"Luxury Liner" has a wonderful cast, two plots cleverly intertwined for humor, and a romantic and fun setting. The last first - an ocean liner that's more of a cruise ship en route from New York to Rio De Janiero, whose captain is Jeremy Bradford. Second -- he's part of the two plots along with his daughter, Polly. The first plot is Polly's leaving her boarding school to cruise with her dad, unbeknownst to him until it's too late, so that she can be with him and two guests who are sailing with him - Metropolitan Opera stars Olaf Eriksen and Zita Romanka. The second plot is a love triangle in which Polly's dad, Jeremy, is one-third, and in which she inadvertently becomes a cog to her dad's chagrin.
Third - the cast is excellent with Jane Powell as Polly, George Brent as Jeremy, Lauritz Melchior as Olaf, and Marina Koshetz as Zita. The other members of the love triangle are Laura Dene and Charles Worton, played by Frances Gifford and Richard Derr, respectively. Xavier Cugat is himself, and with his orchestra he provides much of the music for the singers and for dancing. The rest of the cast lend nicely to the stories.
The petit Jane Powell had a strong, beautiful voice, and her songs in this and similar musical comedies and romance films were a mix of operatic and popular tunes. Powell's bubbly personality always gives an uplifting to the films she is in. In this and her next film in 1950, "Nancy Goes to Rio," her character is just slightly naïve about circumstances around her, and in each case her naivete is played for laughter. More so in the later film, but still very pleasantly so in "Luxury Liner."
George Brent's Captain Jeremey Bradford is a somewhat subdued character. But that's made up for by sterling performances of the two opera singers. I wasn't familiar with Mr. Melchior or Ms. Koshetz before this film. I see that he had a very short stint in films after a long career in opera, and that she mixed the screen with stage, opera and other work. Both are very pleasant in this film. Melchior's nice range and voice is very good for his operatic and popular songs. Powell worked well with him. And Koshetz has a delightful flare for comedy to go with her singing.
This 1948 MGM film truly reflects its label as a comedy musical. It belongs in a mixed genre of films that could just as well be labeled as musical comedies. In other words, each of the two genres make up a substantial part of this movie. But for another genre, this film could be considered 50-50 for comedy and music But, as with many such films that combine those genres, a third genre is part of this picture - romance. Here it is part of what drives much of the comedy, but it's a small part.
Most of the good films that Hollywood labels as comedy and musical - often with romance or some other genre as well, are mainly comedy or musical, with the other genres tossed in in varying degrees. In other words, their plots could stand alone as one or the other - comedy or musical. The other aspects could easily be written out without hurting the story and main genre. Think of all the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, Abbott and Costello, Marx Brothers and many other films that are mostly comedies with song and dance numbers and routines. The music could be deleted and the films would be able to stand alone as solid comedies. Likewise, there are many musicals that would stand alone as such, with the lesser comedy parts written out.
Then there are some films such as this one, in which each genre makes up a significant part, and the story would be much less minus one or the other. Or, there wouldn't even be enough of a plot for a feature film. So, the comedy and music are both important for this film. One thing about all such films that I have seen to date is that they are always very entertaining and very enjoyable. Some favorites of nearly equal comedy and music that I have seen over the years are "Holiday Inn" of 1942, "Cover Girl" of 1944, "Nancy Goes to Rio" and "Tea for Two" of 1950, "On the Riviera" and "On Moonlight Bay" of 1951, "White Christmas" of 1954, "Follow the Boys" of 1963, "Hello Dolly" of 1969, and "Brassed Off" of 1996.
This is a film that the most people should still enjoy well into the 21st century. Here are some favorite lines.
Polly Bradford, "Don't you realize that... that I don't have any more home life than... than a fish?"
Fu Dong, Chinese Chef, "Don't look so unhappy, little girl. Things could be worse." Polly Bradford, who is peeling potatoes in the ship's galley, "How?" Chef Fu Dong, "Those might be onions."
Chef Fu Dong, when the captain enter the kitchen and breaks up the staff singing, "We were just singing for fun." Captain Bradford, "And the passengers are just waiting for food."
Third - the cast is excellent with Jane Powell as Polly, George Brent as Jeremy, Lauritz Melchior as Olaf, and Marina Koshetz as Zita. The other members of the love triangle are Laura Dene and Charles Worton, played by Frances Gifford and Richard Derr, respectively. Xavier Cugat is himself, and with his orchestra he provides much of the music for the singers and for dancing. The rest of the cast lend nicely to the stories.
The petit Jane Powell had a strong, beautiful voice, and her songs in this and similar musical comedies and romance films were a mix of operatic and popular tunes. Powell's bubbly personality always gives an uplifting to the films she is in. In this and her next film in 1950, "Nancy Goes to Rio," her character is just slightly naïve about circumstances around her, and in each case her naivete is played for laughter. More so in the later film, but still very pleasantly so in "Luxury Liner."
George Brent's Captain Jeremey Bradford is a somewhat subdued character. But that's made up for by sterling performances of the two opera singers. I wasn't familiar with Mr. Melchior or Ms. Koshetz before this film. I see that he had a very short stint in films after a long career in opera, and that she mixed the screen with stage, opera and other work. Both are very pleasant in this film. Melchior's nice range and voice is very good for his operatic and popular songs. Powell worked well with him. And Koshetz has a delightful flare for comedy to go with her singing.
This 1948 MGM film truly reflects its label as a comedy musical. It belongs in a mixed genre of films that could just as well be labeled as musical comedies. In other words, each of the two genres make up a substantial part of this movie. But for another genre, this film could be considered 50-50 for comedy and music But, as with many such films that combine those genres, a third genre is part of this picture - romance. Here it is part of what drives much of the comedy, but it's a small part.
Most of the good films that Hollywood labels as comedy and musical - often with romance or some other genre as well, are mainly comedy or musical, with the other genres tossed in in varying degrees. In other words, their plots could stand alone as one or the other - comedy or musical. The other aspects could easily be written out without hurting the story and main genre. Think of all the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, Abbott and Costello, Marx Brothers and many other films that are mostly comedies with song and dance numbers and routines. The music could be deleted and the films would be able to stand alone as solid comedies. Likewise, there are many musicals that would stand alone as such, with the lesser comedy parts written out.
Then there are some films such as this one, in which each genre makes up a significant part, and the story would be much less minus one or the other. Or, there wouldn't even be enough of a plot for a feature film. So, the comedy and music are both important for this film. One thing about all such films that I have seen to date is that they are always very entertaining and very enjoyable. Some favorites of nearly equal comedy and music that I have seen over the years are "Holiday Inn" of 1942, "Cover Girl" of 1944, "Nancy Goes to Rio" and "Tea for Two" of 1950, "On the Riviera" and "On Moonlight Bay" of 1951, "White Christmas" of 1954, "Follow the Boys" of 1963, "Hello Dolly" of 1969, and "Brassed Off" of 1996.
This is a film that the most people should still enjoy well into the 21st century. Here are some favorite lines.
Polly Bradford, "Don't you realize that... that I don't have any more home life than... than a fish?"
Fu Dong, Chinese Chef, "Don't look so unhappy, little girl. Things could be worse." Polly Bradford, who is peeling potatoes in the ship's galley, "How?" Chef Fu Dong, "Those might be onions."
Chef Fu Dong, when the captain enter the kitchen and breaks up the staff singing, "We were just singing for fun." Captain Bradford, "And the passengers are just waiting for food."