MartinHafer
Let's just cut to the chase here..."Let's Live a Little" is a terrible film with little to recommend it. The writing is particularly bad and it's about the worst film either Hedy Lamarr or Bob Cummings appeared in during their careers.When the film begins, Duke Crawford (Cummings) is an extremely harried advertising man. He works all the time and is so busy, he's begun sounding like he's coming unhinged. And, when his latest client is a psychiatrist, she (Lamarr) is also worried he's losing his mind. He thinks they are dating...she thinks he's her latest patient..and the hilarity ensues...or should have.The humor is very forced and very unfunny. Both actors (particularly Cummings) try very hard to make bad material work...but the film just comes off as stupid and 4th rate...at best.
writers_reign
Sam Goldwyn brought Anna Sten to the United States in 1934 and in between that year and 1956 she appeared in thirteen feature films and some four or five TV shows most of which were pretty ho hum. The problem was that Goldwy's eyes were greedier than his brain, he based his assessment of her strictly on her looks, which were striking, without wondering about her command of English which was, had anyone thought to tell him, non-existent. Of the thirteen feature films only one, So Ends Our Night, was memorable and that was due to the rest of the cast rather than Sten, leaving a round dozen rather like this one, which, somewhat ironically stars another mittel European, Hedy Lamarr, who enjoyed somewhat longer in the front ranks before falling, like Sten, by the wayside. Here she plays a specialist in nervous disorders who has just published a book on the subject. Robert Cummings is a high flyer ad the Advertising Agency hired to promote the book. Cummings is being hotly pursued by Sten, an existing client of the Agency with eyes to wed Cummings. Given this you can perm any two out of three progressions and outcomes and it's no better or worse than any of the dozens of movies sharing the same plot.
wes-connors
Workaholic advertising executive Robert Cummings (as Duke Crawford) is beginning to hear silent telephones ringing and can't remember funny Mary Treen. Showering at the office, Mr. Cummings decides he doesn't like women, who insist on the handsome man's account handling. One client, seductive Anna Sten (as Michele Bennett) won't sign her company's contract because she wants to continue being courted by Cummings. He tells senior partner Harry Antrim (as James Montgomery) to dismiss Ms Sten, and is given a job promoting a self-help book - entitled "Let's Live a Little" - written by psychologist Hedy Lamarr (as J.O. Loring).When Cummings meets the lovely Ms. Lamarr, he decides women might be worth the emotional difficulties, after all. Lamarr, on the other hand, believes Cummings is a nervous mental patient, rather than a book promoter. They are attracted to each other, but romantic rivals Sten and Robert Shayne (as Richard Field) aren't going to give up easily. Cummings, who co-produced with his new company, handles surreal comedy very well. His dueling leading ladies are good, vaguely recalling Greta Garbo's last two comic roles. The intermittently clever - "Shave as You Go!" - script benefits from director Richard Wallace's work with his stars.****** Let's Live a Little (12/9/48) Richard Wallace ~ Robert Cummings, Hedy Lamarr, Anna Sten, Robert Shayne
cheeseplease
Even after three viewings, I still think this movie is terrible. Its a comedy, but I haven't laughed yet. Robert Cummings is miscast, and I keep wanting to slap this character as I wonder why in the world the casting director chose him (wouldn't Jimmy Stewart be much better?). Hedy as a psychiatrist is intriguing as a concept, but this script falls very short. As a consequence, she looks mostly flat, absurd and misplaced. Unlike a number of her other films, her beauty can't save this movie. Nevermind the fact that Hollywood was slack with boundaries in its portrayal of psychiatrists. I hope future viewers find enjoyable qualities in this movie.
AD
