In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

We have a young couple: Jerry(Robert Wagner) and Barbara(Barbara Bates), with baby, living with her parents Hugh(Macdonald Carey) and Mariam(Claudette Colbert), whose divorce will be finalized shortly. The daughter would like to continue living in her parent's house for some time, taking advantage of Miriam's expertise and energy in raising a child, and remaining in a familiar setting. Toward this goal, she tries to promote a reconciliation between her parents(Perhaps, Miriam, who will get the house, is more opposed to their remaining in her house). On the other hand, Jerry wants to move out as soon as possible into an apartment or house, to prove himself. Along comes millionaire Victor, an old flame of Mariam's, proposing marriage as soon as the divorce is finalized.Now, we have a huge inconsistency which is never explained. Victor and Miriam, after a day of fun, are in Victor's apartment. arguing about the advisability of a marriage. Miriam is adamant that she will never remarry. She can do without a man in her life, at least as a husband. Dating as friends might be OK. Victor has always been a bachelor, and she doubts he would be happy tied down to one woman. Finally, she's still miffed at his sudden disappearance from her life 20 years ago for no apparent reason. Perhaps this would repeat itself....Next, we switch to Mariam's house where the young couple are waiting anxiously for Miriam's return. Mariam bursts into the house with the news that she's going to marry Victor. What happened to make her change her mind?Another key inconsistency: When Victor keeps putting off their shotgun marriage because of a changing schedule of meetings in far off Washington D.C., Mariam eventually decides to call off the marriage. Any reasonable couple would have put off the short-notice wedding until after Victor's career-defining trip was over. Miriam got the idea that she would play second fiddle to Victor's career. She had had enough of this treatment with Hugh's addiction to gambling and babying his many prize rose bushes. When Hugh learns of the cancelled marriage, he renews his campaign to reconcile with Mariam. At first, she adamantly says no. But, after Hugh explains that he used loaded dice in his crap shoot with Victor to determine which would continue dating her, she suddenly softens and the implication of the fade out is that they will reconcile. Hugh further claims he will stop gambling to please her. Well, I don't know about that. It's a wonder she put up with his gambling for 20 years, except that he seems to do well, hence they aren't living on poverty row. As long as Mariam is mightily bothered by his gambling, I think they would be better off living as singles, dating one another occasionally. Of course, too many films of this era wanted to force a happy ending after an hour and a half of turmoil. In many cases, I wouldn't give the reconciliation much of a chance of sticking. Claudette, at age 48, playing a woman 10 years younger, is still very much a knockout. Cary(Hugh), as well as Scott(Victor) were both tall and aristocratic-looking. Cary mostly played leading men and second leads in "B" pictures. Later, he starred in the long-running TV sitcom "Days of Our Lives". Scott somewhat reminded me of Clark Gable in looks, with his moustache. He was mostly a leading man or second lead. I most remember him as the lead in "The Southerner".Barbara Bates was very shy as a girl. Despite winning a beauty contest and a Hollywood contract, she became increasingly insecure and despondent over time, made worse by the death of her husband and agent, whom she was very dependent upon, psychologically. Some years after a failed suicide attempt, she succeeded, at age 44. Interestingly, her character here seems insecure in dealing with her baby, heavily dependent on Mariam for advice and help, and not wanting to leave the house that had always been her home. At this stage, Marilyn Monroe was still a bit player, serving as eye candy. Of course, like Barbara, she would exhibit increasing mental instability with age, eventually apparently succeeding in a suicide. Here, her character is inconsequential to the plot, briefly appearing 3 times. She wants Hugh to help her get the attention of Victor, as a would be gold digger. She's always seen with Hugh, even dancing with him, but with no hint of a romantic attachment.Currently available in the Marilyn Premiere Collection, with 16 other films.

