I Love Melvin

Judy Schneider (Debbie Reynolds) dreams of being a Hollywood star but she's only a chorus girl. She gets a part on Broadway but it's playing a football. In Central Park, she bumps into Melvin Hoover (Donald O'Connor), assistant to a magazine photographer. At the musical, he exaggerates his job and promises her a magazine spread of an up-and-coming actress. Honestly, this is the sexiest football I've ever seen. When they talked about a football, I assumed it to be a bulky costume like a little kid's Halloween costume. She is arguably the star of the show which negates the premise of the movie. She would be funnier with a chunky costume. This is all about Debbie Reynolds' bubbly smiley personality. Donald O'Connor has some good physical comedy. The fleeting old fashion racism does get awkward. Aside from those moments, this is adorably cute like the little girl's song.

Cute B musical with a so-so plot. Best thing is the dancing by O'conner and Reynolds. His big solo number would be better if it were a dream sequence or fantasy. No one could do a number like that with those numerous costume changes in real time. Ending is quite abrupt. When Donald goes missing for three weeks he's actually living in Central Park??? How could he survive with no food or change of clothes. He should have held up in his home or Apartment. That's the big mistake in this otherwise cute little musical. Kudos for little Noreen Corcoran as Debbies sister.

Donald O'Connor should be revered as the musicals god he was (and still very probably could be). "I Love Melvin" should be considered a classic, right up with the rest of the musicals. I guess life really isn't fair, lol. As cute as they come, and with Debbie Reynolds, to boot!

The singing and dancing are great but after Singin' In the Rain, the year before, it's just too hard to top that with Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor back together again on the big screen. Allyn Joslyn and Una Merkel make the perfect plain parents to Reynolds, who is aspiring for a show business career, and of course there is always the precocious sister who comes along. The plot is average to somewhat below average. O'Connor as Hoover meets Reynolds as Judy in the film and naturally he becomes smitten with her and uses his photography skills to snap a variety of photos for her to accelerate her career and keep an interest in him.

Undemanding but energetic fare from MGM teaming the vivacious Debbie Reynolds as the day-dreaming dancing football and the late Donald O'Connor as the goofy magazine gopher who wants to put her on the front cover. It's hardly "Singin' in the Rain" but it does have glorious Technicolor, a snappy dance number set in a park, and a memorable song in "The Lady Loves" (which doubles as a glamour showcase for Reynolds). Nice cameo from Robert Taylor too!

I was eleven years old when I saw "I Love Melvin" and, immediately, fell in love with Donald O'Connor. He was teamed with Debbie Reynolds and I was sooooo jealous of her. It was my dream to become a dancer/singer/actor when I 'grew up'. But, for then, I lived for those visits to the local theatre where I could fill my soul with the glitz, glamour and wonder of it all. At that time, I had no way of knowing that this wonderful genre would, over the years, fade away from absolute glory to the dusty archives of today. Thank God for these websites, where we surviving lovers can rekindle those old flames by buying or renting our favorites. How comforting to know the actors will be forever young, in our eyes; and, in our hearts, so will we.

When I used to show this hilarious musical in the late 70s (and with a new print too!) I often ran it with another funny 1953 musical GIVE A GIRL A BREAK which starred Bob Fosse and Debbie Reynolds. Customers phoning the cinema ALWAYS thought I said "Tonight we have...err...Give a Girl a Break..and .I Love Melbourne" which of course they all thought was my personal comment. The programme was such fun and it did sell a lot of tickets too! Both new prints looked so good on a movie screen! The alternative version of "The lady Loves" as the opening dance number in I LOVE MELVIN can be found in THATS ENTERTAINMENT PART 3. ....and suggest you find it .......I can see why it was changed....can you?.....I LOVE MELVIN is perfect small town (girl) MGM quality ....and must have been one of their last Technicolour filmed musicals....they made everything in ansco or metro color after 1953.