MartinHafer "Libeled Lady" is one of the best comedies of the 1930s. Much of was the writing and much was due to the incredibly strong cast. Think about it---Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow and William Powell--ALL in one film! In 1946, MGM brought out a remake. While the basic story is similar, it's not as good. Plus, Esther Williams, Van Johnson, Keenan Wynn and Lucille Ball just weren't as good--though they tried.Like "Libeled Lady", the film is about a rich lady who is suing an irresponsible newspaper for its stories about her. However, oddly, in the original she was suing for $5,000,000 and here, a decade later, it's only $2,000,000--significant deflation, don't you think? To help try to get rid of the suit, the scheming newspaper man, Haggerty (Wynn), hires Bill Chandler (Van Johnson) to seduce the heiress, Connie Allenbury (Williams). Why? Because, in the interim, they'd get Bill a quickie marriage. Then, they'd have the 'jealous wife' storm in on them and threaten a suit of her own--along with photographers from the paper to make her case! But, since Bill isn't married, Haggerty has Chandler marry HIS fiancée (Lucille Ball)! Talk about romantic--getting Chandler to marry Haggerty's girl! There's only one problem with the plan...Bill falls for Connie and just can't get himself to do it. So, he schemes for a way to somehow please Haggerty AND Connie...if it's possible.The film is decent and offers a few laughs. However it suffers from a few plot problems (Connie's falling in love with Bill seems incredibly fast considering how nasty she'd been towards him up until then), now includes song which got in the way of the plot and the characters aren't particularly likable (Connie is amazingly nasty--and for no reason--when she first meets Bill). Plus, it lacks the originality and fun of the first film. If you like remakes, by all means see this one. But, don't forget to first see "Libeled Lady"--it's just better.By the way, the plot of "Easy to Wed" is very, very odd considering only about six months later, Keenan Wynn and his real-life wife divorced....so she could marry Van Johnson! To make it even weirder, it now appears that this, like the marriage in the movie, was a sham marriage, as in his later years Johnson admitted to being gay--and I sincerely doubt that this was a sudden late-life 'phase'!

moonspinner55 Nonsensical remake of 1936's "Libeled Lady" casts Esther Williams as a beautiful but arrogant heiress who sues a publication for two million dollars after they print a would-be scandalous story. The newspaper gets revenge by matching the socialite up with a suave womanizer--not expecting true love to blossom. Tepid shenanigans does get Williams into the water, albeit briefly; much of this comedy is spent on fast-talking wisecracks delivered at a high decibel level. Unfortunately, louder doesn't equal funnier, and some good players flounder (particularly titian-haired Lucille Ball, in one of her weakest performances). Organist Ethel Smith has a fun bit (joined by a Spanish-singing Williams and Van Johnson!), and the film is certainly well-dressed, but the comedic timing is unpolished and the plot is insufferable. ** from ****

Eric Roeller The Music ! The Duck Hunting ! The Remake ! The Duck Hunting ! The whole Cast ! The Duck Hunting ! The Color ! The Duck Hunting ! The Edward "I learned a lot of the Marx Brothers" Buzzell ! The Duck Hunting ! The Music ! The Duck Hunting ! The Art Direction ! The Duck Hunting ! What will I say ?! Viv'America ! Viv'America ! Viv'America !Esther is great as ever ! Lucille Ball is not a Star in Germany and her performance is a little bit to comic-like ! Van Johnson is likable ! Keenan Wynn is a well casted sidekick ! Cesar Ramirez and Ethel Smith in their best On-Screen-Musical-Numbers ! Ben Blue and Cecil Kellaway are superb ! The movie is a remake from "Libeled Lady" from the year 1936 with William Powell, Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy and Jean Harlow.The story has nothing new, but there are many little things that gives it a fresh breeze. First it's now a musical with a great Mambo-Feeiling.Than it's in terrific color. (Watch the costumes and art direction)And the best change to the original is, there's no fishing just duck hunting.Viv'America ! Viv'America ! Viv'America !

sobaok This film has its plusses -- Esthers swimming, her swimming, and her swimming. It's also in technicolor, which is always a treat to the eye. It really surprised me that a socco screenplay that made 1936's Libled Lady such a rip-roaring funny film could go so flat 10 years later. Of course Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, William Powell, and Spencer Tracy were more highly skilled performers than this cast. Williams has some to the stoic, amused calm that Loy had and she does okay as Connie, but Lucille Ball is almost unfunny in this, which really surprised me. She lacks Harlows warmth and vulnerability and timing. Harlow really carried Libled Lady and one always looks forward to her scenes. Ball is too arch and steely here. It puts a damper on the films success.