User reviews

Scolding reviewers who go on and on urging you to "see the original" and "this is a bad remake" are ponderous and not too bright, in my opinion. I can separate performances and stories in my mind without any trouble whatsoever. This is a fun movie with lots of clever scenes and great interplay between Tierney and Power, who clearly had personal affection for one another. The supporting cast does a good job of getting out of the way and letting Gene and Tyrone shine. Chill Wills is great as a crooked judge and has many funny one-liners. Its fun and enjoyable! The scenery, whether in Sun Valley or New York is realistic and a history lesson in 40's era lifestyles. I mean, its Gene Tierney and Tyrone Power, for crying out loud! They aren't making movie stars like those two anymore, are they? Enjoy!

... with Gene Tierney as a beautiful heiress who decides to get vengeance on scandalous reporter Tyrone Power, who's been writing gossipy stuff about her, by telling the world they are married. Power gets fired and laughed at and can't prove he didn't marry the lady so decides to turn things around on her.

There are no surprises here, with a supporting cast that includes Reginald Gardiner (wasted as Tierney's boyfriend who takes her out but can't get to first place with her, not that he looks like he really cares) and Lucille Watson (also wasted in a trivial role). I was a little surprised at how obviously fake are the Sun Valley, Idaho backdrops in a few scenes. This is a remake of Love Is News, a 1937 comedy Power had made with Loretta Young, making Power one of the few actors to appear in a remake of one of his own films. Why 20th Century Fox would choose to revive such weak material again over a decade later is beyond me.

Although Power is primarily remembered today for Nightmare Alley and as the hero of a few costume adventures, at the start of his career at Fox he appeared in a number of light weight romantic comedies of a forgettable, frothy nature. That Wonderful Urge, released almost a decade after the last of them, would also be his final venture into screen comedy for, unfortunately, less than memorable results. It was also around this time that he appeared in The Luck of The Irish, a somewhat more engaging affair inasmuch as it mixed the romantic comedy with fantasy by having a leprechaun play the role of matchmaker.

Robert Sinclair does not feature in my gallery of preferred directors, and after watching the supposedly screwball comedy that THAT WONDERFUL URGE was publicized as, I doubt I will be looking for his works.

That said, cinematography rates more than just competent, especially on the snowy slopes where tabloid reporter Tyrone has an accident that somehow sees him (allegedly) married to lovely rich heiress Tierney, who donates him $1 million to boot.

Talk about fairy tales, hey? Of course, only US spectators emerging from the losses and hardships of WW II would pay to watch a film resting on such a skiddy and far-fetched script. In Italy, where day to day survival proved dire, neorealism reigned.

What saves it is the star power and chemistry between two beauty-endowed humans, Tyrone and Gene, who apparently did not just act, but privately took their attraction to more physical and emotional levels. In the process, equally lovely Arleen Whelan is just jettisoned after Tyrone tries to marry her so he can prove that Tierney has been lying about her marital status. That is one detail tough to explain: Tyrone is so high-minded that he does not want the $1 million and rejects marriage to Tierney, yet he just uses poor Whelan like garbage.

As for Gardiner, in the role of leaching European aristocrat, it is just impossible to believe that Tierney would take the slightest interest in him, let alone even jokingly take his ring.

As planktonrules points out, the original (LOVE IS NEWS, 1937) is a better film. Still, Tyrone and Gene deserve my 7/10.

I found this little gem on Hulu while in the mood for a movie in black and white. For some reason all of the movies showing on TCM were made in the 1970's (yuck).

So, not being a regular viewer of Tyrone Power, I didn't know what to expect. About mid way through the movie I thought it would really be great if this were Myna Loy and Cary Grant or William Powell.

The stars of this movie were missing that certain spark that lifts a thin storyline into something more. While the stars were very likable and attractive they had very little chemistry. Some of the dialogue was rather funny and the supporting cast was good. It definitely wasn't a waste of time.

There's nothing so dangerous as a woman on a mission of revenge, and that's what journalist "Tom" (Tyrone Power) discovers when his serialisation of the profligate life of heiress "Sara" (Gene Tierney) in the newspaper earns her enmity. She's a clever woman, and so manages to come up with an unique way of visiting her vengeance on her new prey. She decides to tell the world that they are married! That's just one truth too many for his editor so now out of a job and without many friends, he has to get her to address the situation before he sinks without trace. How, though? She's still pretty livid and no shrinking violet. Of course, the underplay here is all pretty obvious, as is a denouement helped along amiably by Gene Lockhart, but it's really the enjoyable tit-for-tat banter between Power and Tierney that keeps this entertaining battle of the sexes moving along quickly and sometimes quite wittily. It's probably not a film you will recall for long afterwards, but it does it's job fine for eighty minutes.

