The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964)
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71% of critics liked it
(7 reviews) -
71% of users liked it
(6,613 ratings)
Meredith Willson's second Broadway hit (the first and biggest was The Music Man) proved a lucrative vehicle for the equally unsinkable Debbie Reynolds. Based on a true story, the film casts Debbie as hoydenish Molly Brown, who wangles her way into Denver High Society when she marries "overnight… More Meredith Willson's second Broadway hit (the first and biggest was The Music Man) proved a lucrative vehicle for the equally unsinkable Debbie Reynolds. Based on a true story, the film casts Debbie as hoydenish Molly Brown, who wangles her way into Denver High Society when she marries "overnight millionaire" Johnny Brown (Harve Presnell). When the local social arbiters give Molly the brush-off, she pulls off a coup by bringing a representative of European royalty, Prince Louis de Laniere (Vassili Lambrinos) into the Colorado community. Her admiration for the prince causes a rift in her marriage; it takes the sinking of the Titanic--wherein Molly heroically commandeers one of the lifeboats and is responsible for rescuing several of the passengers--to bring Molly and Johnny together again. While the energetic performances of such songs as I Ain't Down Yet and Belly Up to the Bar Boys are to be cherished, the real highlight of The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a society ball which ends up in a pie fight between the Denver "elite" and Molly's rambunctious mining-town cronies. Treated condescendingly by the critics, the film struck a responsive chord with audiences to the tune of a $7.5 million gross. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- Unrated, 2 hr. 8 min.
- Directed By
- Charles Walters
- Written By
- Helen Deutsch
- Genres
- Musical & Performing Arts, Classics
- In Theaters
- Jul 11, 1964 Wide
- On DVD
- Sep 19, 2000
- Studio
- MGM Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Debbie Reynolds received her only Oscar nomination for playing the title role of this artistically mediocre but commercially popular musical comedy about the rags to riches of the Denver heroine who was also a passenger on the Titanic.
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Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International
Razzle-dazzle biopic kept afloat by a determined Reynolds.
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Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
There's a reason why Charles Walters' musicals are less remembered than Stanley Donen's.
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Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum
The movie sinks like the Titanic.
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James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
"Beware: The high spirits are contagious"
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Cast
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Debbie Reynoldsas Molly Brown -
Harve Presnellas Johnny Brown -
Ed Begley Sr.as Shamus Tobin
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Jack Kruschenas Christmas Morgan -
Hermione Baddeleyas Mrs. Grogan -
Martita Huntas Grand Duchess Elise Lupovinova
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