I Love Melvin (1953)

When a photographer's assistant (Donald O'Connor) meets up with an aspiring actress (Debbie Reynolds), he thinks if he can get her on the cover of Look magazine that it will help him win her over. Directed by Don Weis (THE GENE KRUPA STORY), this is fluff. Its paper thin boy meets girl plot is merely an excuse to hang some enjoyable musical numbers that display the song and dance skills of its two young stars. Reuniting after their SINGIN' IN THE RAIN success the year before, Reynolds and O'Connor play off each other nicely and their likable personalities go a long way in disguising the paucity of any originality in the narrative. MGM was the King when it came to movie musicals, so much so that they could toss off musical programmers like this in between the big budget stuff like THE BAND WAGON and KISS ME KATE. A minor entry in the MGM musicals canon to be sure but for what it is, it's harmless and enjoyable. With Robert Taylor (playing himself), Jim Backus, Una Merkel, Allyn Joslyn, Les Tremayne, Noreen Corcoran and Barbara Ruick.