 | |
List Price: $14.98 | | Label: 20th Century Fox
Salesrank: 65935
Released: May 14, 2002 |
| Our Price: $13.43 |
| Used Price: $3.52 |
|
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD |
|
Editorial Review:
Known as one of the world's richest, most powerful and eligible bachelors, Jean Marc Clement (Yves Montand) is not amused when he learns that an off-Broadway show plans on parodying his fickle ways. He'll do anything to stop the show - until he meets Amanda (Marilyn Monroe), the production's real show stopper! In a classic case of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" he auditions and lands a role playing himself! Underwhelmed by his lack of talent, Amanda all but ignores his romantic advances. In a desperate attempt to get her attention he hires Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly and Milton Berle (as themselves), to help him get his act together and win the woman of his dreams.
Description of Let's Make Love:
A curious picture in many ways: Marilyn Monroe was the superstar, Yves Montand new to Hollywood, but she seems peripheral to the action and he's in almost every scene. Meanwhile, director George Cukor, always happy with theatrical material, can't make the off-off-Broadway milieu come to believable life. In short, Let's Make Love lacks the sparkle promised by its talent roster, and for Monroe especially the bloom is off the rose. This 1960 film was her next to last, and she appears weary, although isolated moments have the old oomph (and she has a terrific romp through her first number, Cole Porter's "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"). Cameos by Milton Berle, Bing Crosby, and Gene Kelly increase the time-capsule feeling. The biggest failing is the lack of chemistry between Monroe and Montand, yet offscreen they had a romance during filming. A curious picture indeed. --Robert Horton
Let's Make Love Reviews:
Lush, Classic Monroe 
2009-06-28 - It is easy to see why the steamy passions displayed on screen in this film , spilled over into real life, getting Yves Montand in trouble with his wife Simone Signoret. This film showcases the many talents of Marilyn and the atmosphere of the Beatnik era influenced experimental theatre of Greenwich Village of the early 60's. Although the story is a bit far fetched -- a Super-Rich man desparate for the affections of a pretty girl, and going to many typical Hollywood devices to try to win her over, in the end it falls to chemistry and charm to make this movie a pleasure to watch. It has enough entertaining musical numbers to keep it light.
Runs out of gas 
2009-05-10 - "Let's Make Love" starts out with the smash burlesque dance number "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," but seems to slide down the slippery slope after that. Too bad, because all of the performers are really trying -- MM, the smooth-singing Frankie Vaughn, Yves Montand, etc. The problem is, the script is simply horrible. I've never seen such great talent wasted on such a bad screenplay.
Marilyn's last and (tied with her) best movie -
2009-03-02 - Yves Montand is a dream - as good as cary grant in any movie ever -
this is worth seeing if only for the minutes-long brilliant,show-stopping performance of "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" [which took 11 days to film] -
for Marilyn at her most breath-taking and charming and darling: no woman can blame any man for falling for this adorable, womanly creature -
Arthur Miller doctored the script and it's very good -
Tony Randall is at HIS most charming, as well -
There are several great gestures and dialogue moments in this film that directors and actors have borrowed from in subsequent movies and television shows - always the sign of A Great Movie -
clean enough to have been shown on Saturday Night At The Movies in the 1960s - PG and fine for all children - girls love it - AND it's good for kids to see a woman who is irresistibly appealing and not skinny thin -
great fun and joy and laughs and innocence and Love Wins Again - to 2 characters who ARE going to go on to live Happily Ever After...
Daring performance and uncomfortable insinuations 
2008-08-28 - Monroe and Montand seem an unlikely coupling. But they pull it off and suck you in.
In the scene where Monroe sings "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", Marilyn slides down a stripper pole 40 years before it was fashionable... and starts out.... "Boys! My name is Lolita, and ah... I'm not supposed to play... with boys!" ".... My heart belongs to Daddy so I simply couldn't be bad." ".. cuz Daddy, my Daddy. My little old Daddy, he treats it so.... That little old man he just treats it SO GOOOOOOOOD!"
The last line is delivered in such a way that one blushes at what is really being said and wondering who that little old man really is! Erotic and distrubing all at once, especially in light of Marilyn's real life fixation on her absentee father and the molestation she was subjected to. The eroticism in this scene cannot be rivaled by any modern day film. The song itself has such taboo insinuations it's a bit shocking even by today's standards.
I think we can credit Ms. Monroe with currently overused phrase, "Who's Your Daddy?!"
SHE's YOUR Daddy! ;o)
There are very nice cameo appearances by Bing Crosby, Milton Berle, & Gene Kelly playing themselves... Frankie Vaughan is dreamy. Montand seems out of place but does a good job with what he has to work with.
See the film just to enjoy the cameos, or to watch Monroe perform a piece ahead of it's time in content. "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" is just plain bizarre...see Marilyn "scatting" !
Let's - Why Not? 
2008-07-31 - I stumbled across the DVD for "Let's Make Love" in one of those midnight rambles over the web - the ones where I start off searching "How High the Moon", clink links until, suddenly, I've got happy snaps of the New York Roxy and CinemaScope and end up, well, with Marilyn. "Let's Make Love" is not available here (Australia) for love or ready cash, and hasn't been, and perhaps won't be for a long time.
I've got the oldest copy in the world on VHS and yes, it's not one of her best; and yes, she's put on a bit of weight; and yes, George Cukor's flabby direction, the rotten script, the woeful editing don't make anybody look good. The sleazy charms of M. Montand and the almost talent-free Frankie Vaughan's immense self-satisfaction... but the main reason I've ordered it with great glee not ten minutes ago is to see Marilyn - especially to see her originate pole-dancing with "My Heart Belongs to Daddy". And that, for me, is reason enough. Mary Martin must have been (as we say down here) SPEWING.
She's amazing. It doesn't matter whether you're a fan or not - if she's on the screen you're not looking at anybody else, and that's star quality.
Interesting that another reviewer of this film mentioned "The Prince and the Showgirl" with something south of pleasure. If you ever puzzle about the difference between Acting and acting, this is a great spot to start. Watch the Brits, especially the atrrrrociously mannerrrred Larrrry Olivier, sink slowly in the west, and then compare his silly posturing to the effortless ease of Monroe's style. "Won't you come down, my dear? You're the only one of us who knows how to do it."
Let's not mention "There's No Business Like Show Business"...
Next: "Niagara". Delirious!
