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12 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
'Keep the change, Mac.', 17 June 2007

Author: ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico

Three models (Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall) pool their resources to rent an expensive penthouse apartment in New York, each girl hoping to catch a wealthy husband...

Cameron Mitchell helps Betty Grable with groceries one morning and meets and falls in love with Bacall… But she rejects him, thinking he is a 'gas pump jockey.'

The girls are nearly broke when Grable introduces them to an oil tycoon, a widower (William Powell) who becomes interested in Bacall… Grable takes a trip with wealthy and married Fred Clark, under the impression that they are going to a convention in Maine… Once at his lodge, she realizes they will be alone and is set to return to New York when she suddenly felt sick… A forest ranger named Rory Calhoun comes into her life, and they fall in love…

Marilyn leaves by plane to meet her one-eyed playboy Alex D'Arcy in Atlantic City, but because she refuses to wear glasses in public to correct her nearsightedness, she gets on the wrong plane… On board she meets David Wayne, the owner of their penthouse apartment, who is on his way to Kansas City to find his tax accountant because of whom he is in trouble with the revenue department…

Bacall, left alone and without money, agrees to marry the oilman Powell…

"How to be a Millionaire" was the second CinemaScope film ever made, the first being "The Robe." The film marked David Wayne's last movie appearance with Marilyn… He made four pictures with her, more than any other actor…

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20 out of 30 people found the following comment useful :-
a piece of fun ...., 17 April 2004
Author: hamlet-16 from Melbourne, Australia

The film, the first filmed in CinemaScope, although the second to be released, remains as slick and witty as ever. While the three girls chase rich husbands they somehow end up marrying for love.

Personally for me it is Lauren Bacall and William Powell that standout...their witty knowing conversations are a true delight. Mr Powell shows just why he was so highly regarded. He has a magnificent calm and dignified presence beautifully complimented by Mrs Bogart's cool chic.

The film shows all the problems of early CinemaScope of course ...the lack of closeups because of optical distortions that would occur and enough light to sunbake under being necessary on the sets and a sound scheme with the stereophonic image shifting from side to side as characters moves across the screen.

The film is beautifully restored on the DVD with fine colour and sound.

The use of a 1:2.55 ratio means a truly WIDE screen ....which is shown off by the location shots of New York and the girls apartment which seems enormous!

The opening sequence/overture of course was designed to show off both the brand new wide screen and stereo sound. It seems slightly redundant now but is still a fabulous piece of music by Alfred Newman.

So turn the lights down, turn up the stereo and step back to 1953 and watch a consumate piece of entertainment

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18 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :-
What a wonderfully, delightful movie!, 27 April 2005
Author: Sarah Fehn from San Francisco

I just had a wonderful opportunity to catch a screening of this film on a wide screen. What a treat!

Unfortunately, it wasn't the best print; lots of dust and scratches on reel changes, and the colors were quite faded, but these films simply must be seen on a wide screen with an audience to be truly appreciated. Of course, almost any movie is improved by seeing it at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, and I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity.

Lauren Bacall has always been one of my favorite actors, and she and Powell do work wonderfully together. Monroe is also, always a delight - I think that she was a much better actress than she is generally given credit for. However, though I've seen this movie close to a dozen times before, I was really struck at the wonderful performance that Grable turned in. She was perfect! I haven't seen much of her other work, but in HTMAM, she shows herself to be a wonderful comedic actress, playing a "dim blonde" who really isn't that dim. What a revelation and what a delight.

I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who likes old movies, but if you have a chance to catch it on a real movie screen - DO SO! You won't be disappointed.

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14 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
Gold Diggers of 1953, 15 May 2005

Author: jotix100 from New York

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This was the first movie filmed in Cinemascope, or at least, one of the first ones to use the new technique. Jean Negulesco, the director, gives it a great reading of the play in which the film is based. Nunnally Johnson, is given credit as an adapter, but also acted as the producer.

The film was innocent fun by 1953 standards. We are presented with three girls that would be room mates in a gorgeous New York apartment. The only problem is none of them have any money. What to do? Try to attract a man with enough money to keep them in a style they were not accustomed to live!

The trio of young women are beautiful. We have the brainy Schatze in charge of the household. Then there are the myopic Pola, and the flighty Loco. It's clear that the only one with a head on her shoulders si Schatze, who knows how to move in the cafe society of the New York of those years. Unfortunately, the women's choice in men is awful. Two of them end up with guys that are just making a living, and in a surprise at the last moment, the last girl gets a real millionaire when she only thought he was a working class stiff!

The film, although light, it's still fun to watch. Lauren Bacall is the one that fares better in the film, not only does she get the prize package, but she gives an intelligent account of her elegant and sophisticated Schatze. Betty Grable doesn't have much to do, and a bespectacled Marilyn Monroe, does a lot with her character.

William Powell makes a great appearance as the older man in Schatze's life. He still was showing his charm as the Texas man with enough sense to resign being married to a much younger woman. David Wayne, Cameron Mitchell, Rory Calhoun, Fred Clark, are the men in the lives of the would be gold diggers.

This is a film to be seen as a curiosity film made in the new technology of Cinemascope.

