William Powell does a lot ham acting and a bit of leering at The Heavenly Body of Hedy Lamarr, but in the end The Heavenly Body just ends up more silly than amusing.
Poor Bill and Hedy they did two films together, neither of them would be at the top ten of either of their list of film credits. The first was Crossroads based on an incredibly silly premise about amnesia. And try as I might I could not wrap myself around the concept that a woman who was married to an astronomer would have the slightest faith of any kind in astrology.
I also couldn't believe that Hedy would be led into it by neighbor Spring Byington who is playing one of her usual airhead characters. But when astronomer husband Powell who is excited over the discovery of a new comet on a collision course with the moon is not paying attention to her, she's gullible enough for anything.
Which includes Byington's astrologer Fay Bainter who says that Lamarr will have a new man in her life shortly whom she will marry. When new air raid warden James Craig seems to fit the bill, Lamarr kind of forces the issue with a bit of flirting.
Of course if you've got Hedy Lamarr flirting with you, Craig's no fool.
Which leaves Powell in the predicament of weaning his wife off astrology and James Craig.
The Heavenly Body does have a couple of good scenes, the highlight is Powell getting absolutely plastered on vodka and inviting the whole Russian tea room over in the spirit of the American-Soviet wartime alliance. Powell's character here is no drinker like Nick Charles, in fact he's a teetotaler and he's not used to holding his liquor.
In the end though The Heavenly Body asks just a little too much of its stars to carry a weak story resting on a silly premise.
Poor Bill and Hedy they did two films together, neither of them would be at the top ten of either of their list of film credits. The first was Crossroads based on an incredibly silly premise about amnesia. And try as I might I could not wrap myself around the concept that a woman who was married to an astronomer would have the slightest faith of any kind in astrology.
I also couldn't believe that Hedy would be led into it by neighbor Spring Byington who is playing one of her usual airhead characters. But when astronomer husband Powell who is excited over the discovery of a new comet on a collision course with the moon is not paying attention to her, she's gullible enough for anything.
Which includes Byington's astrologer Fay Bainter who says that Lamarr will have a new man in her life shortly whom she will marry. When new air raid warden James Craig seems to fit the bill, Lamarr kind of forces the issue with a bit of flirting.
Of course if you've got Hedy Lamarr flirting with you, Craig's no fool.
Which leaves Powell in the predicament of weaning his wife off astrology and James Craig.
The Heavenly Body does have a couple of good scenes, the highlight is Powell getting absolutely plastered on vodka and inviting the whole Russian tea room over in the spirit of the American-Soviet wartime alliance. Powell's character here is no drinker like Nick Charles, in fact he's a teetotaler and he's not used to holding his liquor.
In the end though The Heavenly Body asks just a little too much of its stars to carry a weak story resting on a silly premise.