I found this movie entertaining and humorous although the ending was abrupt. I couldn't help thinking how topical it was with the tabloids and celebs in the news these days and even the President being asked about a reality show personality when he was on The View. I don't think this movie would have been suitable during WWII but in the relief of the postwar era a light comedy might have filled the bill, and tabloids were flourishing along with fan magazines and interest in the privileged, whether heiress or royal. (The 1947 wedding of Elizabeth and Philip was a big seller, too.) I hope some day to see the original to compare and contrast but as a stand alone, this movie was pleasant with some good lines, a few laughs, and kept me awake longer than I had intended so I could see the end. If you don't have anything better to do, you might enjoy it as a diversion.

This is an odd film--not because it is a remake but because both the original (LOVE IS NEWS) and the remake star Tyrone Power. It's rare to see a star do this, as the studios often remade films but hardly ever used the same actors. In addition, both films are bundled together on one DVD so you can compare them. After seeing both, I would definitely recommend you see LOVE IS NEWS, as it's superior in every way.

The film is about newspaper man (Power) harassing a rich heiress (Gene Tierney) in order to make headlines. It really didn't seem to matter if his articles were true and when Gene finds out that Tyrone is NOT the man he claims to be but a reporter, she is furious. However, instead of blowing her top, she decides to give him a taste of her own medicine by announcing to all the newspapers that she and Power are married--as she knows that the papers will now make Power's life miserable as well. Oddly, in the original film, the heiress announces they are engaged--here she claims they are married--though this hardly improves the quality of the film (though it does provide a bit of sexual innuendo the original didn't have).

The acting is decent enough, though I really think Loretta Young did a better job in the original--probably because she seemed to have a better gift for comedy. Also, while Tyrone tries, he just doesn't seem to have quite the charm he did in the original. Part of this is naturally because it's a remake and part of this is because the supporting characters weren't nearly as strong. In particular, the Justice of the Peace was a big weak point here, as instead of coming off as comical, he's a sadist and pretty much ignores the law--surefire comedy killers! My advice is see the original. Then, if you insist, see the remake. BUT, don't see the remake first--it just doesn't stack up well and might convince you not to bother with the first film and that would be a big mistake.

Just because a performer is attractive, talented and has star power and charm it does not mean they have comedic skills. This farce has few chuckles, let alone belly laughs. It would have been better with comedic actors but not great.

It is worth seeing. Power and Tierney are both attractive and charming. They even gave chemistry. They just aren't funny.

Will get this off the bat briefly, count me in as another person that has seen the original 'Love is News'. Count me in also, to say briefly, as someone that thoroughly enjoyed that film and considers it vastly superior. 'That Wonderful Urge' had quite a lot going for it, with Tyrone Power returning eleven years later and with a great cast on paper being its main attractions (though was intrigued to see how Gene Tierney would fare in comedy), so should have worked a lot better than it did.

It is easy to inevitably compare 'That Wonderful Urge' to 'Love is News', seeing as the former is a remake. In this regard, there is no doubt in my mind which film is much better. Every film that is a remake or sequel of another deserves to be judged on its own terms without being compared too much, have always found it a far better way to judge unless the difference in quality is huge. In this regard, 'That Wonderful Urge' underwhelms just as much. It does have its good things and moments, but it could have been quite a lot more.

'That Wonderful Urge' has good assets. It looks lovely, with photography that is never too filmed play-like or tries to do too much and the costumes are stylish. The music has a nice energy and fits well tonally, not over-scoring or being too chirpy. Nice to hear "It Happened in Sun Valley".

Some of the supporting cast come over very well, Lucile Watson really sparkles as always and Chill Wills is a lot of fun. Both are in roles that suit them very well. Gene Lockhart is well suited to his role too.

Power does his utmost best but had a lot more charm and energy before. Tierney was fine in drama but seemed out of her depth here, her comic timing came over as forced and her interpretation was rather too coy for my liking. Reginald Gardiner's character is very underwritten and he lacks personality, being not menacing enough for a cad while not being suave or charming enough to be likeable. Nobody else stands out. None of the characters are particularly interesting, Watson's comes closest and that is more down to how she played her. The direction is far from amateurish but could have been slicker.

Admittedly the story was very far-fetched and slight in 'Love is News', but both are accentuated here in 'That Wonderful Urge'. The pace really lacks urgency, so the slightness was less forgivable as some of the story felt uneventful which it didn't feel as much before, and the latter stages really stretch credulity (so did the original but not to breaking point like here). The script isn't sharp enough for the wit to work, actually found some of it on the tired side.

