June has always been a special month for getting married. Who can resist the usually great weather and the connection to Juno, the Roman Goddess of Marriage? What more can anyone ask for when selecting a wedding date? I got hooked on that same mindset for my first marriage as well. I wanted a huge wedding, a sit-down dinner, and dancing to a live orchestra.
My parents did not disappoint me. It was such a perfect wedding and reception that none of the 150 guests wanted to go home. My Dad had to ask the musicians to play an extra two hours. My parents and I made sure to treat the event like one of my theatre productions attending to and creating the little details that would be special and remembered. We succeeded.
To this day, some will still say “Best party ever!” I often laugh at this statement, because I know the wedding event was awesome, but the marriage…not so much. This is your cue to hire me as your wedding coordinator. I have fond recollections of my Dad sitting at his bill-paying desk sorting through the myriad of invoices from the caterer, videographer, photographer, florist, make-up artist, hairdresser, seamstress, orchestra, balloons, room decorations, tuxedoes, bridesmaid dresses, gifts for the bridal party, service staff, formal, engraved invitations, and of course, the alcohol. The piles of bills were endless. What an enormous gift my parents gave to me, my ex, and the entire community. It was their legacy to all of us.
I get a kick out of watching “wedding” movies. They always bring a smile to my face as they open up my memory box to a time long ago. The original film, FATHER OF THE BRIDE triggers me the most. How can anyone resist Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor? It was perfection.
FATHER OF THE BRIDE premiered in 1950. Though it was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture, it did not win any awards. It was however an enormous box office success taking in over four million dollars which in those days would make it a huge blockbuster hit. It took less than two months to film, and its opening coincided with one of Elizabeth Taylor’s many wedding dates. This helped the ticket sales exponentially.
What I loved about the film was how Spencer Tracy as the Dad broke the fourth wall and spoke directly to the audience. He was the narrator throughout the story and thus helped set the tone. He was a great whiner and complainer about the cost, as well as the best sentimental fool of a Dad. He had that mesmerizing look that could draw audiences to agree with his way of thinking. Pitted against the breathtaking beauty of Elizabeth was genius. He was putty in her hands. “Right, Kitten?” All she had to do was look into the camera with those violet eyes. What l happened next was the most natural love affair between her adoring fans and herself. It was as easy as breathing. She was spectacular in every sense of the word.
Casting Joan Bennett as the Mother of the bride sealed the necessary chemistry to make it all believable. She was the voice of reason, sarcasm, calmness, and positivity every marriage must possess. When Spencer grumbled about the four-hour cost of an orchestra for $85, she would merely smile, and wave her arm in the air while walking away. What a woman…what an actress! Pish posh to a mere $85, which would equate to at least $5000 today.
Vincent Minnelli (husband to Judy Garland) was the director. He convinced Tracy to do the film, as well as agree that Katharine Hepburn (Spencer’s love of his life) not portray his movie wife. Minnelli thought they were far too much of a romantic couple, and he needed more subtle stars to balance the extraordinary abilities of Tracy. These included Don Taylor, Billy Burke, Leo G. Carroll, and Russ Tamblyn.
FATHER OF THE BRIDE has been remade over the years. I do like the 1991 Steve Martin version as well, but for me, the icing on the cake will always be the original. The actors personified the emotional roller coaster ride leading up to the wedding day. It allows audiences to empathize and perhaps remember fleeting seconds from their own engagement journey. It is truly a brilliant, wedding, classic film that explores a specific period and then is over. It shares a stunning glimpse into the happy occasion while highlighting several “foot in the mouth” scenes for the comedic effect. It does not get any better than that for a rom-com, with the one exception of planning your real-life, second wedding day…smaller…simpler…cheaper…and just as lovely.
FATHER OF THE BRIDE is streaming on TCM.
