Diagonaldi Very well executed

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Logan Dodd There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

Scotty Burke It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

aberlour36 This is, arguably, the worst of the major Ava Gardner films. Yes, she is gorgeous. But that can wear thin over time, especially after the corny and predictable movie ending.In this turkey, Robert Walker has to pretend that he's Eddie Bracken (which surely embarrassed him). Olga San Juan plays the Jane Powell (golly, gee) part. Dick Haymes plays a sort of dim sidekick (!), and Eve Arden plays Helen Broderick (and a host of other wise-cracking female semi-comedians). Yes, the film contains a major popular song, "Speak Low." But check out the other, entirely forgettable, pieces. Dick Haymes sings very well, of course, and so does the uncredited vocalist dubbing for Ava.The sets are cheap, the script is filled with clichés and failed humor, and Tom Conway looks as though he has been battling with liquor (as indeed he was). In short, if you want to see Ava in her prime, buy a photo and stay well clear of this movie.

FloatingOpera7 One Touch of Venus (1948): Starring Ava Gardner, Robert Walker, Eve ARden, Dick Haymes, Olga San Juan, Tom Conway, James Flavin, Sara Allgood, Hugh Herbert, Mary Benoit, Ralph Brooks, Russ Conway, Gino Corrado, Ralph Peters, George J. Lewis, Eddie Parker, Pat Parrish...Director William A. Seiter, Screenplay Harry Kurnitz, Frank Tashlin, S.J. Perelman, Ogden Nash, Musical Based on the novel by F. Anstey.Musicals were not rare in the 30's and 40's, though they were less memorable than the more famous musicals which hit Broadway from the 60's and onward when names like Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice and Stephen Sondheim became mainstream. Before that you had musicals like this one. One Touch of Venus, released in 1948, is a delightful romantic comedy with a fantasy twist. An unassuming and meek department store worker, Eddie Hatch (Robert Walker) is unhappy about his life. He has no prospects in his career, he has a dull and possessive girlfriend, and feels nothing exciting will ever happen to him. He kisses a mannequin of the ancient Roman love goddess Venus and she comes to life, played by Ava Gardner. Things suddenly begin to look up for Eddie Hatch. He becomes more respected in his job, girls are suddenly more attracted to him and he has Venus by his side. The lessons he learns ultimately change him for the better. There are not as many dance numbers and songs as musicals would get later on, and without the music, it would be a fine comic romance. Ava Gardner is always wonderful, carrying the film with charm and intelligence. She is not merely a piece of Old Hollywood eye candy, though Ava Gardner, along with other actresses like Lana Turner and Lola Lolabriggida were sexual icons of their time. She plays Venus as she would a modern, liberated independent woman. She is a goddess after all, but she never seems to be using spells or magic to ensnare Eddie Hatch. He falls for her as naturally as if she were a human girl. The musical score is by Kurt Weill, a total surprise to me. Weill was a serious composer of the 20th century and his music include orchestral and opera. Why he would lend his talents for this non-artsy film is beyond me. As trite as it may be, it's a good, old fashioned feel-good romantic comedy. It has no real sexual innuendo, no vulgar language and nothing R rated so the family can enjoy this, though even as such it's a film best appreciated by fans of Ava Gardner and old Hollywood.

dandeelusa I have an old tape recording colorized version, and the movie came up on one of our channels in black and white a few nights ago. I found this area because I wanted to see the names of cast again. I couldn't remember Robert Walker name. AKA "Eddie Hatch". I think this was one of the Greatest Fantasy movies ever, and I saw it about 7 times one week, when they had a show on years ago in N.Y. area, called Million Dollar Movie. I've seen it over again many times since, and just loved it. I think the music was great, and I thought that Dick Haymes had actually recorded "Speak Low", but could not actually find it anywhere by him. I thought Ava Gardner played the part, perfectly.

blanche-2 During and after World War II, fantasy was big in Hollywood. It wasn't just escapism; it was all the thinking about death as many loved ones were lost. It's no wonder we had so many people coming back ("Here Comes Mr. Jordan"), facing the pearly gates or the hotter ones ("Heaven Can Wait"), or meeting angels in human form ("The Bishop's Wife"). We also had a visits from the big goddesses. How fitting that two women closest to being goddesses in human form actually played them - Rita Hayworth as Terpsichore in 1947's "Down to Earth," and of course, Ava Gardner as Venus in "One Touch of Venus." "One Touch of Venus" is based on the Broadway musical of the same name that was revived in London a few years ago with Melissa Errico, but never came to New York. Alas, there aren't many songs in this version but the most famous song, "Speak Low When You Speak Love" remains. The film stars Gardner, Robert Walker, Dick Haymes, Olga San Juan, Tom Conway, and Eve Arden. Walker works in a department store where a magnificent statue of Venus is about to be unveiled. On an impulse, he kisses it, and she comes to life. He falls madly in love with her, while his girlfriend (San Juan) flips out for his friend (Haymes). When the statue is discovered missing, the police assume that Walker knows something about it, since he was fixing the presentation curtain and claims that she then came to life.Walker is an energetic delight as he chases Venus. After this film, he was institutionalized, and by 1951, his boyishness was gone as he entered what should have been the greatest part of his career with a magnificent performance in "Strangers on a Train." Instead, he only made one more film after that, dying in 1951. Looking at him in "One Touch of Venus," it's hard to imagine he had any demons. Eve Arden is hilarious as the secretary in unrequited love with her boss, Tom Conway. He's seen Venus sleeping in the home department and fallen for her as well. Haymes sings beautifully, and San Juan is pert and pretty as a young woman suddenly torn between two men. But all eyes are on Ava Gardner's dazzling beauty. She's a perfect embodiment of Venus with her flawless face, figure, and soft voice. Even though as a younger woman she had tried singing with a band, she wasn't a singer, so her voice is dubbed in this by Eileen Wilson. Like Hayworth, early in her career, she sometimes played roles that required vocals, and like Hayworth, she was always dubbed.The best scene in the film takes place in the park toward the end. It's exuberant and thrilling - you won't want it to end. That scene sums up this lovely fantasy with a divine Ava, and you can't get any better than that.