Let's Make Love (1960) from Tuna

Let's Make Love stars Yves Montand as Jean-Marc Clement, a billionaire playboy. He hears that an off-Broadway production is going to make fun of him, and resolves to visit their rehearsals in the hope that he can make them go easy on him. He immediately falls for the female lead (Marilyn Monroe) and,  just to be near her, tries out for the part playing himself. He finds that, for the first time ever, a woman is relating to him, rather than his money and power.
Unfortunately, she is much more taken with co-star Frankie Vaughan. In order to win Marilyn, Montand decides he will have to impress her as a performer, so he hires a series of tutors. First, Milton Berle to learn comedy, second, Bing Crosby as a vocal coach, and finally Gene Kelly for a little dance instruction.

NUDITY REPORT
We see Marilyn's buns through a transparent costume, along with some cleavage and pokies.
This would be a third rate Musical Comedy with no memorable songs were it not for Monroe. One thing that struck me while watching is just how much our sense of beauty has changed in 42 years. She was the pinnacle of sexiness then, but would be considered way overweight now.

DVD info from Amazon.

  • Theatrical trailer(s)

  • Restoration comparison

  • Stills gallery

  • Widescreen anamorphic format, 2.35:1

  • It is a very nice transfer, especially considering the age. This is a must see for Marilyn fans, but has little to offer others

It can also be purchased as part of the MM Diamond Collection, part 2. Here's the DVD info from Amazon.

Scoop's notes:

I haven't seen this film in thirty years, and I can't remember one song from it, but I still remember enjoying the cameos from Crosby, Berle, and Kelly.

This film was directed by the legendary George Cukor. He was also involved with a few films you may have heard of, like Adam's Rib, The Philadelphia Story, My Fair Lady, and Gone with the Wind.

The Critics Vote

  • filmcritic.com: 2.5/5

The People Vote ...

IMDb guideline: 7.5 usually indicates a level of excellence, about like three and a half stars from the critics. 6.0 usually indicates lukewarm watchability, about like two and a half stars from the critics. The fives are generally not worthwhile unless they are really your kind of material, about like two stars from the critics. Films under five are generally awful even if you like that kind of film, equivalent to about one and a half stars from the critics or less, depending on just how far below five the rating is.

My own guideline: A means the movie is so good it will appeal to you even if you hate the genre. B means the movie is not good enough to win you over if you hate the genre, but is good enough to do so if you have an open mind about this type of film. C means it will only appeal to genre addicts, and has no crossover appeal. D means you'll hate it even if you like the genre. E means that you'll hate it even if you love the genre. F means that the film is not only unappealing across-the-board, but technically inept as well.

Based on this description, this film is a C+.

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