Tonight's Movie: I Love Melvin (1953) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

I LOVE MELVIN (1953), a breezy MGM charmer, has just been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

The movie was previously released on a remastered Warner Archive DVD in 2011, when I reviewed it.

I LOVE MELVIN might be a relatively minor MGM musical, running just 77 minutes, but it's fun and engaging thanks to a great cast and plentiful musical numbers.

Debbie Reynolds plays Judy, a young Broadway dancer who falls -- quite literally -- for Melvin (Donald O'Connor), the assistant to a photographer (Jim Backus) at Look Magazine.

Melvin is so taken with lovely Judy -- who incidentally wears a great Helen Rose wardrobe -- that he pretends to be a Look photographer so he can schedule endless shooting sessions with her.

This pretense leads to complications, but, as I noted back in 2011, OConnor is so winning in his love for Judy that the audience is willing to forgive his tall tales. And Reynolds is absolutely adorable.

The movie has a marvelous supporting cast, starting with favorites Allyn Joslyn and Una Merkel as Judy's parents and darling Noreen Corcoran as Judy's kid sister Clarabelle. Corcoran is so cute one can understand why Judy agrees to take her little sister along on a movie date with Melvin.

Other faces on hand are Richard Anderson, Les Tremayne, and, very briefly, Barbara Ruick. Robert Taylor also turns up for a highly enjoyable cameo.

Viewers with a careful eye might spot Robert Fuller, later of EMERGENCY!, in the somewhat crazy yet very creative "football" dance number; others with minor parts include Steve Forrest, Lyn Wilde, and Matt Mattox.

The movie is filled with catchy tunes and enjoyable dances, including a number with O'Connor and Reynolds dancing in her living room and O'Connor's roller skating number.

The film also looks great, shot in Technicolor by Harold Rosson. It was directed in sprightly fashion by Don Weis.

The screenplay was written by George Wells with additional dialogue by Ruth Brooks Flippen, based on a story by Laszlo Vadnay.

For a few additional thoughts on the film itself, please click over to my 2011 review.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray print is from a 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original Technicolor camera negatives. It looks and sounds fantastic.

Extras include the trailer; a two-minute outtake of the "A Lady Loves" number; the cartoons THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSUM (1952) and TV OF TOMORROW (1952); and an always-welcome song selection menu for quick access to the musical numbers.

MGM musical fans will want to grab this Blu-ray. It's a wonderful disc, and this is a bouncy movie with considerable "rewatch" value to make the investment in the disc worthwhile.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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