How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson (screenplay)
Zoe Akins (plays) ...

Release Date:

5 November 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

The Most Glamorous Entertainment Of Your Lifetime in CinemaScope. You See It Without Glasses!

Plot:

Three women set out to find eligible millionaires to marry, but find true love in the process.

Plot Keywords:

Millionaire | Love | Money | Model | Bachelor

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Betty Grable	...	Loco Dempsey
Marilyn Monroe	...	Pola Debevoise
Lauren Bacall	...	Schatze Page
David Wayne	...	Freddie Denmark
Rory Calhoun	...	Eben
Cameron Mitchell	...	Tom Brookman
Alexander D'Arcy	...	J. Stewart Merrill (as Alex D'Arcy)
Fred Clark	...	Waldo Brewster
William Powell	...	J.D. Hanley

Also Known As:

Comment épouser un millionnaire (Belgium: French title) (France) (dubbed version) [fr]
Wie angelt man sich einen Millionär (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Cómo casarse con un millonario (Spain) [es]
Come sposare un milionario (Italy) [it]
Como Agarrar um Milionário (Brazil) [pt]
Hoe men een millionnair huwt (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
Hur man får en miljonär (Sweden) [sv]
Jak poslubic milionera (Poland) [pl]
Kuinka miljonääri naidaan (Finland) [fi]
Milyoner avcilari (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Pos na pantrefthite enan ekatymmyriouho (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
Pos na pantreftite ekatommyriouho (Greece) [el]
Tre piger søger en millionær (Denmark) [da]

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

France:U | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #16443) | Canada:G (video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | West Germany:12 | Norway:7

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

In one scene the three women are talking to each other about who they would like to marry. Marilyn Monroe's character says she wouldn't mind marring Mr. Cadillac. Lauren Bacall's character replies "No such person, I checked". There was a Mr. Cadillac. He was the French governor of Canada (founded the city of Detroit and in 1710 was named the governor of Louisiana). The Cadillac was named for him and his surname lives on in the form of his descendants.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Schatze is walking up and down on the roof her shadow isn't matching the shadows on the buildings behind -- her shadow falls the opposite way due to the lighting not matching the supposed position of the sun.

Quotes:

Schatze Page: The first rule is, gentlemen callers have got to wear a necktie!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Jeffersons: How Not to Marry a Millionaire (#10.5)" (1983)

Soundtrack:

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Monroe and Grable and Bacall

This entertaining film has the three girls (Pola, played by Marilyn Monroe in specs; Schatze, played by Lauren Bacall and looking rather mumsy; and Loco, played by Betty Grable with those fabulous legs) setting up shop in an apartment, ready to reel in wealthy husbands.

The boys in question include David Wayne, Rory Calhoun, Cameron Mitchell, William Powell, and Alex D'Arcy. Trying to figure out the scheming girls is hard for them, especially when the girls are going all out to hide their real personalities!

This glitzy fluff is enlivened by real-life in-jokes - Betty Grable doesn't recognise a Harry James record (she was married to him at the time), and Lauren Bacall says she's mad about 'that old man in The African Queen'(real-life husband Bogart of course). Bacall comes out best of the girls although Monroe is always worth watching and Grable was effective decoration even towards the end of her career, as she was here (having been on screen for over twenty years at this point - her first appearance was in her teens in 'Hold 'Em Jail', I think).