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| One Touch of Venus | 
| Actors: Ava Gardner, Robert Walker, Mary Benoit, Ralph Brooks, Russ Conway
Studio: Republic Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $7.85
You Save: $7.13 (48%)
Buy New/Used from $7.85
Avg. Customer Rating:  (6 reviews)
Sales Rank: 5477
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 84 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: LGED24022D
UPC: 017153100037
EAN: 0017153100037
ASIN: B001DE29TC
Release Date: October 14, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: 1948
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Description
A fantasy comedy about a young window dresser (Robert Walker) who kisses a statue of Venus, which then comes to life in the form of Ava Gardner. The problems begin, however, when Venus falls in love with him...
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 Hollywood dumbs down Venus, and not even "Speak Low" escapes unscathed December 14, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
When naive young Eddie Hatch, a window dresser at Savory's Department Store, falls for a statue of Venus and gives her a chaste kiss, Venus steps off her pedestal and gives Eddie more than he bargained for. This creaking example of what Hollywood can do to a Broadway musical manages to emphasize the inane story and eliminate most of the first-rate songs. The purpose was to make a safe, popular movie without too much investment while capitalizing on Ava Gardner's upward mobility to super stardom. Robert Walker as Eddie gets lost in a thankless role. Eddie's not just naive, but dithering and hapless. Gardner is gorgeous, but the only things that give the movie any life are Olga San Juan as Eddie's loving but jealous girl friend, Tom Conway as the suave owner of Savory's and Eve Arden as Savory's long time, wise cracking secretary. It's a role Arden could play in her sleep, and she's good at it.
The musical opened on Broadway in 1943 and made Mary Martin a big-time star. The only point of a musical, however, is to have music. Since One Touch of Venus was intended to be a social satire of sorts, Kurt Weill, composing, and Ogden Nash writing the lyrics, came up with a series of stylish, witty songs and one masterpiece. Without the satire, or the clever songs or Martin (or an equivalent showstopper), the movie becomes just a weak comedy fantasy where much of the comedy is predictable and the fantasy is worked to death.
Not only did the producers of the movie toss out almost all the Weill/Nash songs, they brought in the movie's music director, Ann Ronell, to write new lyrics for one of the songs that survived, turning sharp observation into lovey-dovey romance. Ronell was no hack; she wrote Willow Weep for Me. Wonder what she thought about while she replaced or tweaked Ogden Nash's clever work.
The one bright spot in the movie is that Weill/Nash masterpiece. "Speak Low" is as great a love song as anyone ever wrote. It's given one of those ultra-professional and lifeless treatments by Eileen Wilson dubbing Gardner. Dick Haymes contributes a chorus. Here's the song...
Speak low when you speak love.
Our summer day
withers away
too soon, too soon.
Speak low when you speak love.
Our moment is swift
like ships adrift,
we're swept apart, too soon.
Speak low, darling, speak low.
Love is a spark, lost in the dark
too soon, too soon.
I feel wherever I go
that tomorrow is near,
tomorrow is here and always too soon.
Time is so old and love so brief.
Love is pure gold and time a thief.
We're late, darling, we're late.
The curtain descends
ev'rything ends
too soon, too soon.
I wait, darling, I wait.
Will you speak low to me,
speak love to me and soon.
As for Ann Ronell, she was one of the few women in Hollywood to become a major music director, as well as composer and lyric writer. Yours for a Song: The Women of Tin Pan Alley is a fascinating documentary of some of the women who made it in the business, including Ronell, Kay Swift, Dorothy Fields and Dana Suess. And for those who would like to hear what little of the Weill/Nash score was recorded by the original Broadway cast, you might be able to track down the CD, One Touch Of Venus (1943 Original Cast) / Lute Song (1946 Original Cast) [2 on 1]. The music is paired with Lute Song, another Broadway show that starred Martin.
The black and white transfer looks just fine. There are no significant extras. You probably should rent this before deciding to buy.
 ONE TOUCH OF VENUS November 24, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have waited for years to have a copy of this film "One Touch of Venus" and now that I have watched more than two times by showing it to friends.
A memory from the past November 11, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I think I was about 15 when I saw this on TV and for the past 40 years wanted to see it again. It was quirky, but I was so glad to be able to see it. There are several movies that I hope are brought back, just because they were enjoyable.
CLASSIC GOLD November 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
THIS IS ONE OF THE REPUBLIC'S MANY CLASSIC PIECES THAT WAS FINALLY RELEASED ON DVD. IT'S A GREAT FANTASY WITH A SUPERB CAST. CHECK IT OUT!
 What Happened to the Music? October 9, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: From the Secret Files of Harry Pennypacker
Musical: From Broadway to Hollywood
Shadow Watcher
Nobody Drowns in Mineral Lake
This 1948 comedy was adapted from a Broadway musical that starred Mary Martin and featured a score by Kurt Weill. Sadly, the music, except for three songs, has been cut from the movie.
The film, directed by William A. Seiter, is reminiscent of TOPPER, HERE COMES MR. JORDAN and other like fantasy-comedies that were popular with movie audiences during the 1930s and 40s.
[During the 1960s, TV shows like BEWITCHED and I DREAM OF JEANNIE filled this void.]
Robert Walker stars as a shy window dresser for a big department store, who impulsively kisses the store's invaluable statue of the Greek goddess, Venus. A moment later, the statue, played by Ava Gardner, has come to life and Walker faints on the spot.
Upon awakening, poor Robert discovers that he's in very big trouble. He's being pursued by the cops for stealing the statute and, if that isn't bad enough, it appears that Venus won't return to her pedestal because she has fallen in love with him. Even worse, his jealous girl friend (Olga San Juan) is convinced that he's been unfaithful.
Dick Haymes, Eve Arden and Tom Conway co-star in what is still a clever, if somewhat silly, romp that should entertain the entire family.
Michael B. Druxman, author of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
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