Marvelous entertainment for those who enjoy pretty people dealing with superficial problems in sumptuous settings.
Breezily directed by Negulesco who never lets the handsome trappings overshadow the various goings on. But having the advantage of Cinemascope at his disposal and the setting of New York he makes sure the plush settings are on full view.
He is fortunate to have in every role an actor or star who knows how to register on screen and having the roles and pairs matched so perfectly.
Clifton Webb is upper class dignity personified making Mr. Gifford a humorous, wise, snobbish, mannerly figurehead who turns out to be nobody's fool. As his upper crust sister Margalo Gilmore is a charming delight in her brief scenes.
The three couples vying for the top spot in the company are a fun study of marriage in the 50's.
June Allyson and Cornel Wilde are the sweet small town happily marrieds who love each other and have learned how to balance his upward mobility and a stable home life even if at times June can't help but make a bit of a fool of herself. It's also nice that even though Cornel is incredibly good looking nothing is made of it to make him stand out he just is handsome and that's that.
Van Heflin and Arlene Dahl are the picture of Texas ambition and a hunger to get ahead. Arlene, with as another character points out prime Texas steaks in exactly the right places, is lovely in an over ripe way and her brazenness is a treat to behold with Van's gravity a nice counter balance.
Best of all are the troubled pair of Fred MacMurray and Lauren Bacall. Fred is fine as the stolid man so desperate to get somewhere that he has almost lost what means the most to him but it is Betty Bacall who takes top acting honors as the wounded, wary but good natured and wry Liz. She is slyly knowing in all her line reading but able to show the vulnerability just under the surface. Very good performances in the type of film often loaded with ordinary work.
About those settings, you get to see an aerial view of 50's New York plus many of the sights and the quaintly called country house is a mansion of impressive size and richly appointed rooms. And of course when everybody dresses up they are gowned in amazing clothes and wearing jewels worth many fortunes. A good time.
Breezily directed by Negulesco who never lets the handsome trappings overshadow the various goings on. But having the advantage of Cinemascope at his disposal and the setting of New York he makes sure the plush settings are on full view.
He is fortunate to have in every role an actor or star who knows how to register on screen and having the roles and pairs matched so perfectly.
Clifton Webb is upper class dignity personified making Mr. Gifford a humorous, wise, snobbish, mannerly figurehead who turns out to be nobody's fool. As his upper crust sister Margalo Gilmore is a charming delight in her brief scenes.
The three couples vying for the top spot in the company are a fun study of marriage in the 50's.
June Allyson and Cornel Wilde are the sweet small town happily marrieds who love each other and have learned how to balance his upward mobility and a stable home life even if at times June can't help but make a bit of a fool of herself. It's also nice that even though Cornel is incredibly good looking nothing is made of it to make him stand out he just is handsome and that's that.
Van Heflin and Arlene Dahl are the picture of Texas ambition and a hunger to get ahead. Arlene, with as another character points out prime Texas steaks in exactly the right places, is lovely in an over ripe way and her brazenness is a treat to behold with Van's gravity a nice counter balance.
Best of all are the troubled pair of Fred MacMurray and Lauren Bacall. Fred is fine as the stolid man so desperate to get somewhere that he has almost lost what means the most to him but it is Betty Bacall who takes top acting honors as the wounded, wary but good natured and wry Liz. She is slyly knowing in all her line reading but able to show the vulnerability just under the surface. Very good performances in the type of film often loaded with ordinary work.
About those settings, you get to see an aerial view of 50's New York plus many of the sights and the quaintly called country house is a mansion of impressive size and richly appointed rooms. And of course when everybody dresses up they are gowned in amazing clothes and wearing jewels worth many fortunes. A good time.