That Wonderful Urge (1948)

Sorry, this movie sucks

I wanted to but couldn't!

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Definitely fits the definition of a screwball romantic comedy to a T. For about the first half of the film, it's generally amusing, but eventually all the backstabbing and other hateful goings on gets wearing. The whole plot seems so silly. Why couldn't the question of whether Tyler(Tyrone Power) and Sara(Gene Tierney)were married be settled by demanding a marriage certificate or copy of court records(The latter was excused on the basis that the relevant courthouse had since burned down.)I haven't seen the '37 film "Love is News", upon which this film is based, but most reviews agree it is much better. I have seen the 1943 musical comedy "Sweet Rosie O'Grady", starring Betty Grable and Robert Young. This screenplay was also based upon "Love is News", and thus much resembles the present screenplay. However, I have to say that diluting the screwball comedy with musical interludes makes for a more pleasurable viewing experience. Thus, I believe that Fox's decision to make another non-musical version was wrong. I don't expect that everyone will agree but, to me, it gets too repetitive arguing whether the two are or want to be married. My guess is that I would feel the same way about "Love is News". It certainly helps that two beautiful people are the main stars. I feel that Reginald Gardner's role as Gene's alternative suitor was grossly underwritten, certainly compared to his counterpart in "Sweet Rosie O'Grady".See it, if you wish, in B&W, at YouTube.

I watched the original version of this movie, "Love is News" (Loretta Young, Tyrone Power) about a month ago, and I watched "Sun Valley Serenade" with John Payne and Sonja Henie about a week ago. As this movie takes a lot from both those movies, I was having intense feelings of deja vu, at least through the first half of this movie. While both those movies are a little funnier, this movie also has some unique charms. Both Gene Tierney and Tyrone Power seemed a little bit old and serious for this type of screwball romantic company. This is a little strange because Tierney was only 27 and Power only 34 when they made the movie. Both look 10 years older. Perhaps it was because they were much meaner to each other than we normally see in a movie of this genre. Tierney doesn't just want to get Power fired, but she seems bent on reducing him to utter poverty, starvation and impotence. Power looks like he's about to punch Tierney at a couple of points in the film, and seems almost to threaten her with rape at one point. This sharpness of conflict between the two romantic leads keeps the movie interesting, but it undercuts the romance. The characters are supposed to be on their honeymoon, but they act as if they've been married for twenty years and ready to tear each other apart. It is a some times heavy screwball comedy, not something you would expect. The movie seems to work against itself by being alternatively pleasant and challenging. We should perhaps appreciate it for being both.

if you're in the mood for a romantic comedy - without anything thought provoking - this might dothe fun comes watching the two potential lovers trying to outwit each other - there were a couple obvious steps that might have been taken - but using them right away would have cut the plot short - so try to resist belaboring themGene Tierney & Tyrone Power were the eye candy of the time - they weren't top actors - but by this time - they had developed an easy charm in place of the finesse of the better actors - such as Carol Lombard - Claudette Colbert - William Powell - Cary Grantthe scheming and the repartee were pretty good - but not the best - and the falling in love wasn't so obvious - still the expectation was there to help the audience over the thresholdcompetent in all departments - which may explain why it isn't cited as one of the great romantic comedy - still - it's a good choice for a bit of light entertainment

That Wonderful Urge turned out to be Tyrone Power's last film in the comedy vein. It's a pity that Darryl Zanuck couldn't waste a little money on an original story.If you think you've seen this film before with Power, you have. This is a remake of his film Love Is News that he did with Loretta Young back in 1936. Back then films about ditzy heiresses that the Depression era public could laugh it were in vogue. In 1948 this was very old fashioned.Still it's quite humorous as heiress Gene Tierney who is sick tired of all the bad publicity she gets, especially from Power who seems to be making a career of writing about her foibles, turns the tables on him. Tierney announces to one and all that she's engaged to be married to none other than reporter Power. Now he becomes paparazzi fodder and the tables get turned. Power's not without resources and he finds ways to make the pretend marriage both work and be annoying to Tierney. But I don't think I have to tell you where this will all end.As I said in the review of Love Is News, our fascination with heiresses from Barbara Hutton to Paris Hilton seems endless. But it all gets a bit hollow because if Tierney didn't want publicity, believe me she wouldn't get it. There are a lot of rich people out there whose lives never become tabloid stories.Still it's amusing and in the supporting cast judges Chill Wills and Gene Lockhart come out the best. In fact Lockhart seems to be continuing his role as a judge from that other 20th Century Fox classic, Miracle on 34th Street.That Wonderful Urge is a dated comedy that today's audiences will still get laughs from. We do love our ditzy heiresses.