BUNDLE OF JOY

US, 1956, 98 minutes, Colour.
Debbie Reynolds, Eddie Fisher, Adolphe Menjou, Melville Cooper, Tommy Noonan, Nita Talbot, Una Merkel.
Directed by Norman Taurog.

Bundle of Joy is a musical comedy remake of Garson Kanin's 1939 Bachelor Mother (with Ginger Rogers and David Niven). This is a vehicle for Debbie Reynolds and her then husband, singer Eddie Fisher. Debbie Reynolds has a pert and pleasant personality. Fisher has the charm of the crooner ? and it is surprising that he had so few film roles (an exception being Butterfield 8 with Elizabeth Taylor whom he married). Adolphe Menjou enjoys himself as the businessman-grandfather. Tommy Noonan does his perennial other man with the slow-witted arrogance. The film is directed by Norman Taurog who directed vehicles for many musical comedy stars from Deanna Durbin to Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney to Elvis Presley.

1. A pleasant romantic comedy? Plausibility? Remake of a 1930s comedy?

2. Colour, the store, houses? The atmosphere of the city? The songs? Eddie Fisher and his reputation? Style? Debbie Reynolds? Singing and acting together?

3. The title and the focus on Johnny? The baby and its charms? A pleasant and believable baby?

4. Polly and her work in the store, ambitions, Freddie and his attentions, her girlfriend? The floor manager and his trying to curb her? The sack? Getting a job? Finding the baby? Everybody's presumptions? Her telling the truth? Growing attached to Johnny? Caring for him? Dan's interventions? Her work, the raises? The lady downstairs helping? Falling in love? The night out on the town - songs and dances, comedy? Mr. Merlin's suspicions? The happy resolution?

5. Dan and his father, work in the store, songs, attraction towards Polly, suspicions about the baby, helping out, reading the guide books, the mistakes, outings and clashes, falling in love, the happy resolution after the plan with Freddy?

6. Freddy and his work at the store, pomposity, his getting a promotion, overdoing it, his note, pretending to be the father?

7. J. P. Merlin and his work at the store, the tycoon, arrogance, attitudes towards his son, towards business? His reading the note? Loving the baby? Misunderstandings? The happy ending and his wheeling the pram?

8. A pleasant concoction about babies, motherhood, parenthood, marriage? '50s style?