bkoganbing I Love Melvin is a bright, but dated musical starring Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor fresh from Singing In The Rain. It's hardly as groundbreaking a film as Singing In The Rain, but it does show off its stars to best advantage with their dancing talent.It's dated because that era of photo journalism as personified by the magazines Life and Look is long gone now. But Look Magazine certainly got a very big plug in this film. Donald O'Connor is a photographer's assistant in the film and he meets and falls for dancer Debbie Reynolds from a Broadway show. Both are looking for the big break in their respective professions and when they fall for each other it's only right that O'Connor should try to help Reynolds.Of course getting on the cover of Look Magazine is no easy proposition, you've got to be somewhat famous for that. Still O'Connor is a persistent fellow and since he's in love he becomes a man with a mission.Dancing, lots of dancing is what I Love Melvin has the most of. You'll be out of breath watching the stars perform a lot of dance routines in the 76 minute running time of the movie. No great song hits from the score of Josef Myrow and Mack Gordon, but lot's of dancing routines built around it.The supporting cast fits comfortably in their roles. Best in the supporting cast in my opinion is Jim Backus who is O'Connor's boss and mentor. If being slightly demented qualifies you to be a magazine photographer, Backus certainly fills the bill. Also Robert Taylor makes a brief appearance as Reynolds dreams of going to Hollywood.I Love Melvin is dated because of the passing of Look Magazine. I'm wiling to bet that the younger folks watching this film will think that Look Magazine was something made up for the film. Believe me, it wasn't and I Love Melvin might just be it's tribute film.

sdiner82 Delightful follow-up to "Singing in the Rain" (minus Gene Kelly, which is fine with me), "I Love Melvin" is a snappy(76 minutes), tuneful Technicolored treat with one show-stopping musical number after another. A serviceable plot (Donald O'Connor plays a free-lance photographer who becomes so enamored with aspiring singer/dancer Debbie Reynolds that he promises he'll get her the cover of Look Magazine) provides a nifty frame for a series of first-rate, beautifully choreographed musical numbers that make one wonder why this terrific little MGM gem has been overlooked. The music is sensational (thank you, Joseph Myrow), the evocation of the Manhattan setting is a visual delight (MGM actually went on location for a few scenes--watching Ms. Reynolds walk across Central Park South is a time-capsule come to life.) And O'Connor and Ms. Reynolds have probably tbe best displays of their singing & dancing talents in their entire careers (their frenetic "Where Did You Learn to Dance?" is a knockout; O'Connor's solo "I Want to Wander" is a classic; and Debbie's opening dream number, "The Lady Loves," wherein she is attired in slithering pink as she delivers the sultry lyrics, hint at the dreamy sexiness she was allowed to exude in future films.) MGM produced so many classic musicals in the early 1950s that "I Love Melvin" has been unjustly neglected. Too bad, because it's a sparkling, melodious, toe-tapping treat that ranks among MGM's finest and is long-overdue for the accolades it deserves.

propchick Donald O'Connor should be revered as the musicals god he was (and still very probably could be). "I Love Melvin" should be considered a classic, right up with the rest of the musicals. I guess life really isn't fair, lol.As cute as they come, and with Debbie Reynolds, to boot!

gkeith_1 I love tap dance, and Donald O'Connor is a Tap Master. When I saw him today, I was surfing to my favorite TCM, and wondered what movie this was. I looked at the channel guide, saw the name, and decided to watch. I remembered Debbie Reynolds' name associated with this movie, so I ended up watching. Debbie and Donald were really cute, as was Noreen Corcoran (Moochie's sister, of original Mickey Mouse Club).... Judy's mother's face I remember from Ginger Rogers movies. It was nice how first Melvin got rid of Judy's dumb suitor, first temporarily and later permanently. I enjoyed seeing Jim Backus. I also liked seeing Central Park from 1953; I visited NYC two weeks ago (almost one year after 9/11). At the end, I liked the search and run scene through the park, everyone looking for Melvin, and I was really surprised when he and Judy literally ran into each other (the whole thing was excellent choreography). I also liked when Debbie was being thrown around as the football, but I know that this was the subservient-50's when a female was stereotyped as an object - but a job's a job, ya know? The movie was a delightful romp. Judy's father was funny. Changing his name because he thought his daughter was going to be a big star. I saw Barbara Ruick in the closing credits, I think she was in "Carousel". I hope to see more Donald O'Connor dancing movies. Too bad he has all that fame for "Francis, the Talking Mule." I am a tap dancer. Let's hear it for the hoofers!