HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE

REVIEWED BY ELIZABETH CHANCELLOR

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: thematic elements

Rated:

Schatze Page (Lauren Bacall), Pola Debevoise (Marilyn Monroe) and Loco Dempsey (Betty Grable) are three very different women. The first is a recent divorcee with a penchant for gas station attendants. The second, a vain glamour girl who believes that wearing her glasses would only repulse men. And the third, a cute but ditzy blonde who certainly lives up to her name. Yet, these three share one ambition: to marry a millionaire. With merely a few dollars between them, the girls can hardly attract men by their fortunes. But who says they can’t at least look rich? First up in the millionaire-catching plan is a penthouse, lavishly furnished. Next, a glamorous, on the town lifestyle. Surely, at least one of them will meet a millionaire white hitting the hotspots of New York. With a mind for money as well as romance, the girls set out to catch their men.

Three months later: still no husbands. Not only that, the girls have run out of furniture to sell. Plan A certainly didn’t work and the future looks bleak…until plan B walks through the front door. J.D. Hanley (William Powell) is as rich as they come, and he came straight from Texas. Loco had met him in the mink department of Bergdorf’s (a suggested spot when shopping for millionaires), and quickly enlisted his assistance in carrying her packages home. Her catch proves quite profitable, for not only is J.D. rich, but he also has several friends in a similar financial situation. With Schatze on his arm and the other two close behind, he brings the girls to the hottest spot in town: The Oil Convention.

Glitz, glamour and millionaires everywhere: what more could a girl ask for? A little character, perhaps? Thanks to her vanity, Pola has picked a phony with an eye patch. And Loco? A married man who is duller than dust. Still, Schatze has the prize of J.D. He is a true gentleman, a sweet, wonderful man. And after all, it only takes one millionaire husband to keep the unmarried girls well stocked with potential spouses. But what will become of their get-rich-quick plan when each of the girls falls in love with poor but earnest young men?

Whenever I have a little extra money, I always try to get something nice. Let me tell you, this film is lovely, and well worth the price. Purchased on a whim, I was pleased to find How to Marry a Millionaire just as good as I had hoped. The script sparkles with wit and charm, and the acting is terrific. William Powell is engaging as ever, and even the licentious Marilyn Monroe turns in a wonderful performance by trading her impropriety for comedy. It’s a pity she ended up as she did, for had she taken the path of laughter rather than lust, she could have been a fine comedienne. Though the film is often credited as hers, Lauren Bacall leads the show. Her acting and wry humor are excellent, and her dialogue even includes a hilarious reference to husband Humphrey Bogart. Likewise, Betty Grable references Harry James, the famous musician to whom she was married. Her acting is marvelous and her character thoroughly likeable, though it is she who becomes involved in quite an uncomfortable situation. Thinking she would be attending a convention with thousands of people and separate bedrooms, Loco agrees to go to the married millionaire’s lodge for the weekend.

Thankfully, when she finds that the lodge is a secluded cabin for two in Maine, she immediately backs out of the proposition. And although several of the “gentlemen” have unsavory designs on the girls, Schatze, Pola and Loco never have anything less than marriage on the mind...even if it is for the wrong reasons. But when Pola and Loco fall for the lower but loveable class, the film’s outlook suddenly brightens. Gone is the threat of adultery and counterfeit courtships. The only troubles from then on are a few leggy costumes and derision from Schatze of her friends’ inability to follow through with their plans. The girls may have failed when it comes to marrying money, but they will certainly be rich in love.