Long before accent prone Meryl showed off her singing pipes beyond her Streep throat, another serious actress brought her golden voice, dancing talents and comical timing to a handful of '50s musicals. That star is Jane Wyman, and boy is she sexy here! The former Mrs. Ronald Reagen is a gay divorcée, finding life again after giving musical revue creator husband Ray Milland the heave-ho and beginning a tet-a-tet with brawny Aldo Ray. While Wyman is totally wild in her musical sequences, Milland brings on chuckles in his sequence, reminding me of Pierce Brosnan in Mama Mia! Then, there's Valarie Bettis, an Eve Arden type singing the ultra camp "Call of the Wild" (later repeated with the same breathiness by Wyman) as if she had an eternal case of laryngitis. Wyman really kicks up the heat with "Slow Burn", showing off a gorgeous figure that is especially a shock for her Falcon Crest fans.
A somewhat misguided remake of The Awful Truth, the situations seem occasionally forced, but every time remake queen Wyman comes on screen, that element totally disappears. Mary Treen takes over the typical Mary Wickes maid role, tossing off barbs as if they were Gypsy Rose Lee's glove. Also amusing is veteran Leon Ames as the couple's best pal. Milland is an adequate romantic lead, occasionally funny, but certainly better when he isn't singing. As directed by veteran Alexander Hall, the film never bores and moves at a speedy pace. Golden Girls fans will enjoy an unrelated reference to Shady Pines.
A somewhat misguided remake of The Awful Truth, the situations seem occasionally forced, but every time remake queen Wyman comes on screen, that element totally disappears. Mary Treen takes over the typical Mary Wickes maid role, tossing off barbs as if they were Gypsy Rose Lee's glove. Also amusing is veteran Leon Ames as the couple's best pal. Milland is an adequate romantic lead, occasionally funny, but certainly better when he isn't singing. As directed by veteran Alexander Hall, the film never bores and moves at a speedy pace. Golden Girls fans will enjoy an unrelated reference to Shady Pines.