Happy Go Lovely

Great Big Musical Rainbow Of Love And Laughs!

A dancer (Vera - Elllen) thumbs a ride in a limo belonging to a Scottish millionaire, leading to rumors of an affair, though they haven't met. Hoping for an investment, producers give her a lead in a show. When the millionaire (David Niven) comes to the theatre, he's mistaken for a reporter, and Vera-Ellen falls in love with him.

That, in a nutshell, is Happy Go Lovely (1951), a light musical-comedy from director H. Bruce Humberstone that plays much better than it sounds.

The picture's success is due in large part to the light directorial touch of Humberstone. A few of his other credits include Charlie Chan At The Opera (1937), Wonder Man (1945) and Ten Wanted Men (1955). Here, he gets excellent performances from Vera-Ellen, Niven, Cesar Romero and Diane Hart. Vera-Ellen had just starred in Three Little Woods. David Niven was on a roll; Soldiers Three was released the same year.

Screenwriter Val Guest is known primarily for his work with Hammer Films,The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961) and his involvement in the James Bond Quagmire Casino Royale (1967). Happy Go Lovely certainly shows his versatility.