Let's Do It Again

"Let's Do It Again" is a 1953 loose remake of "The Awful Truth," this time starring Jane Wyman, Ray Milland, Aldo Ray and Valerie Bettis. Milland plays Gary Stuart, a songwriter who occasionally takes off, saying he's going to Chicago or wherever, when all the while he's playing with nightclub bands in town. To make him jealous, knowing full well he's lying to her, his ex-performer wife Connie (Wyman) pretends she spent the night with a friend, Courtney Craig (Tom Helmore). Husband and wife have both carried their games too far and get a divorce, though they're still in love.

The comments on this site are a bit surprising regarding Wyman. People seem to forget that before Johnny Belinda, Wyman was a stunning blonde who did plenty of comedy. I never understood the brown hair and the short do, but she played the role of Connie well and did her own singing. Despite comments to the contrary, I thought she looked quite beautiful. Her clothes were nothing short of sensational in this Technicolor production. Milland does a good job as Gary. Aldo Ray looks quite handsome and is okay as Connie's wealthy suitor. Valerie Bettis is on hand to do some sexy dancing. The music in this film is bad.

It's no "Awful Truth," lacking in just about every department except maybe gowns. If you forget it's a remake of that classic, you should enjoy it for what it is - light fluff.

Hey, people ! Lighten up ! Here are 2 dramatic stars giving more than serviceable performances in admittedly classic roles. But the bonus for me is a whole bunch of songs that I have loved for years. I don't understand how people can't like this tuneful score. I especially love "Takin' A Slow Burn" and "It was Great While It Lasted", but I love the whole score. Can you imagine a full batch of good, original tunes in a movie TODAY ??? Those days are gone forever, so I'll continue to enjoy pleasures like this one. Jane does indeed look gorgeous in her luxurious wardrobe, and that '50s pseudo art-deco apartment is great. Jane's "spastic gall bladder " scene is priceless, and Milland & Helmore in the closet with the hats (no, not THAT closet !) is a delightful bit of business. I'll take this flick any day instead of all these "blowin' up stuff" movies we can't seem to get away from.

Recently seeing this movie for the first time I was pleased to find that it is a very pleasant,frothy technicolored entertainment.Jane Wyman,whom I remember mainly from TV,is a very capable comedienne,and a very good singer.She is obviously enjoying herself,and looks very good too,in a dazzling Jean Louis wardrobe.Ray Milland plays her ex-husband in a Cary Grant type performance,and warbles a song or two.Aldo Ray is the new beau and also shows what a versatile actor he was.All in all,an undemanding Technicolor treat that is typical of it's period.Worth catching.8/10

It's always fraught with danger when you re make something that's considered a classic, and this one is no exception, but I suppose with colour becoming the norm by the 1950's, as now, they tried a re make for newer generations. Don't think Ray Milland wanted to do it, but he was contracted to the studio. I certainly don't agree with the reviewer who said he was no good at comedy, that was his main stock in trade, and his breezy, suave comedy style brightened many a film over the years, wish there was someone half as good today. Jane Wyman could hold her own in a musical, she'd just made a couple of films with Bing, if you don't step up to the plate with Der Bingle, you look pretty shabby. The trouble wasn't with the players, it was the fact that the script wasn't as good as the original, and it doesn't pay to compare anyway, it's pleasant enough on it's own merits, no classic, but an enjoyable enough bit of fluff, carried by two veteran stars!

Let's Do It Again is the third rendition of the play The Awful Truth about an about to be divorced couple who really belong together, but have to wait until the end of the film to find out. Ray Milland and Jane Wyman are the couple repeating the roles that Cary Grant and Irene Dunne had back in 1937 in The Awful Truth.

This started as an Arthur Richman play back in 1922 which ran 144 performances on Broadway with Ina Claire in the lead. So Let's Do It Again has a distinguished pedigree. This version had a musical score attached to it by Lester Lee and Ned Washington, none of the songs you will remember.

Jane Wyman who could sing and dance proves she can again in this film, it's the main reason to see the film. Ray Milland starts off well, as the film opens you see him jamming on the drums at a club while Wyman thinks he's in Chicago. He fakes that pretty good, but when he's called on to sing, it's not his finest hour on the big screen. The main ballad in the film is sung by Dick Haymes on record to Wyman.

She has two suitors for her on the rebound, Tom Helmore and Aldo Ray. Ray is not terribly comfortable in the Ralph Bellamy part, Bellamy played his role in 1937 film. Helmore is a cad, as he many times is on screen.

The distinguished pedigree of Let's Do It Again does not guarantee a top quality product. Overall the film is all right, but there's nothing new that's really good here.