Search - Let's Make Love on DVD

Let's - Why Not?

R. J. Coutts | Blue Mountains, Australia | 07/31/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I stumbled across the DVD for "Let's Make Love" in one of those midnight rambles over the web - the ones where I start off searching "How High the Moon", clink links until, suddenly, I've got happy snaps of the New York Roxy and CinemaScope and end up, well, with Marilyn. "Let's Make Love" is not available here (Australia) for love or ready cash, and hasn't been, and perhaps won't be for a long time.



I've got the oldest copy in the world on VHS and yes, it's not one of her best; and yes, she's put on a bit of weight; and yes, George Cukor's flabby direction, the rotten script, the woeful editing don't make anybody look good. The sleazy charms of M. Montand and the almost talent-free Frankie Vaughan's immense self-satisfaction... but the main reason I've ordered it with great glee not ten minutes ago is to see Marilyn - especially to see her originate pole-dancing with "My Heart Belongs to Daddy". And that, for me, is reason enough. Mary Martin must have been (as we say down here) SPEWING.



She's amazing. It doesn't matter whether you're a fan or not - if she's on the screen you're not looking at anybody else, and that's star quality.



Interesting that another reviewer of this film mentioned "The Prince and the Showgirl" with something south of pleasure. If you ever puzzle about the difference between Acting and acting, this is a great spot to start. Watch the Brits, especially the atrrrrociously mannerrrred Larrrry Olivier, sink slowly in the west, and then compare his silly posturing to the effortless ease of Monroe's style. "Won't you come down, my dear? You're the only one of us who knows how to do it."



Let's not mention "There's No Business Like Show Business"...



Next: "Niagara". Delirious!



"

Daring performance and uncomfortable insinuations

Isabel | 08/28/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Monroe and Montand seem an unlikely coupling. But they pull it off and suck you in.



In the scene where Monroe sings "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", Marilyn slides down a stripper pole 40 years before it was fashionable... and starts out.... "Boys! My name is Lolita, and ah... I'm not supposed to play... with boys!" ".... My heart belongs to Daddy so I simply couldn't be bad." ".. cuz Daddy, my Daddy. My little old Daddy, he treats it so.... That little old man he just treats it SO GOOOOOOOOD!"



The last line is delivered in such a way that one blushes at what is really being said and wondering who that little old man really is! Erotic and distrubing all at once, especially in light of Marilyn's real life fixation on her absentee father and the molestation she was subjected to. The eroticism in this scene cannot be rivaled by any modern day film. The song itself has such taboo insinuations it's a bit shocking even by today's standards.



I think we can credit Ms. Monroe with currently overused phrase, "Who's Your Daddy?!"



SHE's YOUR Daddy! ;o)



There are very nice cameo appearances by Bing Crosby, Milton Berle, & Gene Kelly playing themselves... Frankie Vaughan is dreamy. Montand seems out of place but does a good job with what he has to work with.



See the film just to enjoy the cameos, or to watch Monroe perform a piece ahead of it's time in content. "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" is just plain bizarre...see Marilyn "scatting" !"