User reviews

"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.

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!

Jane Wyman is beautiful and her wardrobe wonderful. Ray Milland seems out of place in this comedy - and I don't know who provides his singing voice. From the opening scene if you are a Cary Grant fan you will recognize it as the plot of "The Awful Truth", and the awful truth is - except for being in color and Ms. Wyman's clothes this remake falls sadly short of the chemistry and snap of the original. Aldo Ray played his best role in Pat and Mike and the casting director should have considered his accent before trying to make him out to be a back-woods boy. When music and dance are added to a plot to try to beef it up in some way it should serve as a red flag for viewer to beware.

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

Jane Wyman and Ray Milland star in this breezy musical comedy remake of the Cary Grant and Irene Dunne film, The Awful Truth. When Ray Milland tells his wife, he's going out of town, he's really playing the drums in dives all around town and jamming all night. But when he comes home early one morning (supposedly from Chicago) he finds her not there to greet him. She took the opportunity to teach him a lesson by going out and staying all night with a guy who has plans of his own. When she tells him the car broke down and they stayed at the Shady Nook motel in Feathersville, he doesn't buy it and suspects dilly-dallying. When the argument ensued and the trust was doubted, a divorce was settled on to end the marriage. Doesn't sound like a comedy, does it? Well, there are some songs, too, and Jane really puts on a show, while doing it. Even if her voice was dubbed, she was pretty convincing. I admit it's no classic like the original, but I enjoyed it and had some good belly laughs with its silliness towards the end. It seems a bit uneven with meandering here and there, but ultimately I think you will like its modest attempt of updating The Awful Truth with music.

I doubt that anyone at Columbia would ever admit to having authorized this mess. Neither Technicolor nor outlandish dresses, not even Dick Haymes singing (off camera) can rescue a terminally silly plot starring admittedly attractive people who can, unfortunately, neither sing nor dance.

The 1953 one, although I was actually looking forward to seeing the one with sydney poitier! This one has jane wyman, ray milland in a musical bit. Gary stuart is a womanizer, and wife constance has had enough! She decides to have an affair to try to make him jealous. But when they call each other's bluff, suddently, they are on the road to divorce. And making some show. Somewhere. A familiar face leon ames is in here as gary's brother chet. Aldo ray and his raspy voice. Not a lot of chemistry between the actors.. maybe due to the subject matter. They were clearly past the film production code rules, but still years before woman's lib became a thing. It's okay. The story's theme is a little dark, i guess. Can they get past their squabbles and get back together? Directed by alex hall. He was nominated for mister jordan. Film based on the play and the films (1929 and 1937) "the awful truth", by arthur richman. Wyman had won her oscar for johnny belinda, and milland had won his for lost weekend.

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.

It's an agreeable novelty to see Jane Wyman and the young Aldo Ray dressed up to the nines in Technicolor in this otherwise ghastly fifties version with songs and sledgehammer musical cues of Arthur Richman's 1923 play (updated with jazz and references to uranium). But the initial shot of Ray Milland mugging furiously as he plays the drums at a jazz club doesn't bode well; and Milland looks understandably embarrassed throughout.

One's hopes are momentarily restored when an uncharacteristically glamorous Jane Wyman makes her first appearance poured into a sparkly Jean Louis gown with Gavin Elster on her arm; but are promptly dashed (and remain dashed) when she first bursts into song, excruciatingly followed a few minutes later by Milland!

And there's still over an hour to go; with just Valerie Bettis' exotic dancing worth staying awake for...

The only reason I'm giving this an 8 is or Ray Milland's fair representation of playing the drums in the opening sequence, I was impressed with that.. He *mostly* hit the skins at the same time the sound hit the speakers, and if he was actually playing the trap kit I would not be surprised.

As for being a musical remake of 1937's "The Awful Truth" - Well, "In the Good Old Summertime" was not a very good re-make of "The Shop Around The Corner" either, even though it has some good Judy songs in it- Or, "High. Society" for "The Philadelphia Story"- The originals of those romantic comedies were fine just the way they were, and did not need to be remade, especially the worst one of the 50's - "Bundle of Joy" (Remake of the hilarious "Bachelor Mother").

I never understood why, in the 50's, when there were so many innovations in film: Widescreen, Stereo Sound, and Comfortable Theatres... that story-wise they had to regress back to the late 30's and re-hash films that had already worked once, with performances by actors and actresses whose performances could not ever be reproduced.

Even so, there are a couple of things in this that are swell, for one thing Jane looks great and is on no lost weekend with Ray. The music is also good, the songs are actually well chosen and appropriate. Finally, Aldo Ray is almost as good as "The Hick" as Ralph Bellamy was in the original.

So after getting over my initial revulsion of having to sit through yet another musical remake, I'd say this film is OK, especially for Columbia, which seems to fork out a good movie once every 5 years (true for the 50's as well as the 2000's)- But that little bit with Ray Milland playing Drums just about makes up for anything bad about the film.

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.

Jane Wyman is stunning and has a gorgeous wardrobe in this melancholy little romantic comedy. There are some beautiful songs and one ridiculous dance number amongst the misunderstandings that lead to a couples' divorce...and possible reconciliation. Local note for me, Seattle gets mentioned several times, but snubbed by this modern artistic New York set...and that is ok by me. The movie begins with Ray Milland who plays the husband having been up all night at some club with a female singer and some friends. He has lied to his wife and been pretending that he was on a trip to Chicago, instead he was in town the whole time and this isn't the first time he has pulled off this charade. His brother is on a mad search across town to find him and get him fake luggage and a gift for his wife that was currier-ed in with a Chicago label, thus helping him maintain this lie with his wife. The wife to teach him a lesson stays out all night with a male friend and makes the story seem more sordid than it really was leading the husband in the worst double standard to file for divorce. As the poor chump from Alaska who starts dating Jane while she is separated from her husband says, I like to think of myself as modern, but I am not THAT modern! For me this is a watch and delete. The cast was great and maybe worth seeing once, but it won't be joining my extensive classic film collection.

