Forever, Darling (1956)

A chemical engineer (Desi Arnaz) and his wife (Lucille Ball) have started to drift apart in their marriage. But her guardian angel (James Mason) visits her in an attempt to save her marriage. The success of their TV show I LOVE LUCY was enough for MGM to try and duplicate their small screen success on the big screen with THE LONG LONG TRAILER in 1953 and they did, the movie was a big hit. But this follow up was a flop and it's easy to see why. It simply isn't very funny. Unlike the first film, the actors make a sincere attempt to distance themselves from their TV personas. At least till the end of the film when suddenly some unrelated slapstick enters the picture but by then it's too late. But at least we get some nice location shooting in Yosemite National Park. The screenplay was apparently an old script that MGM dusted off and talked Lucy and Desi into doing and it creaks. Poor Mason seems adrift as if he knew how weak the script was and he just wanted to get it over with and collect his paycheck. Directed by Alexander Hall (HERE COMES MR. JORDAN). With Marilyn Maxwell, Louis Calhern, Natalie Schafer, John Hoyt, Nancy Kulp and John Emery.