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Great post David... I have become curious about Jean Negulesco after seeing some of his films of the '40s. I mentioned Three Came Back and Johnny Belinda, but how could I forget Humoresque!? Another great film.

I will try to add Best of Everything to my viewing list based on this recommendation. Thre Coins In the Fountain is coming up next week. In extension of my quick comments on How to Marry a Millionaire, I should say that I really enjoyed the film. Somehow I felt that the topic and the general mood of the film was probably very close to its time. There are several very funny moments, as in the initial meeting of the three ladies in the apartment, Monroe's challenges with her eyesight, and Grable's general ditziness, as well as the constant dragging the furniture in and out of the apartment as a barometer of how broke and/or lucky the ladies are with their conquests. And, then the scheme in itself is just a lot of fun... these three bimbos having figured this plan to land rich husbands.

Knowing next to nothing about Negulesco, the thing that obviously strikes me, in becoming acquainted with more of his films in a relatively short span of time, is the great change that takes place in the subjects of his films -- from stark human dramas in the '40s to lighter comedic fare in the '50s, and the (possibly) more incidental change from black and white realism to techni-cinemascope romance.

I have to echo David Hare's enthusiasm from years back-- this film succeeds so well where Mad Men's secretarial pool-focused moments fail. The film, much like Lange's earlier starrer Peyton Place puts so glossy a sheen on some pretty terrible events that it can be easy to accuse the film of playing it safe. But the brilliance is in the beauty of the beast here. The film has a real devilish charm beneath the soapy goings-on and that only a handful of the social ills covered even get resolved is wonderful. I wish the new-found period fetishists born out of the loathsome AMC series would obsess over this instead.