MovieChat Forums > Bundle of Joy (1956) Discussion > BAD.

BAD.

posted 18 years ago by Registered_User
15 replies | jump to latest

Eddie Fischer was simply bad. Possibly the worst scene was early in the movie when he broke into a spontaneous song and dance number centered around a piano and some conveniently placed employees. The song was totally stupid... I think I could drunkenly offer a few lines on a sheet of paper that would far exceed it and probably win a Grammy. Then, as if the writers could come up with no better way to escape the ridiculousness of the scene, Fischer says something to the effect of, "Don't tell (insert the guy's name). He doesn't like music" and smiles. I can't describe how bad this is, I felt a little embarrassed. And that guy Debbie Reynolds works with and who's always hitting on her is so annoying too. I can't even imagine someone like her wasting a fraction of time on him. The jokes were delivered without any sort of chemistry between characters which made the movie craaaawl by. Reynolds was the only real bright spot.

"Bachelor Mother" is billions of times better.

A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.

[–] rdsla 17 years ago

I just read Eddie Fisher's book "Been There, Done That."
He says this movie was terrible.
I am wondering why some people like it.

[–] preppy-3 16 years ago

My mom loves it BUT she saw it back in 1956 when Reynolds and Fisher were THE Hollywood couple. My guess is a lot of people who love it saw it way back then and have fond memories. And Eddie Fisher's acting was just horrible beyond belief! It's no wonder he hated this movie.

[–] HoferPM-1 16 years ago

Awwww, I didn't think it was that bad ! Eddie's acting was no worse than a lot of young actors in those days. I thought he looked good and sounded great. It was his voice not his acting that he was famous for. Once he left Debbie and started with Liz Taylor his career was finished.

[–] preppy-3 16 years ago

Fisher and Reynolds both LOOKED great, Reynolds gave a good performance (despite the script) and they both sang great...but I still think Fisher was dreadful. He improved (a little) years later when he did that cameo in "Butterfield 8" with Taylor. And yeah--his starting up with Taylor pretty much ended his career.

[–] generalusgrant 13 years ago

I understand people loving this movie if they associate some sentimental memory to it, like seeing it originally in 1956, when they were kids.

But watching it now is painful. Eddie Fisher is almost ludicrously and impossibly bad. After reading his two egoncentic books (that a loser!) it's amazing he bedded as many thousands of women as he claimed he did. He was ugly, untalented and almost repulsive in all areas. On film, he is terrible. Not as bad as Troy Donahue, but almost!

[–] preppy-3 13 years ago

I disagree slightly about Fisher. Yes he WAS a loser (I read one of his books) but ugly and untalented? Hardly. He was a good-looking man and I thought he was a very good singer. However he couldn't act at all! As for not being as bad as Donahue I disagree. He was WORSE! Donahue managed occasionally to show an emotion or two but Fisher was totally incapable of even that.

BTW--this "movie" was just on TCM (for Mothers Day I guess) and I tuned in briefly to see if it was as bad as I remembered it being. Yup--it was!:)

[–] bgefri 13 years ago

Wow....this is a tough crowd. I also saw this movie when it was released in the theaters. I was about 9 at the time and I loved it. I remember watching it on TV when the Million Dollar Movie aired it, some years later. I hadn't seen it im over 45 years and watched it when it aired recently and I still love it. It was a cute escape from reality. A struggling sales clerk end up the wife of the store owner. It's just a feel good movie, no deep message. The music and songs were (in my opinion) good. Today's public is always looking for realism, not simply entertainment.

[–] preppy-3 13 years ago

Hell--I'll take entertainment over realism any day but I found this movie was too syrupy and Fisher's acting was truly horrendous. Reynolds was so nauseatingly sweet, cute and innocent that I wanted to hit her!

[–] shadowsndust284 13 years ago

Everyone should disregard this post. I know it's getting far too worked up over nothing, but I can't help it. I have to yell at something, even an empty void.

I know movies are fiction, and usually I'm fine letting their idiosyncrasies pass me by, but I can't stand scenes where there is a miscommunication between two parties that could have been easily resolved if one could get a word in edge-wise.

That happens in this movie, but it is a similar situation that really got to me. When Reynolds keeps claiming that the baby isn't hers, and the Foundling people refuse to believe her and force her to keep it, I got literally hopping mad. I don't care what happens in the rest of the movie. I had to walk out of the room my sister was watching it in because that part drove me nuts. If Reynolds actually was lying and really, really didn't want her baby, why on earth would the Foundling people want her to raise it? I understand that being an orphan can't be much fun (understatement), but how is that worse than being raised by a mother who doesn't want you? Those idiots were lucky they were wrong, because children pick up on that very easily and it can be very damaging.

I know, it was the forties. Different perspective, standards, opinions, etc. Don't bother telling me how silly I'm being, I already know. Just had to get that off my chest.

[–] schwapj 11 years ago

<<<I know movies are fiction, and usually I'm fine letting their idiosyncrasies pass me by, but I can't stand scenes where there is a miscommunication between two parties that could have been easily resolved if one could get a word in edge-wise. >>>

Wow, you've just knocked out about half of Cary Grant's movies and every episode of "Frasier".

[–] DukeTogo1300 12 years ago

All the musical numbers felt off, and Bachelor Mother was by far the better film.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] schwapj 11 years ago

I don't disagree with the comments about Eddie Fischer. However, Debbie Reynolds was so utterly adorable in this movie that I can forgive all of its other shortcomings. It's the same reason any movie with Natalie Portman has a chance, whether her acting is any good or not.

[–] don-lockwood 11 years ago

I have it on right now and have only been watching it for a half hour. Is it that bad? When I turned it on, they were singing and then they were separated on New Year's Eve. That part was cute, and they had sincere chemistry. I haven't really heard the music, though, and now the complications with the baby are starting to get dumb and dumber. Eddie Fisher isn't very charismatic, but I don't think he's awful in this at all. Of course, it helps that they were together in real life and that this was (partly) a musical, after all.

[–] addison3 10 years ago

You should sing so bad! Whatever Eddie other faults were. I thought this movie was great. What's wrong with a little '50's escapism. Eddie had a beautiful voice. Thought he was great in this movie. Love seeing it every year.