Customer Reviews

Let's Make it Legal

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

 

 

Let's Make it Legal is a film about a couple who are divorcing. The wife (Claudette Colbert) has decided that she has had enough of her husband's (MacDonald Carey) gambling and calls it quits. It is obvious that he still loves her and their grown daughter (Barbara Bates) does all she can to fix them up again. However, an old flame (Zachary Scott), now a well-known political figure, comes into town and practically sweeps the newly single wife off her feet, creating a stir in the family.

Although this film has been entered into the Marilyn Monroe collection and features her photo on the cover, this is one of her early roles and therefore she is hardly in the film. Her part is as a client of Carey. She performs the way a new actress would, slightly forced but undeniably sexily.

The real star of this film is Claudette Colbert, obviously older than she was in her prime but still quite beautiful. She plays her part confidently as the epitome of a desirable woman who takes care of her family with ease and still has time to do the things that make her happy.

Zachary Scott is attractive and somewhat reminiscent of Clark Gable, a co-star of Colbert's in several films. However, he does not have the same chemistry with her that Gable did.

MacDonald Carey, however, does. Even in the few scenes in which his character gets along with his former wife, sparks fly.

Barbara Bates is very beautiful as the daughter of the separated pair. She plays her part sympathetically as the new adult who cannot do anything for herself. She is appropriately childlike.

Overall, this film is better than one might expect. It is peppered with witty dialogue and a sweet plot. It is certainly no masterpiece, but it is a nice way to spend 76 minutes.

Claudette Colbert adds her special charms to LET'S MAKE IT LEGAL, a charming B-comedy from Twentieth Century-Fox, which also features Marilyn Monroe in one of her early "cheesecake cameo" roles.

Claudette Colbert plays Miriam, who is in the final stages of divorcing her gambling husband Hugh (Macdonald Carey). But Hugh wants to stay married and is willing to pull every trick in the book to ensure Miriam stays with him. Competition arrives in the form of Victor (Zachary Scott), Miriam's highschool sweetheart, a self-made millionaire who quickly begins wooing her all over again. It's going to be the battle to end all battles as Hugh and Victor go head-to-head in their efforts to win Miriam.

Barbara Bates and a young Robert Wagner co-star. Marilyn Monroe's role of Joyce, a client of Hugh's, is quite small, but Fox has issued this film and a few others as supplements to the `Marilyn Monroe Diamond Collection' box sets. Fans will enjoy it, but fans of Claudette Colbert will love it even more.

Let's Make it Legal was an enjoyable movie from an era before the pervasiveness of television necessitated that movies be done on scales grand enough to compete with the small screen. This is just a simple little story with an impressive cast. Great for the Robert Wagner fan, as it was one of his first roles, and he is featured prominently. Claudette Colbert is great as always. And, to the reviewer who said we shouldn't watch it because Marilyn Monroe is only on screen for eight minutes, it should be remembered that not everyone is looking for Marilyn Monroe.

What a delightful movie set in the time when couples still slept in separate single beds. The idea seems ritzy for that time period and so common place now. The cast is excellent. Marilyn Monroe has a very small part. You notice Marilyn and keep thinking about her even after the film is over. I have so enjoyed this movie and I hope you will too, but only if you like the older movies.

I enjoyed this movie very much. I was surprised at the amount of well-known stars. Cute and comical--they don't make movies so simply and yet enjoyable any more.

The final screen comedy of one of the cinema's greatest comediennes, Claudette Colbert, LET'S MAKE IT LEGAL is a predictable by the numbers effort that even an ever appealing and gorgeous Claudette (on the back side of forty and looking absolutely stunning) can't quite salvage. Colbert stars as a woman who is in the process of divorcing her gambling obsessed husband Macdonald Carey while their daughter Barbara Bates and son-in-law Robert Wagner live in her home. Barbara is determined to reunite her parents while Robert just wants his wife to move on and have a new independent life with him. Adding additional trouble to the brew is Claudette's old flame Zachary Scott, now a multi-millionaire and famous political insider, who is anxious to rekindle their old romance now that Claudette is available again. Marilyn Monroe is featured in a small part as a gold-digger who'd like Scott for herself.

There aren't many laughs in this "comedy" but Claudette is always worth watching and she is a vision in two very beautiful gowns here that show off her ageless figure to full advantage. Marilyn, 23 years her junior, had a right to be worried! It's fun to see lovely young MM quite early in her career but she's about the film's only other highlight. Neither Carey or Scott are particularly charismatic leading men or ones with a flair for comedy. Robert Wagner, 21, is boyishly handsome but has little ability at this point to speak his lines with any sincerity; Barbara Bates is somewhat better although her character is not particularly sympathetic. The baby girl is adorable though and it's fun to see familiar TV faces Kathleen Freeman and Frank Cady in small roles. A young Roger Moore reportedly has a bit in this but is tough to spot.

Shame on Fox though for marketing this as a MM movie when it's an early small role for her. I don't have a problem with them putting Marilyn on the cover but the legendary Ms. Colbert absolutely should have been on it as well (the old VHS release had a wonderful cover of Claudette, Marilyn, MacDonald, and Zachary). Definitely a must for Colbert and/or Monroe completists (I qualify on both counts) but I do wish the movie had been a bit better.

A very funny movie with Marily Monroe in a small but sexy role. Even if you're too young to remember all the actors it's a great light comedy fit for the entire family. There's also an optional commentary by Robert Wagner who appears in the film. Nice, light, funny movie.

"Let's Make It Legal" is the delightful little comedy about a grandmother (Claudette Colbert) who, after divorcing her husband, Hugh (Macdonald Carey) discovers that an old flame, Victor (Zachary Scott) still has the `hots' for her and intends on turning his flame into an inferno with a vengeance. Robert Wagner costars as Colbert's devilish son-in-law. So where's Marilyn Monroe in all this? She's the sexy siren in hot pursuit of Vic's affections. But he's all ice when it comes to her charms. Go figure. It's a good thing this film wasn't included as part of Marilyn Monroe: The Diamond Collection because for all its cutsie cuddliness, this one's more cubic zirconium.
TRANSFER: Lots to smile about here. The black and white picture genuinely sparkles. Blacks are solid, the gray scale is perfectly balanced and age related artifacts are, for the most part, nonexistent. Minor edge enhancement and some video noise (particularly in plaid patterns) crop up now and then but truthfully, this is a superb looking transfer. The audio has been re-channeled to two stem stereo with predictable limited range. Nevertheless the soundtrack is smooth.
EXTRAS: Come on, what did you expect for a film of this limited appeal. You get some Marilyn trailers. Enjoy!
BOTTOM LINE: Even if you're not a fan of Monroe (and I'd like to meet the man who isn't!) this silly little programmer is easy on the eyes and tingly all over, but especially on the heart.

Great cast, but with the front cover having Marilyn Monroe, she should have been in the movie more than 5 minutes. If you're looking for a Marilyn Monroe movie, this isn't for you, unless you're like me and love Claudette Colbert, then it's a great buy. I liked the movie overall. Lisa C

It's truly sad to see what Marilyn had to do to get to the top.. Let's Make It Legal is an example of this.. This MOVIE IS TERRIBLE.Don't bother with it unless you're a DIE HARD Marilyn fan, because she's in it for like 8 minutes and it's really almost not worth it.