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Jupiter's Darling

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Wikipedia article




'Jupiter's Darling' is a 1955 American Eastman Color musical romance film released by MGM and directed by George Sidney filmed in CinemaScope. It starred Esther Williams as the Roman woman Amytis, Howard Keel as Hannibal, the Carthaginian military commander and George Sanders as Fabius Maximus, Amytis's fianc. In the film, Amytis helps Hannibal swim the Tiber River to take a closer look at Rome's fortifications.

The film features many historical characters, including Roman generals Fabius Maximus and Scipio Africanus who appears briefly, in addition to Hannibal. Carthaginians Mago Barca and Maharbal also appear.

'Jupiter's Darling' was based on Robert E. Sherwood's anti-war comedy play 'The Road to Rome' (1927).[https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=2&res=9A05EFDB1E3FE33BBC4052DFB466838E649EDE New York Times review]

The film was the last of three films Williams and Keel made together, the other two being 'Pagan Love Song' (1950) and 'Texas Carnival' (1951). He later said he felt it was the best picture they made together.Keel p 179 The movie was a huge financial flop and the last movie Williams made at MGM.

Cast



Production



The film was based on a 1927 play 'Road to Rome'. Film rights were bought by MGM. In May 1933 the studio announced they would make a movie from the play.PROJECTION JOTTINGS

New York Times 21 May 1933: X3.
In June the studio listed the project among their upcoming productions.M.-G.-M. TO OFFER 46 FEATURE FILMS: New York Times 26 June 1933: 10. Rights appear to have lapsed because in April 1939 MGM announced they had purchased the property again as a vehicle for Myrna Loy and Clark Gable with Joseph L Mankiewicz to produce.SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD:

By DOUGLAS W. CHURCHILL Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times (1923-Current file); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]14 Apr 1939: 28.
In May 1940 MGM announced the film would star Loy.MGM TO PRODUCE 52 FEATURE FILMS:

New York Times 20 May 1940: 18.


In January 1950, MGM announced that Charles Schnee had just completed a script for Clarence Brown to direct and that they hoped Kirk Douglas to star.Houseman Will Produce Mine Disaster Story; Gaynor Western Girl

Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 21 Sep 1950: B13.
However no film resulted.

In January 1954, MGM announced they would turn the play into a musical called 'Jupiter's Darling' starring Esther Williams and Howard Keel.Looking at Hollywood: Esther Williams Plays Role of Early Roman in New Film

Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 6 Jan 1954: a10.
MGM said because of this casting, Jane Powell was to go into 'Athena' which had been intended for Williams, Ava Gardner would replace Powell in 'Love Me or Leave Me', and Lana Turner would replace Gardner in 'My Most Intimate Friend'.MUSICAL TO STAR ESTHER WILLIAMS: Howard Keel Gets Male Lead in M-G-M 'Jupiter's Darling,' Based on Sherwood Play

By THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. 6 Jan 1954: 27.


In her memoirs, Williams said she had been on maternity leave for three months while pregnant with daughter Susan, and had assumed that she would get straight to work on the film 'Athena'. She, along with writers Leo Pogostin and Chuck Walters created the premise for 'Athena' while making 'Easy to Love', and Walters finished the script while Williams was on maternity leave. However, Athena had already begun shooting when Williams arrived back from leave, and the studio had changed the swimming sequences to dancing sequences and replaced Williams with Jane Powell. Williams was then assigned 'Jupiter's Darling'.

Howard Keel later said the studio decided to change the title from 'Road to Rome' so audiences did not think it was a "Road" picture. He suggested 'Hannibal's Darling' which led to the title of 'Jupiter's Darling'.

In February 1954, George Sanders was announced as co-star; it was said he agreed to do it because he had the chance to sing.Looking at Hollywood: Taylor May Play Swordsman, but Prefers a White Tie Role

Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 5 Feb 1954: b6.
Keel said that Sanders' singing numbers were cut out of the final film.

