Easy to Wed

Easy to Wed is a lively Technicolor musical comedy from 1946 with romantic elements, directed by Edward Buzzell and starring the talented trio of Van Johnson, Esther Williams, and Lucille Ball. It's a remake of the 1936 film "Libeled Lady."

We open with the story of Bill Chandler (Van Johnson), a former newspaper reporter who lost his job after having a love affair with the Secretary of the company. Warren Haggerty (Keenan Wynn) appears as the newspaper's managing editor. After mistakenly running a damaging story about a wealthy heiress named Connie Allenbury (Esther Williams), Haggerty is now looking at a $2 million libel suit, which could potentially bankrupt his newspaper if he loses.

To salvage the situation, Haggerty conceives a convoluted scheme to disprove the libel charge, and for this, he needs Chandler's help. He intends to maneuver Connie into a scandalously compromising situation with Chandler so that his fiancée, Gladys Benton (Lucille Ball), can catch them in the act. Haggerty believes that if this happens, the charges will be dropped, assuming that Connie will not want to face another scandal.

For this design to work, Chandler needs to seduce Connie while being married to Gladys - a complicated arrangement, considering Haggerty and Gladys have been engaged for years without tying the knot. Gladys, forever waiting for Haggerty to commit, is initially apprehensive about marrying Chandler but reluctantly agrees to the scheme, believing that it will ultimately lead to her marriage to Haggerty.

Thus the central comedic triad is set in motion, as the tantalizing tension between Johnson, Williams, and Ball, and their awkwardly intertwined relationships, form the heart of this entertaining caper.

Van Johnson, an ultimate good guy of Hollywood's golden era, is delightful in his role as the charming but somewhat hapless Bill Chandler. He navigates his character's complex dynamics with a light touch and excellent comic timing, making Chandler likable despite his questionable ethics.

Esther Williams lends sparkle to the screen as the wealthy yet down-to-earth heiress Connie. While she doesn't have as many opportunities to show off her famed swimming skills in this movie as in some of her other films, she does get a couple of fun aquatic sequences. Williams has a vibrant on-screen presence and demonstrates a surprising knack for comedy; her sizzling chemistry with Johnson is one of the film's highlights.

Lucille Ball, unparalleled in the realm of comedic performance, brings her signature vivacious energy to the role of Gladness Benton. Despite being a secondary character in this predominantly male-designed plot, Ball's Benton is resilient, unafraid to assert herself, and brings a lot of fun to her scenes.

Overall, 'Easy to Wed' is a boisterous film filled with slapstick humor and an overall 'feel-good' vibe. It contains all the fun you expect in a classic 1940s Technicolor musical, including lively music numbers, vibrant color schemes, stylish costumes, and great dance sequences. Despite the vast web of deceit the plot spins, it's done so lightheartedly that it never becomes off-putting. Instead, it only adds to the fun as we watch the characters outwardly playing their parts while internally dealing with their conflicting feelings.

Some may argue that the film's ability to "suspend disbelief" somewhat stretches credibility due to the plot's numerous coincidences and contrivances. Still, the primary charm of 'Easy to Wed' lies in its ability to entertain, filled with constant humor and sparkling performances from the star-studded cast. Plus, it never hurts to see an old-school battle of the sexes play out on-screen.

'Easy to Wed' is a must-watch for fans of classic film comedies, musicals, and romantic antics. It takes you back to an era where movies were made for entertainment, filled with laughter, catchy tunes, and visually satisfying scenes that linger in your mind, reminding you why cinema is often referred to as the 'magic of the movies.'