Saturday, February 18, 2017

The Unsinkable Molly Brown

A spunky hayseed (Debbie Reynolds) leaves her adopted backwoods home (from which she was rescued after found floating down the Colorado River as a toddler after a flood) with the determination of marrying rich and does so when she stumbles across a soon to strike it rich gold prospector (Harve Presnell). Rejected by Denver high society, she finds acceptance in Europe before famously playing the part of heroine while commanding her lifeboat to retreat in search of survivors after the sinking of the Titanic. Based on a popular stage musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown is an irritating piece of hokum and inferior to similar musicals of the period. Reynolds has her moments although the dance sequences along with Presnell (who seems otherwise ill-suited to the big screen) are worth the price of admission.
** out of ****