In conclusion, has its moments but lacking for me. 4/10

if you're in the mood for a romantic comedy - without anything thought provoking - this might do

the fun comes watching the two potential lovers trying to outwit each other - there were a couple obvious steps that might have been taken - but using them right away would have cut the plot short - so try to resist belaboring them

Gene Tierney & Tyrone Power were the eye candy of the time - they weren't top actors - but by this time - they had developed an easy charm in place of the finesse of the better actors - such as Carol Lombard - Claudette Colbert - William Powell - Cary Grant

the scheming and the repartee were pretty good - but not the best - and the falling in love wasn't so obvious - still the expectation was there to help the audience over the threshold

competent in all departments - which may explain why it isn't cited as one of the great romantic comedy - still - it's a good choice for a bit of light entertainment

As painful and awkward as it is for audiences to watch an onscreen couple who used to be an offscreen couple, I'm sure it's infinitely more painful and awkward for the actors themselves. Why do they agree to make the movie? I don't have the answer, but if you want to watch Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney in a movie after his unrequited feelings were squelched during 1946's The Razor's Edge, then you can check out That Wonderful Urge. It's a little sad to see the pain in Ty's expressions, though.

This is a remake of Love is News, which starred Tyrone Power in the same role. Loretta Young was the female lead, and it's easy to see Gene patterning herself after her predecessor. This romantic comedy doesn't really make any sense, but if it sounds cute to you, you can rent it. Ty is a newspaper man who's written scathing society columns about debutante Gene Tierney. To get her revenge, she spreads it around that she and Ty were secretly married over the weekend when they were thrown together at a ski lodge. How is that getting revenge? It'll either be disproved immediately, since no marriage license was issued and no one presided, or it'll make her look like an idiot who's a terrible judge of character. Ty's thrown into a tizzy, and for some unexplained reason, he doesn't think to disprove her claim with a lack of marriage license of justice of the peace witness. Parts of the film are extremely silly and border on screwball comedy, so this isn't anywhere near my favorite of either of theirs.

"That Wonderful Urge" could be described as a time filler, in that it was made by Fox to keep select members of their stable of actors busy with contractual obligations while they shot other, more important properties for wider and more publicized release. The film is passably entertaining but could have been considerably more fun if another pass-through had been made with the script, a fire had been lit under the actors, and if the sets and backdrops had been made with a little more care and polish.

But it is the acting and the story that drags the film down most of all. The performances in large measure seem nearly lifeless, if not robotic, most notably by Ms. Tierney. Maybe the effort just reflects the script, which is largely trivial and tired, making the viewing at times tedious. Mr. Power appears to be preoccupied with other matters, while Ms. Tierney just appears to not be ready for this kind of would-be humorous romp.

Overall, the picture is not recommended for the casual consumer of Hollywood's golden age of movies, but rather for those who have a yen for exposure to a wider spectrum of big-studio Hollywood product, good, bad, and indifferent.

That Wonderful Urge (1949) is one of those films that, despite featuring weighty talents like Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney, fails to deliver a compelling or, at the very least, memorable story. Directed by Robert B. Sinclair, the film falls within the comedy and romance genres, but unfortunately, the plot ends up being somewhat superficial and predictable, making the experience of watching it rather frustrating.

The initial premise has the potential to generate some interesting twists: an heiress (Gene Tierney) discovers that the friendly young man she met in Sun Valley (Tyrone Power) is actually an investigative reporter. Driven by an impulsive urge, she ruins the young man's career by falsely claiming that they are married. However, early on in the film, it becomes clear that the plot will develop along a predictable and somewhat naive path, characterizing the feature as one of the silliest Hollywood productions of that era.

The storyline, which could be a reflection on the damage caused by lies and misunderstandings, ends up dragging unnecessarily, without offering substantial development or truly captivating moments. Throughout the story, conflicts are resolved quickly and unconvincingly, leaving a sense that the film is more concerned with pleasing with corny moments than with delving into any more complex themes.

Despite the weak plot, the talents of Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney are undeniable, although not enough to save the film. The chemistry between them is visible, but unfortunately, the script does not give them material worthy of their talent. The couple had already starred in four films together, with The Razor's Edge (1946) being the only one that stands out as a work of better quality.

In the end, That Wonderful Urge turns out to be a low-impact production, with a weak and unengaging plot. Gene Tierney's beauty and Tyrone Power's charm are some of the few aspects that make the film watchable, but nothing that makes it truly recommendable. For those looking for a romantic comedy with more substance, it is better to look elsewhere in other works of the time. Rating: 0½.