe more than compensates as does a script that is almost as witty and sophisticated as that of 'Libeled Lady'. The duck hunting scene is not as hilarious as the fishing scene in 'Libeled Lady' but still an amusing scene. Edward Buzell does his best to inject some energy and style and does very competently.Keenan Wynn has very deft comic timing and doesn't come over as heavy-footed. It's Lucille Ball's exuberant and very funny performance that steals the show though, especially when she indulges into a flight of Shakespeare.On the whole, vastly inferior but serviceable and watchable. 5/10 Bethany Cox

dougdoepke Okay, I'll try to summarize the storyline. If Homer can prove Connie's a man stealer he'll escape a 2-million dollar lawsuit. So he hires Bill to catch Connie's eye. But Gladys is married to Bill or is it to Warren. Then again, maybe she isn't. But then Bill marries Connie, but Bill's already married or maybe he isn't since no one knows who's divorced whom. Anyway, I give up because the plot's not important, anyhow.The movie's a visual treat, what with Williams, Johnson, and Ball being at their physical peak. I doubt there were three more beautiful people in Hollywood, especially Williams in a swimsuit. Then too, there's MGM's renowned production values lending the results a Technicolor sheen that makes you want to jump in. And is that really Fidel Castro at poolside (IMDB)! Now with all the physical assets, this musical comedy should be strictly memorable. But unfortunately it's not; as a mc the overall results are entertaining but only average. Director Buzzell fails to give many of the scenes the bounce they need, while the script has too many stretched-out, talky scenes. Together, we see pretty people in pretty places doing sometimes funny things (especially Ball), but without the needed zip, plus a storyline that defies analysis.Well, that's pretty much the case except for Ball, who shows (surprise, surprise) a lively flair for adding her own comedic bounce. And, if I remember correctly, this was one of her first comedic outings in what, of course, would become a legendary career. And get a load of the array of hats she gets to wear. Some look like they were taken off the New York skyline. Still, that combination of fiery red hair and deep blue eyes is absolutely dazzling. Anyway, this is the glamour studio MGM at its most glamorous and if the results are less than hoped, the movie's still a visual feast.

jhkp The original film, Libeled Lady, was carefully tailored to suit the talents of its stars, William Powell, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy, and Spencer Tracy. It's not easy to take such a star vehicle, and, without significant alterations, make it into a vehicle for four very different stars. I guess I thought the alterations weren't significant enough. I'd rather see Van Johnson shine in his own kind of role than try to fill the shoes of William Powell, for example. Johnson is about as successful playing a Powell part as Powell would be in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. Even if, on the surface, things have been spruced up to make it seem like a Johnson part, it really isn't. Only Lucille Ball succeeded in making me forget the original film when she was on the screen. Harlow was great, but Lucy is also great, in a completely different way. When she's on the screen it's hard to think of anyone else ever having played the role.This film seems to have been intended for black and white but switched to color at the last minute. The sets are painted and dressed for black and white - in muted tones of gray, brown, beige, dull green, etc. - throughout the film. The costumes are close to colorless a lot of the time. Brown and gray predominate. Not even a colorful necktie. Even in the musical numbers at the end, the sets are mostly white and gray.

mkarol-2 This is one of the few times at MGM Lucy was given a chance to exploit her full comedic range, and she goes at it with gusto. From the moment she makes her whirlwind entrance looking absolutely gorgeous in a white wedding gown, she commands the screen whenever the camera is on her. In fact, though the movie ostensibly "stars" Van Johnson and Esther Williams, the bland leads take a back seat to the lively pairing of Lucy and Keenan Wynn, as her somewhat morally corrupt boyfriend. Forget comparisons to "Libeled Lady"; "Easy to Wed" is of a different era, and much more slapsticky, and, as noted, Lucy is a gem whether getting drunk and playing the piano or evincing true pathos as a wronged woman. She has rarely been photographed more appealingly, either.