JohnHowardReid Copyright 4 January 1944 by Loew's Inc. New York opening at the Capitol: 24 March 1944. U.S. release: April 1944. Australian release: 14 September 1944. 8,515 feet. 94 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Feeling neglected because Bill, her astronomer-husband, is preoccupied with a new comet, Vicky Whitley seeks some diversion. She meets an astrologer who tells her that, by the twenty-second of the month, she will fall in love with a man who has traveled widely. Vicky informs Bill of the prediction. Upset at her belief in astrology, Bill leaves her and goes to his observatory. Vicky patiently waits for her "man" to appear. After an uneventful day on the twenty-second, she telephones Bill; and admitting that she was wrong, asks him to return home. Just as midnight approaches, however...VIEWER'S GUIDE: Ideal for insomniacs.COMMENT: This wartime escapist farce is pretty tough sledding. The most generous assessment at our Hollywood Classics screening was that the wittiest thing about the movie was its title. A slight comedy spun out to 94 minutes, well beyond the point of tedium. A complete waste of some fine players. Admittedly, In the hands of a less talented director than Alexander Hall, who makes the most of the occasional jokes and mildly intriguing if far too repetitive situations, the results would have been considerably less than the just barely passable entertainment that this Heavenly Body offers.ADDITIONAL COMMENT: As bores go, The Heavenly Body is something rather special, in that it offers the ultra-luxury of being bored by no less a personage than Hedy Lamarr. - PM Reviews.

robert-temple-1 This is such a ridiculous and silly film that I found it impossible to watch all of it, as it was simply too exasperating and irritating. MGM must have realized they had a turkey on their hands because they employed seven screenwriters, including even the British novelist Michael Arlen, and hired a second (uncredited) director, namely Vincente Minelli, to try and save the film. But all failed. William Powell and Hedy Lamarr were the stars, and they did very well. But their valiant efforts and those of the seven screenwriters and two directors, were all for nothing. The fact is that it was a ludicrous project commissioned by idiots. The main theme of the film is that William Powell, an observational astronomer working at a big telescope (clearly mean to be Mount Palomar), has a beautiful but pin-headed wife who takes astrology so seriously that she will not let him touch her on Tuesdays and according to her chart she must leave him for another man she does not know. The irony of having Hedy Lamarr, probably the most intelligent female star in Hollywood, play the stupidest woman in the history of films, is extreme. The film is an absolutely disgusting attempt to make a comedy based upon the premise that women are unspeakably stupid. One does not have to be a feminist to want to throw up.

iamyuno2 I usually avoid watching movies that get less than a 3-star rating on the Turner Classic Movies channel but maybe I should reevaluate that policy because - being a big William Powell fan and an admirer of Hedy Lamarr - I decided to watch this movie, having never seen it. Glad I did. Yes, it's got its silly side - but so do many comedies. What's really significant is that it features William Powell at his comedic best, with many brilliant creative and hilarious scenes you just have to see and enjoy. Though this is a flawed movie, it is nonetheless engaging and highly entertaining due to Powell's ability to conjure up some of the most ingenious funny scenes ever. Though Hedy Lamarr is a ditz here and not necessarily the kind of character most men would want as a wife (being quixotic and ruled by astrologers), there are in fact women like this (I was married to one) and so even her part rings true to those of us who've "been there." So...silly but not so silly. Yet...really really funny! And you don't have to be a William Powell fan to like this one. Enjoy! (You will!)

jotix100 "Heavenly Body", which was shown on cable recently, is one of those forgotten MGM comedies of the forties that had a lot style and showed a great promise based on the people involved. As directed by Alexander Hall, the movie capitalizes on the talented William Powell and the beautiful Hedy Lamarr, perhaps one of the most beautiful women in the movies of that era.The comedy seems to be a struggle between sciences that even though sound similar, are completely opposite. William Whitley is an astrologer married to the gorgeous Vicky. They appear happy together, that is, until Nancy Potter, a neighbor, interests her in astronomy. The good natured Vicky falls prey to horoscopes and charts that take her interest away from her husband, who has made an important discovery in a comet that will be crashing on the moon.Things get complicated when journalist LLoyd Hunter enters the picture and falls for Vicky. William feels neglected and wants to get Vicky to realize what's important and what's not, so he takes matters into his own hands and has a confrontation with the astrologer Ms. Sybill. Right after that, Vicky realizes how much William loves her and leaves all the predictions aside.William Powell was an actor with a lot of charm. He was wonderful playing comedies, as he shows here. It's easy to see how he would be good next to Ms. Lamarr, who shows good chemistry with her co-star. In supporting roles we see a lot of the best character actors of the time, James Craig, Spring Byington, Fay Banter, Henry O'Neill, among others. See the film as curiosity piece.