Despite the good cast, this is not a good film. Ray Milland overacts and is unconvincing with his dubbed singing voice. He doesn't do comedy well, neither does he do Westerns well. His fake American accent is unbearable to listen to.

Jane Wyman has no rhythm when she dances and looks like a flat pancake when she sings. There is a scene where she reveals her firm thighs which looks incongruous in her slight frame. Only Tom Helmore plays a believable role.

The strong points in the film include the Technicolor, production and costume designs. It is beautiful to look at, but there is no story to maintain your attention. They are just pictures of people talking.

I love old movies. Loved the original and was pleasantly surprised by this one. Did not know I was watching a remake until a bit into the movie. The clothes were fabulous and the script was funny. I liked the songs and thought Wyman was better than Irene Dunn in her part. The 2 Rays were OK, but they were no match for Carey Grant and Ralph Belamy in the original. Good actors have a range and Wyman showed hers here. She was delightful as the sister. I think some reviewers were a little hard on this remake. It may not be as good as the original, but it was still great. No need for Ray Milland to be ashamed. Nice way for him make nice bucks. Every movie doesn't have to be a Lost Weekend or a Johnny Belinda. Folks would stop going to the movies if everything was intense. Watching this one was a great way to spend a lazy afternoon.

Based on the original, The Awful Truth, this update is so completely inferior, one has to wonder what the intent was behind remaking the comedy classic. It certainly couldn't have been to improve on it. How can you improve on perfection? And it certainly was not to present better music. Irene Dunne hit the high notes better than either Wyman or the person dubbing her voice. Plus, Wyman's just too squeaky clean looking to play the vamp. She cannot sell it! Milland is a good actor, but here cannot deliver the charm of Cary Grant.

A disappointing waste of time. Do yourself a favor and get the original.

Once I realized that Ray Milland was doing a poor imitation of Cary Grant's mugging in the original screwball comedy, "The Awful Truth," I knew why the film failed to sparkle as a comedy. Added to the comedy are some musical interludes that fall as flat as the dialog. The whole film leaves you feeling that it's a silly waste of time.

And in the central role of a woman determined to win her hubby back, Jane Wyman is dressed to kill but looks more like an uptight woman too prudish to display herself in such a lavish wardrobe. Only when she lets loose pretending to be Milland's hyperactive sister and demonstrates some of her flair for musical comedy does her performance come to life. Otherwise, you keep expecting those tears to flow.

The story may have worked in the '30s when screwball comedy was supreme and was handled with comic dexterity by a sparkling cast. But here it gets a flat reception from an uncomfortable looking Ray Milland, a miscast Wyman and an equally out-of-his-element Aldo Ray.

Summing up: A bad remake of a popular screwball comedy, it falls far short of the mark in every department--writing, acting, direction. Only Tom Helmore (the scheming husband of "Vertigo") manages to look and act as urbane and distinguished as the part demands with the proper comic flair.

A limp musical remake of one of the great screwball comedies of all time, "The Awful Truth," this film is a inadvertent valentine to Cary Grant, Irene Dunne and Ralph Bellamy, all of whom are sorely missed. And director Alexander Hall is no Leo McCarey either.

The principal actors look desperate, and flail around ineffectually. The songs are weak, but mercifully short. In order not to make Jane Wyman look bad, there are no women on screen under the age of 35. The fashions are without even historical interest, Columbia's colors are rancid, the sets are claustrophobic, the whole proceedings seem strangely depopulated and the action takes place in a vacuum.

No wonder people stayed home to watch their new-fangled televisions. This is worse than "The Opposite Sex," MGM's musicalization of "The Women." Don't bother.

In 1937, director directed a clever romantic-comedy, "The Awful Truth". It starred Cary Grand and Irene Dunne and the film was often wonderful--one of the better films of its type in the 1930s. Now, in 1953, the much less famous director Alexander Hall is given the unenviable task of doing the remake--with lesser actors in the leads and a lot of unnecessary singing and dancing tossed into the mix. Is there any possible way he could even come close to the original in quality or laughs? Well, the answer is an obvious NO--and I pretty much figured this out before the movie began. After all, the only reason to remake a movie is if the original was somehow seriously flawed and the remake corrected this. But the original was awfully good, so polished and featured amazing actors at their best--so how could Ray Milland and Jane Wyman hope to recapture the magic. Plus, the new script certainly isn't any better-in fact it's much worse (the film just didn't know when to end--and the final song by Wyman was god-awful). It seems that the one relatively minor flaw I saw in the original was still in this one...that the wife really did have reason to divorce because it's implied that the husband really WAS cheating on her. And, cheating is certainly NOT a subject that makes a film romantic. Now a misunderstanding causing the divorce, that probably would have worked better.

The bottom line is see the original and only see this remake if you are bored and there's nothing better on the television. Not a bad film--just an unnecessary one.

A reunion of the two stars of "Lost Weekend", where I preferred both of them. I thought Milland had a pleasant singing voice which came as a surprise. Wyman should Never and I mean Never have herself photographed in a profile...that nose was not made for profiles. I wondered why she got top billing in this, where she was co-starred with top billing Milland in "Lost Weekend"? Look for Jane at her young and singing best in the "Night & Day" movie with Cary Grant...albeit a small role. Warners had her signed as a young starlet and always played second banana roles to the leading ladies, or as the kooky harebrained best friend..Maybe if she started being stifled in her career..aka "Johnny Belinda" where she won a Oscar for playing a mute...a role that I thought was over hyped for her to win the Oscar.