Let's be realistic.

Excellent, a Must See

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

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!

That Wonderful Urge turned out to be Tyrone Power's last film in the comedy vein. It's a pity that Darryl Zanuck couldn't waste a little money on an original story.If you think you've seen this film before with Power, you have. This is a remake of his film Love Is News that he did with Loretta Young back in 1936. Back then films about ditzy heiresses that the Depression era public could laugh it were in vogue. In 1948 this was very old fashioned.Still it's quite humorous as heiress Gene Tierney who is sick tired of all the bad publicity she gets, especially from Power who seems to be making a career of writing about her foibles, turns the tables on him. Tierney announces to one and all that she's engaged to be married to none other than reporter Power. Now he becomes paparazzi fodder and the tables get turned. Power's not without resources and he finds ways to make the pretend marriage both work and be annoying to Tierney. But I don't think I have to tell you where this will all end.As I said in the review of Love Is News, our fascination with heiresses from Barbara Hutton to Paris Hilton seems endless. But it all gets a bit hollow because if Tierney didn't want publicity, believe me she wouldn't get it. There are a lot of rich people out there whose lives never become tabloid stories.Still it's amusing and in the supporting cast judges Chill Wills and Gene Lockhart come out the best. In fact Lockhart seems to be continuing his role as a judge from that other 20th Century Fox classic, Miracle on 34th Street.That Wonderful Urge is a dated comedy that today's audiences will still get laughs from. We do love our ditzy heiresses.

Tyrone Power made light comedies in the mid to late 1930s when he was first establishing himself at Twentieth Century Fox. In fact, he made this exact light comedy in 1937, then called "Love is News." The story concerns an heiress who, to get back at a reporter and show him what it's like to be the subject of headlines, claims they're married. This tired romp was fresher back then and much, much more entertaining in the hands of Power, Loretta Young, and Don Ameche. What a blow this must have been for Power, to make "The Razor's Edge," his personal favorite, "Nightmare Alley," and "Captain from Castile," and then be forced into this by the studio. It's no wonder he turned to the stage and then formed his own film production company.Power is paired with his leading lady from happier productions, the luminous Gene Tierney ("Son of Fury" and "The Razor's Edge"). Unfortunately, she plays the role of the heiress in such a coy and put-on manner that it's hard to tell when the character is being sincere, as she delivers her lines in the same way on both occasions, and always with an icy smile. Power does his best - he plays the role realistically, with no mugging or attempts at forced humor, but alas, the material isn't very good. These two wonderful stars can be seen to better advantage in earlier and later films.

Using the same plot as MGM's LIBLED LADY and EASY TO WED [aggrieved heiress vs. undercover reporter], Fox tried to resuscitate the romantic screwball comedy. However, aside from a few stray witty lines, nothing seems to work: not the comic business that Tyrone Power adeptly performs, not the Katharine Hepburn accent essayed by Gene Tierney, and certainly not scenes like the jailhouse exchange of bedbugs [what were they thinking?] Power and Tierney supply ample star power, and all the cast members are perfectly competent, but the whole enterprise resists laughter. Perhaps it's the brief but awful organ music in the score.