Customer Reviews

Let's Live A Little

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This DVD was made from a more than medicocre 16 mm dupe (awful sound, mutliple jumpcuts, etc). Amazon should defintiely give a TECHNICAL NOTE to its products, particularly in such cases. Applying the usual "return policy" is not enough, and is quite complicated and time-costing for foreigh customers.

First a word about privately manufactured DVDs--
Often, these transfers are of a quality similar to multi-film budget brands. The films themselves are unrestored and rarely pristine yet still watchable (unless there's an inordinate number of repaired breaks). Extras are non-existent and inclusion of artwork or liner notes varies by manufacturer. These niche companies can provide a valuable outlet for movies unavailable anywhere else.

Alas, as of 5/09 this SYNERGY dub of LET'S LIVE A LITTLE is the only DVD game in town, and the only available VHS is from an off-brand called ABM. Transfer flaws have been mentioned elsewhere, so caveat emptor, OK? Data on the film itself, then:

SYNOPSIS--
It's a slight romantic comedy with a psychiatric sub-theme. Adman Duke Crawford (Cummings) has a perfume exec client who was his fianceé until Duke broke off with her. Michele Bennett (Sten) personifies the "woman scorned" axiom-- she drives ex-beau Duke to distraction by refusing to place her signature on a contract.

Duke wants nothing more to do with female clients so his boss, James Montgomery (Antrim) assigns him to a psychologist's book promo campaign. But lovely Dr. Loring (Lamarr) clearly isn't the man Duke thought he'd meet when visiting the shrink's office. Despite this, Duke makes an appointment the next day with Dr. L for advice on his intransigent ex.

From here the story becomes one of jealousies and obssessions. Michele resents Jo and Duke's obviously budding relationship and so does Jo's stiff-collared surgeon boyfriend, Dr. Richard Fields (Shayne). Duke plans to go ahead and marry Michele; Fields takes Jo to a lodge to get her mind off Duke, who isn't exactly looking forward to his wedding.


Related items:
The very next project for Hedy Lamarr was De Mille's epic SAMSON AND DELILAH (1949) opposite Victor Mature.

In 1949, Bob Cummings appeared in Anthony Mann's excellent film noir, REIGN OF TERROR.


Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 viewer poll rating found at a film resource website.

(5.2) Let's Live a Little (1948) - Hedy Lamarr/Robert Cummings/Anna Sten/Robert Shayne/Harry Antrim (uncredited: Billy Bevan/Lucien Littlefield/John Dehner/Jimmie Dodd/John Newfield)

As memory serves me, I can remember this film on the late show back in the fifties. The story struck me as both comical and romantic (just what a burgeoning teen needs). Hedy LaMarr is both stunningly beautiful and competent in her role. Robert Cummings is a master of the B-movie satire...he has always stayed with me as a "B" movie type even with such hits as King's Row and Dial M for Murder. The movie is funny almost from the beginning and the situations are as unbelievable as they are good in presentation. The transfer seems to be directly from whatever print Synergy Entertainment could come up with. It appeared that no attempt was made to clean up the transfer in any way. In short, I did not expect "Criterion" Quality and purchased the DVD strictly for the movie. It is better than the one I had taped from broadcast TV, and that was reason enough to buy it. As a last criticism I would ask that any one producing DVDs at least add close-captioning for viewers who are hearing challanged. It does lend to a better viewing experience. To recap--story rating-4.5 stars; DVD presentation-1 star; overall rating-4stars.

I was very pleased to see someone releasing some of Hedy Lamarr's lesser known films on DVD, so I snatched this up as soon as I saw it. The transfer to DVD leaves a bit to be desired. The film quality isn't the greatest picture but I don't believe there's a better version available, I'm sorry to say. I think Hedy and Robert Cummings are quite good in this film and of course Hedy looks as stunning as always. It's interesting to see a middle aged woman (not Hedy) who is a client of Robert Cummings being sexually aggressive. I doubt that was the norm in the 1940's. The movie is cute and romantic and I think very enjoyable by most audiences. Too bad the film quality isn't better, but if you can get past that, it is good.

I remember several silly scenes, like when Bob Cummings' phone lands in the fish tank and he thinks he's just plain old hearing voices. Then, of course, there's the vest under the shirt and taxi cabs with electric razors.
The romance doesn't hurt the story in the least. You always know who's going to wind up together, but "getting there is half the fun." :-)
Got some time? Need a laugh? Trying to relax? Like either of the main stars? Etc., etc. Fits a lot of molds, if you ask me. Enjoy!

The quality of the video and sound make this great movie unwatachable, hopefully there is a better copy out there.
This is not up to the regular Amazon standards.
David W Wright

It has already been mentioned that this is not a very good print, but it's all that you can get. The movie is pretty good though with Cummings as an ad executive under stress from an overagressive female client sent to a female neurologist. There are a number of decent laughs and good gags, but the end is really bizarre and cut short. A better ending might have bumped the movie up, but you feel a little cheated in my opinion.

Whatever possessed HL to appear in this ridiculous film which panders to the worst excesses of male chauvinism prevalent in Hollywood in 1948.I fully endorse another film fan's comment I read.We all know HL was intelligent (co-designer of an electronic torpedo guidance system patented with a male colleague) as well as being very beautiful and I had hopes in this film she would espouse tracts of Freud/Junge and show us her innate well bred poise and intelligence.What we got, or rather what she was "saddled" with, was some airhead of a Hollywood scriptwriter & producer giving us the most facile, unfunny, badly constructed so-called "comedy" screenplay I have seen in a long while.

I too found nothing to laugh at in this contrived one dimensional film.I presume that by 1948 in this "B" feature, Hedy was getting rather desperate for good scripts or needed the money.The same goes for Robert Cummings.(How mush better he was in Hitchcock's "Saboteur" (1945) with Priscilla Lane or even his "Dial M For Murder (1953)with Grace Kelly.The subject film never touched on psychiatry presumably because the screen writer and producer knew nothing about it and patronisingly considered it an unfunny subject for American audiences in 1948.That just exposes their ignorance when films like Hitchcock's "Spellbound" (1945) had been filmed.Silly irritating sequences of both leads imagining each other's faces superimposed on other peoples bodies really annoyed me.How could two rational people who had reached an elevated position in their respective careers appear so foolish?Pulling silly faces or reacting in a crass way in these sequences is certainly not funny to an intelligent audience.

Why then did I purchase this DVD?Well I had hopes of seeing another good performance by HL like she played in "Come Live With Me"(1941) a witty and literate film opposite Jimmy Stewart.I rate the latter as her best film ever as her own character has verisimilitude as an Austrian refugee - albeit a very beautiful one.At least it is another rare HL film in my collection of her.Verdict - 3/10 could do better