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9 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Entertaining, 9 February 2003
Author: BLG-2

I enjoyed this cute story of gold-diggers on the prowl. I agree with those who said that musical prologue was way too long -- it was eight minutes before the opening credits came on! This seemed the perfect setting for Marilyn Monroe to sing "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend," but that gem was in another of her films. I don't agree with those who said Betty Grable was too old for her part. She merely *looked* old. I tried to figure out why. She was only 35 years old. She was still slim (possibly even slimmer than Lauren Bacall, who'd recently had her second child) and her face looked relatively youthful. So why did she look 45? I concluded it was the hair. That poodle cut was unflattering and added years. I also enjoyed Grable's coy reference to real-life husband Harry James and Bacall's to Bogart. All in all, a charming movie and a fun way to spend an hour and a half.

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9 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Really Not How to Wed into Dough ...But Film Shines ***'/2, 9 May 2006

Author: edwagreen from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Bette Grable, Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall make quite a team in this 1953 fun film. Bacall is the leader of the girl pack whose quest is to get 3 rich guys. They take an expensive apartment along the way.

Bacall has by far the best lines in the film. She comes off with her constant wisecracks and they are hilarious at best.

Monroe is perfect as her usual dumb blond. Grable is literally Loco in this flick as well.

The film reunites David Wayne and Rory Calhoun as two of the suitors. Both had appeared together a year earlier in the Jane Froman musical-drama biography of "With A Song in My Heart" with Susan Hayward.

The ending is quite a pleasant surprise. Resigned to marrying a relative pauper, Bacall and the others are literally floored when a millionaire reveals himself instead.

A fun film showing that money isn't necessarily everything.

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7 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Trapping a Bankroll, 24 October 2007

Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

How to Marry a Millionaire is one of the brightest and wittiest comedies of the fifties and certainly quite an eyeful when you've got three leads of the caliber of Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, and Betty Grable.

These three lovely girls, following the cue from Lauren Bacall, chip in and get a long term lease on a swank apartment where the owner has had to leave the country because of income tax problems. The post World War II years saw a lot of that happening. The idea is to set up a mantrap, put up a good front in the hopes of attracting men with wealth. And all three come up with men of all varieties.

Betty unfortunately takes up with the already married, but not working at it too hard Fred Clark. His plans for a romantic getaway with her are spoiled by her coming down with an adult case of the measles and Grable catching sight of Forest Ranger Rory Calhoun. You will love the way the scheming Fred Clark gets nailed.

Marilyn meets up with David Wayne, the guy whose apartment the women have taken over. In Marilyn fashion she gets on the wrong plane with Wayne, thinking it was Atlantic City instead of Kansas City.

And Bacall the most determined of all to marry a millionaire. She has her choice between elderly sophisticated William Powell and earnest young Cameron Mitchell.

The irony of this film is that all three women set out to trap a bankroll, yet all three fall for people themselves. No telling what fate has in store for you.

How to Marry a Millionaire is the next to last film of William Powell and his first after leaving his long term contract at MGM. He's the picture of elegance and sophistication. Listening to every line from his mouth is a joy.

Nunnally Johnson's screenplay and Jean Negulesco's direction make How to Marry a Millionaire one of the best films of the Fifties. Catch those lines referring to the celebrity husbands of Bacall and Grable.

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7 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the first movies I watched with Marilyn Monroe, 13 February 2006

Author: Jessica Kolk from Brazil

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

''How to Marry a Millionaire'' is a funny movie with a nice story. We have three mainly beautiful and famous actresses of the 50's: Betty Grable(the pin-up girl),Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall. I guess this was one of the first movies I watched with Marilyn Monroe, and the first with Lauren Bacall. (Talking about her, I was surprised how much Kathleen Turner remembers her looks to Lauren!)

The plot is: Three women set up a plan to bring rich bachelors to them: they rent a big,beautiful and expensive apartment in an expensive neighbor, the best place to find millionaires, as Schatze Page says. Schatze is the ''Head'' of the plan, and Loco and Pola are her other two friends; they want three millionaires to marry and have a great life. As long as time is passing, they meet many guys, but they start to fall for the ones who are not financially secure. The big dilemma in this movie is: are they going to choose money or love?

aka "Como Agarrar um Milionário" - Brazil

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7 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Monroe and Grable and Bacall, 3 April 2005

Author: didi-5 from United Kingdom

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).

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
All three stars are showcased in this CinemaScope extravaganza..., 23 January 2007

Author: Neil Doyle from U.S.A.

Fox released this one right after THE ROBE did smash box-office when it opened at New York's Roxy theater. Likewise, HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE featured an opening orchestral number under Alfred Newman's baton before the credits began--and then the wide screen became the source for watching BETTY GRABLE, LAUREN BACALL and MARILYN MONROE put their own personal stamp of sex appeal on the CinemaScope screen.

This one is probably best enjoyed in the widescreen version rather than the pan and scan shown on some TV stations. It's a witty delight from start to finish, with Monroe doing a delightful impersonation of a near-sighted blonde ashamed to wear glasses and always walking into walls; Grable as a snappy charmer who gets hooked into a trip to Maine thinking she's going to a convention; and Bacall as the know-it-all sophisticate with the sharp tongue who's good at bossing others around.

While Bacall is great in the role, it's really an alienating part and she can't always disguise the fact that her character--in real life--would be considered an annoying bitch. True, she has some of the best lines, but the sarcasm stings a little too much at times and her treatment of doormen and furniture movers is very condescending.

So, it's up to Grable and Monroe to keep things light and breezy, and that they do. Also on hand for some sophisticated charm is WILLIAM POWELL in one of his last screen roles, RORY CALHOUN as a forest ranger who attracts Betty's eye, and CAMERON MITCHELL as a man who turns out to be someone Bacall should have treated with more respect.

It's fun all the way, easy to take and easy on the eyes whenever the three stars cavort around the screen in assorted fashion ensembles.

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