Please Believe Me (1950)

There is a reason Please Believe Me is not a very well known classic film. It is not terrible it is just dull. There is nothing too funny or entertaining about it, the story falls apart almost from the moment the men start flocking around Deborah Kerr.

            For a number of years Alison Kirbe (Kerr) has been corresponding with an older American man named Hank she met during World War II when he was stationed there. He has passed away and she learns that Hank has left all his land to her down in Texas. Alison’s name is splashed all over the papers as an heiress to a Texas ranch.

            As soon as Alison steps onto the pier where she is to take a ship to America she is approached by a man named Terrence Keath (Robert Walker). His “helper” Victor takes Alison’s luggage away as if by accident. On board the ship Alison is brought from her second class cabin to a first class cabin in a room of her own. Terrence has given her his room. He claims that Hank was an old family friend and wants to help her out. At first Alison does not want the room but eventually changes her mind and says she will pay him back once she gets her money.

            Turns out, Terence is pulling a scam on Alison. His “helper” Victor was hired by Reilly the guy who Terence owes money to keep an eye on him. Terence’s idea was to marry a rich woman and he set his sights on Alison. He has been doing things to win Alison over such as giving her the room and his place at the captain’s table.

            Terence’s plan starts to fall apart when Alison meets Jeremy Taylor (Peter Lawford) and his lawyer Matt Kinston at dinner. Jeremy is a millionaire looking for someone to marry and Matt is his advisor keeping an eye on his client in case anyone tries to pull anything on him.

            For the next few days all three men try to get Alison to fall for them. Matt finds out that Terence is connected to Reilly and he think Alison is working with him and Victor to get Jeremy’s money. Matt tells Jeremy this but Jeremy does not care at all… for a while.

            Alison’s situation and the plot begin to fall apart once she lands in New York.

            Debroah Kerr was the only redeeming quality of this film. She was adorable and perfect. Kerr did a great job with what she was given to work with. I laughed so hard with her in two scenes. One scene is jokingly telling Terence how she cannot ride in a train in America because she watches the telephone poles go by on the right- then she moves her head as if watching the poles go by on a train- when in England she is used to the poles being on the left and she makes the same head motion with her head to the left. Kerr was so adorable in this scene I could not take it! Her second funny scene was when she goes to see Reilly to help out Terence and she just blazes into the room without a care or concern all tough and brave and tells the gangster how things are going to be and even scares his guard dog on the way out. You would have to see the scenes but trust me they were really funny.

            Robert Walker was his usual paranoid nervous self. Peter Lawford was alright I am not too crazy about him.

            Please Believe Me is worth seeing at least once and that is all especially if you are a fan of Deborah Kerr. Please Believe Me is not available on DVD or Youtube if TCM airs the film again give it a chance if you want.  

One Touch of Venus



“Oh aren’t you ashamed a big boy like you scared to death of a girl”

“But you’re not a girl you’re a statue"



Have you ever wondered what it would be like if love was chasing after you instead of you chasing after it? What if love were to just tap you on the shoulder and be totally smitten with you without knowing you? In the 1948 film One Touch of Venus, Eddie Hatch finds himself lucky to be chased by the goddess of love herself.

            Eddie Hatch is a window dresser who works in Savory’s department store. He is engaged to marry Gloria who never stops reminding him that they are to be married. Gloria loves Eddie more than he has feelings for her. He has a friend who also works in the department store named Joe. Eddie’s life is routine and ordinary with no complications. One night his boss, Mr. Savory, asks him to fix a curtain which keeps getting stuck. The curtain is supposed to open smoothly to reveal Savory’s latest art purchase the of the Anatolian Venus. As Eddie fixes the curtain he cannot help himself and kisses the statue. Lightning strikes after the kiss and all the sudden Eddie feels a hand ruffling his hair. He turns around and cannot believe his eyes: the statue of Venus is alive!!

            Venus is totally taken by this clumsy mortal. She says “Oh he’s wonderful” then looks to the sky and thanks Jupiter. When Eddie wakes up his head is literally in the lap of love with love herself stroking his hair. Eddie is just a ball of nerves and cannot come to his senses. This beautiful lady is just falling head over heels for him and he does not know what to do.  

            Savory sees that his statue has gone missing and immediately blames Eddie saying that he stole the statue. His assistant Molly thinks it is crazy that someone like Eddie could pull off stealing a heavy statue. Savory has detectives investigate Eddie and bring him.

            Throughout the movie Venus drives Eddie nuts. He is in trouble for something he did not do and Gloria is mad at him because she thinks he seeing another woman behind her back. All he wants is for Venus to go back to being a statue. On the elevator ride to bring Venus back Eddie realizes he is in love with the goddess and takes her out to a park for a romantic night. Unfortunately the detectives Savory hired find Eddie and arrest him.

            That morning Venus was found sleeping in the model home and Savory completely fell for her. She told him she was in love with Eddie that there was no way she and Savory could be together. The department owner was furious that he was being rejected for a small man with no power or money. When Eddie gets arrested Venus uses her sexuality and beauty to get Savory to have Eddie taken out of jail. Instead of calling the jail Savory calls Molly and pretends he is calling the jail. During the conversation Molly says she is quitting but Savory cannot function without Molly and realizes he loves her. Before he runs to Molly, Venus has the boss really call the jail and Eddie is let go.

            By the time Eddie gets back to Venus she has been turned back into a statue.

            Well not to completely spoil the ending Venus and Eddie do get together in some way.  

            All I can say about this film is how damn adorable it was!!!! I was gushing like an idiot I could not take how ridiculously cute and funny One Touch of Venus was.

            I had such a good time watching this film especially after seeing Ava Gardner playing the two-timing Femme Fatale Kitty Collins in The Killers. Ava Gardner is considered to be the ultimate screen siren with millions of fans in love with her… who better to play Venus the goddess of love than the goddess of the screen? I love Ava Gardner to no end in this movie she was so cute and bubbly as Venus. She had that sexy, gorgeous side to her as well as the sweet side that just mixed so well on screen for this film.

            Robert Walker was so perfect as the bumbling window dresser Eddie Hatch that now to me it is so difficult to see him as Bruno Anthony in Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (I have no clue how I will be able to watch Strangers now after watching Venus I’ll be thinking about him as Eddie the whole time!).

            Eve Arden as Molly made the whole film. Her character was the perfect kind of snarky and her delivery of her lines were so spot on. She definitely has some of the best lines I have heard in classic film. Arden in pretty much every role she had was always dry and sarcastic and in this film her humor was spot on. Some of her lines were really quick and subtle so you really have to listen when she talks.

            One Touch of Venus was originally a Broadway play. There are a few musical numbers in here like “Speak Low” which gives the musical feel of a play but the witty, fast, dialogue of a play is there as well. The music in the movie is excellent it adds wonderfully to the silliness.

            One Touch of Venus is so much fun to watch. It’s a light hearted comedy that is so well acted and so well done in all aspects. If you are ever in a bad mood or just need a pick me up stick this film on and I guarantee you will feel better in no time. 

            YouTube has this film posted online in parts. So hop on over to YouTube now and get watching!!