I Love Melvin - Warner Archive Collection

After the blockbuster success of Singin' in the Rain, MGM wisely sought to showcase the movie's two talented juveniles, 27-year-old Donald O'Connor and 20-year-old Debbie Reynolds, in a vehicle of their own. The studio rushed the pair into a low-budget, second-tier musical called I Love Melvin that surprised everyone by occasionally scaling A-level heights. A sprightly score, the stars' charisma and chemistry, and a soupçon of MGM gloss elevate this B-movie and make the silly story easier to swallow.

That story concerns the starry-eyed Judy Schneider (Reynolds), a wholesome New York chorus girl who pines for both her big break and a thrilling romance. Judy lives a Meet Me in St. Louis-like existence in a modest apartment with her working-class parents (Allyn Joslyn and Una Merkel) and precocious kid sister Clarabelle (Noreen Corcoran), and wins the role of a football (yes, a football) that gets literally thrown around by several beefy, uniformed actors in a college-themed Broadway musical.

That acrobatic performance catches the eye of Melvin Hoover (O'Connor), an apprentice photographer at Look magazine. He envisions a photo spread chronicling the off-stage life of a chorus girl and convinces Judy to be the star subject. He hopes the spread will jumpstart both of their careers...if the magazine's editor agrees to publish it. Along the way, the two fall in love, but Judy's father wants Judy to marry the steady, stilted, reliable, and oh-so-boring Harry Flack (Richard Anderson), who she's been half-heartedly dating forever, instead of the fun-loving, brash Melvin. Judy thinks if Melvin can get her picture on the Look cover, he might impress her dad enough to let them marry. That's a tall order, but the lovesick Melvin accepts the challenge, not realizing the avalanche of complications that will ensue.

I remember happening upon I Love Melvin a good 40 years ago on Showtime. Back then, long before TCM, classic movies were hard to come by on cable TV, so whenever one aired, I usually tried to check it out. Though I loved Singin' in the Rain, I wasn't much of a Reynolds or O'Connor fan, and despite having read voraciously about Golden Age Hollywood and MGM musicals, I had never heard of I Love Melvin. I wasn't expecting much, but I tuned in anyway and found myself instantly hooked. The movie was slick, classy, well-written (despite the preposterous plot), competently directed, and contained plenty of catchy tunes. Watching I Love Melvin was hardly revelatory, but it was certainly enjoyable, and though I never saw the movie again until the Blu-ray landed in my mailbox a little while ago, I always had fond memories of it and was anxious to revisit it.

I'm happy to report that four decades haven't dulled my enthusiasm for I Love Melvin, and that my initial impression of it hasn't much changed. It's still an unassuming, beguiling, and solidly produced picture that provides innocuous fun and is distinguished by a few exhilarating musical numbers. O'Connor and Reynolds enrich the lightweight material with their sincerity, infectious energy, and easygoing rapport, as do lively supporting turns from veterans Joslyn and Merkel, the pint-sized Corcoran, and an unbilled Jim Backus as Melvin's bombastic mentor, but it's those musical numbers that really make I Love Melvin sing. The lavish opening salvo, "A Lady Loves," contains clever, sophisticated lyrics and is deftly performed by Reynolds, who projects a worldly, glamorous persona and maturity beyond her years, while the dynamite "Where Did You Learn to Dance" spotlights the terpsichorean talent of both O'Connor and Reynolds, who tap, twirl, leap, and clown around Judy's living room.

Reynolds sweetly warbles the lovely ballad "We Have Never Met, As Yet," and in a slightly creepy dream sequence dances with several chorus boys wearing very life-like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly masks (see photo below). O'Connor struts his stuff in two solo dance numbers that show off his athleticism and boundless energy. The comic "I Wanna Wonder" allows him to take a virtual trip around the world and don several flashy costumes along the way. (Though it tries to evoke the uproarious "Make 'Em Laugh" from Singin' in the Rain, it doesn't come close to eclipsing that classic routine.) The more impressive number is "Life Has Its Funny Little Ups and Downs," in which he dances on roller skates to cheer up an ornery Clarabelle. Though some production tricks, one of which the crystalline Blu-ray clarity mercilessly exposes, are employed to aid his endeavor, it's still an impressive and enjoyable dance. (It's worth noting Astaire and Rogers in Shall We Dance and Gene Kelly in It's Always Fair Weather didn't resort to such sleights-of-hand in their respective roller skate dances.)

Directed by 30-year-old Don Weis, who would go on to become one of TV's most prolific directors, I Love Melvin glides along and exceeds expectations. Weis may lack the artistry and elan of Vincente Minnelli, but his youthful vigor behind the camera mirrors that of O'Connor and Reynolds in front of it, and he brings out their best, helping them prove they could carry a film and didn't need to ride Gene Kelly's coattails. Though I Love Melvin will never take its place among the pantheon of elite MGM musicals, it's an entertaining genre entry that's sure to bolster the spirits of any musical fan.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
I Love Melvin arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4, and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

A brand new HD master struck from a 4K scan of the original Technicolor camera negatives yields a luscious 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer that bursts with brilliant hues. Evident but not obtrusive grain maintains the film-like feel and faithfully honors the lush cinematography of four-time Oscar-nominee Harold Rosson. Excellent clarity and contrast produce a vibrant picture, but it's the color that provides the wow factor. Bold reds, hot pinks, sunny yellows, and deep blues dazzle the senses, while delicate pastels like lavender and cyan supply ethereal accents. Inky blacks and bright whites punch up the image as well, and natural flesh tones remain consistent throughout. Costume textures are vivid and sharp, glamorous close-ups showcase Reynolds' fresh-faced, unspoiled beauty. Background details are easy to discern, and not a single nick, speck of dirt, or errant scratch mark the pristine print. MGM musicals always deliver the visual goods, and this transfer renders the eye candy to perfection.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track outputs superior sound that's balanced and brimming with fidelity. A slight volume boost lends the musical numbers an extra dash of excitement, and a wide dynamic scale embraces all the highs and lows of the rich orchestrations and varied vocals. All the dialogue and song lyrics are well prioritized and easy to comprehend, and no age-related hiss, pops, crackle, or distortion intrude. Musicals demand strong soundtracks, and this one doesn't disappoint.

Just a few supplements are included on the disc.

• Deleted Musical Number (SD, 2 minutes) - The charming song " A Lady Loves" gets a barnyard reprise in this deleted number that was intended to be the film's slam-bang finale. Why it was cut remains a mystery (it couldn't have been due to length, because the movie only runs 77 minutes without it), but it's a shame. The abrupt ending of I Love Melvin is a bit off-putting, and the film cries out for a closing number that wraps up the narrative. 
• Vintage Cartoon: The Impossible Possum (SD, 6 minutes) - Barney Bear tries his best to snag a possum for dinner, but gets outsmarted at every turn in this jovial animated short.
• Vintage Cartoon: TV of Tomorrow (SD, 7 minutes) - This prescient Tex Avery cartoon amusingly foretells a few things that have come to pass in television technology as it provides a window into the boob tube's future.
• Theatrical Trailer (SD, 4 minutes) - The film's original preview completes the extras package.

It's hard not to love I Love Melvin. Catchy tunes, personality-plus stars, and glorious Technicolor combine to produce a delightful low-budget musical that breezes merrily along. O'Connor and Reynolds bring vim, verve, and virtuosity to this often overlooked MGM film that looks and sounds great, thanks to a new 4K scan of the original Technicolor camera negatives and remastered audio. If you're a musical fan, you'll want to grab this one while you can. Highly Recommended.  

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