Claudette Colbert, Macdonald Carey, Zachary Scott, Robert Wagner, Barbara Bates, and Marilyn Monroe star in "Let's Make it Legal," a 1951 20th Century Fox comedy. It's a fast little black and white film about a divorcing couple, the Hugh Halsworths (Colbert and Carey), their daughter Barbara (Bates) and her new husband Jerry (Wagner).The premise is that the Halsworths are divorcing because Hugh is a compulsive gambler and Miriam, his wife, has had about all she can stand. So they've separated and the divorce is final at midnight. But Hugh is always hanging around, spraying his roses or entering the house on some other excuse.Their daughter is having marital adjustment problems: She loves her mother waiting on her hand and foot and taking care of the new baby, but her husband wants them to have their own place. Barbara hopes her parents will get back together, which Jerry attributes to her selfish motives. In the midst of all this, an old boyfriend of Barbara's (Scott) enters the picture and proposes.This film is of interest due to an early appearance of Marilyn Monroe as a sexy young woman most anxious to meet the very wealthy Victor (Scott). It's also of interest to me because Colbert and Carey play young grandparents - not young people playing characters supposed to be older, but actual young grandparents. You don't see much of that in classic era films. Hugh tells Scott he married Miriam right out of school. (In actuality, Carey was about 38 at this time and Colbert was 48)."Let's Make it Legal" is also of interest as a look at how the studios worked. This isn't a big movie, so it's used as a training ground for two contract players, Wagner and Bates, neither of whom are very good. The studio probably appeased agent Johnny Hyde, who was ambitious for his client Monroe by giving her a small role. They used the film as a vehicle for Colbert, who in Hollywood, though still beautiful, is past her sell by date and relegated to less expensive films, as well as the washed up Scott. They pair her with a B leading man, Carey, whose big success was in television.This isn't a great movie. It's light, it's amusing, it's somewhat dated. Seeing Colbert is always a pleasure and Carey was an amiable actor, Scott an attractive one. Sadly both Bates, who later committed suicide, and Scott suffered from depression. Scott at this point in his career concentrated on stage and television work.Pleasant comedy.

Let's Make It Legal is an amiable lightweight comedy that gave Marilyn Monroe a featured role in her days on the rise as a legend. The stars are Claudette Colbert and MacDonald Carey who are calling the marriage quits after over 20 years. Waiting in the wings is an old beau of Claudette, Zachary Scott who lost Claudette to Carey back in the day and has gone on to become a captain of industry and awaiting a presidential appointment besides.The reason for the divorce is Carey's drinking and gambling. His only other indulgence is his garden where he's grown some prize rose bushes.Two other interested parties are their son-in-law Robert Wagner and daughter Barbara Bates who live with Claudette with their baby girl. Bates won't leave the mother alone and wants her parents back together. Wagner wants to have their own home and if she won't get back together with Carey, Wagner will push a marriage with Scott.Carey should have done more comedy in his career, he had a nice light touch and does a marvelous drunk act. Colbert is a veteran comedy performer and the part was definitely no strain on her. Still Let's Make It Legal will never be among her top fifty. And Scott is shown up to be something of a cad in the end.The nucleus of this story is how Carey won her and what he does to win her back. Fans of the main players should enjoy Let's Make It Legal and others will to.

This is a seriously flawed movie that still manages to be interesting--an odd combination to say the least. With a slight re-write, this could have been a much more enjoyable film.The film finds Claudette Colbert living in a house with her annoying daughter and son-in-law. As for Colbert's husband (Macdonald Carey), he's about to become the ex-husband--though the divorce was not his idea. Colbert is sick of Carey's gambling and he shows no sign of changing. As for the son-in-law (a very young Robert Wagner), he's sick of living with his in-law and it's all his wife's idea. The wife (Barbara Bates) is very, very lazy and likes that her mother takes care of her and the baby--and she also holds out hopes that her parents could reunite. But Wagner is against it--and would LOVE to see Colbert marry her rich old sweetheart (Zachary Scott) as they'd undoubtedly leave to live in his mansion--and Wagner and his wife could FINALLY be alone. Much of the film consists of Colbert being wooed by Scott and Carey trying to win her back.The basic story idea is good, but the execution left quite a bit to be desired. The problem was in the characters. With the possible exception of Colbert, the rest were all very, very difficult to like! The daughter (Bates) in particular was awful and very one-dimensional--and nothing like a real human being. To call her annoying is a definite understatement and I was looking for Wagner's character to rap her in the mouth (and I usually am strongly against spousal abuse...but I'll make an exception here). Wagner is a bit selfish and hard to like--plus he needed to show some backbone. As for Carey, he WAS a gambling addict and SHOULD have been divorced! Yest, by the end of the film, he hasn't changed one bit...yet he DOES win his wife back despite this! Finally, the film is predictable and hasn't got a decent payoff.By the way, in another case of deliberately dishonest marketing, Marilyn Monroe is on the DVD case and all recent advertising. However, she's barely in the film at all---and if you're not paying attention you might not even notice her!!