Customer Reviews

Luxury Liner [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Color, beautiful clothes, romance and great location don't always spell success for a movie. You also have to care about the people and be interested enough in the story to continue watching. This movie has all of the above and more. Pretty people, scenes, colors, clothes, enjoyable storyline. It also has romantic excitement with old fashioned values. Actions and words of the characters seem natural and therefore flow well.
There's beautifully sung music if you enjoy that sort of thing; but if you can't handle it, just fast forward a bit. I had forgotten that Jane Powell had real musical talent as I had forgotten she was in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." The other leading lady is pretty too, and believable. George Brent seems perfect as a middle-aged ship captain, just a bit tired out by life. The older man (real-life tenor) is rather enjoyable to watch and a joy to hear sing. After the movie is over you'll feel nostalgic for a more civilized era.

Top talents and colorful production numbers make this an effervescent, light-hearted musical cruiz in the great tradition of the MGM musicals.

On board are the the ships's captain (George Brent) and his spunky daughter, Polly (Jane Powell). When stow-away, Polly, is discovered by the captain, she is given custodial duties which she uses to her advantage to play Cupid to some of the ship's passengers. She discovers that tenor, Lauritz Melchior, is also on board and she uses every opportunity to show him her own musical talents. Meanwhile, Francis Gifford and Marina Koshetz vie for the captains attention and complications arise.

Jane opens with the lovely "Spring Came Back to Vienna" and later sings "Alouette" assisted by the talented kitchen crew. Her musical prowess is displayed in "The Peanut Vendor" and the lilting "Gavotte" by Massenet. Mr. Melchior gives us "Come Back to Sorrento" and an aria from "Aida" in his rich tenor voice. Xavier Cugat shares his latin rhythms with "Cugat's Nougat" and "Con Maracas". The Pied Pipers are on hand for "Yes, We Have No Bananas" and the cruise closes with a reprise duet of "Spring Came Back to Vienna" with the youthful Powell and the renowned Melchior.

All aboard for a musical outing with mirth and joyful singing.

I first saw this video when I was a kid and fell in love with the simple storyline, the great music, and the delightful Jane Powell. It might be a bit outdated by todday's standards, but it's highly enjoyable!

A winner for Jane Powell. This movie was done back in the 40's before she got the 50's look. Except also in Holiday in Mexico, she never looked so beautiful. This time though she does a scene or two in braids and looks adorable. As a movie it's a filler, but a fine one. Jane Powell sneaks onto her father's trip in order to meet her favorite opera singer. On the way the both of them fall in love, her father results in a marriage, hers she admits a "passing fling". The guy has an eerie similarity to Joey Lawrence.
Marina Koshetz, the supporting actress, almost steals the show as an annoying opera singer. Her performance of I've got you under my skin was funny.

LUXORY LINER is a cute movie with terrific singers and a weak plot which serves primarily as a platform for the excellent musical entertainment. Jane Powell sparkles as the daughter of a widowed ship captain.She is a passenger on her father's ship and she spends most of her time either trying to manage her father's love life or else attempting to advance her budding career as a singer.

The film is worth a high rating based mostly on the outstanding music. Jane Powell, Lauritz Melchior, Xavier Cugat and Marina Koshetz complement each other well. They are ably backed up by George Brent, Frances Gifford, Connie Gilchrist and Richard Derr.

i very highly recommend this film, and think it's fun and entertaining. Jane Powell really shines in it.

This is an absolute delight. We see Jane as an adventurous teen stowaway on an ocean liner with dad Brent being the Captain who relegates her to the kitchen where she has the whole staff involved in an "Alouette, Gente Alouette" to die for. Who ever dreamed that number up was a genious. We also get to hear her sing Manon's Gavotte, and beautifully as she's trying to impress Melchior who plays (what else) an opera singer. But Melchior had already left so the gavotte was in vain. Later she gets to impress him with some operatic allusions in a fantastic version of "Peanut Vendor" with Cugat. Melchior sings Wagner, a drinking song, and a final duet with Jane.

Another enjoyable Powell musical is Holiday in Mexico.

This is a charming but minor MGM musical in glorious Technicolor. Even in the oeuvre of Jane Powell it ranks below her best pictures, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers and Royal Wedding. However, caveat emptor, buyer beware! This disc is part of the new Warner Archive Collection and is a "burned" DVD-R video-on-demand disc, as oppsed to a professionally stamped and pressed DVD. The discs in this collection have been somehow encrypted to work on "play only" devices and will not work on player/recorders or on computers. That said, it is nice to have these rare titles available and the quality is quite good from original, if unrestored, elements.

I am a fan of George Brent, and even in later movies, I find he is still a versatile actor, and charming. All characters play their roles perfectly. A younger Jane Powell shows her stellar singing voice.

Jane Powell made many cute MGM musicals, and this is one of the better ones. As with Rich Young and Pretty and Small Town Girl, these Warner Archive titles are of excellent quality. They appear to have been worked on to some extent as colors are vibrant, and sound is clear with out hiss. These are quality releases. Go for all of them if you are into this type of old fashioned quality enbtertainment.