Marge and Gower Champion joined the cast; Howard Keel signed a new long-term contract with MGM in April.JULIE HARRIS SET IN 'EAST OF EDEN': Actress Signs With Warners for Elia Kazan Production of Steinbeck's Novel

By THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to The New York Times. 16 Apr 1954: 17.
Williams says director George Sidney delayed filming three months so the Champions could make the movie (they were doing 'Three for the Show' at Columbia), but she says the real reason was Sidney was having marital difficulties with his wife, Lillian Burns, and did not want to go home; she says this led to Sidney insisting on long shoot days and rehearsal.Williams p 264

Shooting

During shooting, Williams broke her left eardrum, which had already been broken in five other films. She was fitted with a prosthesis from latex that covered her nose and ears that prevented water from rushing in. As a result, she could barely hear, taste or smell while wearing it, and her diving had to be limited. Stunt woman Ginger Stanley was Williams' body double in some of the underwater scenes.

In one of the film's scenes, Amytis, while fleeing from Hannibal and his soldiers, rides a horse over the edges of a cliff on the Tiber River. Williams refused to do the scene, and when the studio refused to cut it, the director called in a platform diver that Williams knew, Al Lewin. The stunt took place one time; the studio got its shot, and Lewin broke his back.

Filming of a sequence in Catalina Island took place in February 1954.DIVING WITH 'JUPITER'S DARLING' By GEORGE SIDNEY New York Times 14 Nov 1954: X5. There was also filming at Silver Springs in Florida.Williams p 262

The sequence involving painted elephants was hugely expensive.HERE COME THE PAINTED PACHYDERMS: Hollywood's biggest make-up job on record was to doll up thee elephants--for a scene that lasts just 30 seconds

Berg, Louis. Los Angeles Times 12 Sep 1954: K10.


It was the only Esther Williams musical at MGM to lose money. Dorothy Kingsley, who wrote the script, later said she wanted to do a musical version of 'Road to Rome':

It was a satire and, in fact, we even had Hannibal's elephants painted pastel colorsorange and green. Dore [Schary, head of MGM] was always against it, I must say. He was worried about doing satire and I have to agree with him: there were some wonderful visual things in it, even an elephant dance, but the satire didn't work. We took it out to a preview and I was sitting behind people in the front rows who took it seriously. It wasn't until halfway through the picture that someone in front said, "Oh, it's a satire." That's the only flop I had, I think.


Editor Ralph Winters called the movie "a real dog. I was stuck on this turkey for six months but the people who made the picture really were darling."

Release



The film's world premiere was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=80023 TCM listing for 'Jupiter's Darling'] The cast, including a 350-pound baby elephant named Jupiter's Darling, embarked on a tour of nine U.S. cities.

Critical reception

A 1955 'New York Times' review of the film claimed that "Esther Williams must be getting bored with water. She goes swimming only three times in M-G-M's "Jupiter's Darling," which came yesterday to the Music Hall, and two of these times are forced upon her. She dunks only once for fun. And that, we might note, is the most attractive and buoyant thing in the film. It comes when Miss Williams, cast rashly as the fiance of Emperor Fabius Maximus of Rome, peels off her stola and tunic after a long hot day in town and goes swimming in the pool of her villa, which is fancier than any pool in Hollywood." It also stated that "Miss Williams had better get back in that water and start blowing bubbles again."

'Variety' called it "fairly entertaining though a hit and miss affair."[https://archive.org/details/variety197-1955-01-26/page/n5/mode/1up?q=darling Review of film] at Variety

Keel said he felt his performance as Hannibal was his best at MGM.Keel p 181

Box office

Box office reception was poor - according to MGM records, it made $1,493,000 in the US and Canada and $1,027,000 elsewhere resulting in a loss of $2,232,000.Scott Eyman, 'Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer', Robson, 2005 p 464

Williams was meant to follow the movie with 'Say It in French' but the film was never made.Drama: Another Swimming Role Set for Esther

Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif]26 Mar 1954: B8.


Notes



See also



* List of American films of 1955

* List of films set in ancient Rome

References



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