Moviecut—Love Has Many Faces

source: Love Has Many Faces

Love Has Many Faces

I just checked out this film and am intrigued to see that voice-dubbing was used for Jaime Bravo's handful of lines. Was Jaime's accent a little too strong for US audiences? For those of you who do not know, Jaime Bravo is the matador who is seen training the Americans in the film. An incredibly talented and exhilarating matador, his life was cut short in a February, 1970, car accident. The two most obvious vestiges of his talents are a wonderful black and white film, "Story Of A Matador", and his surviving apprentice, Eloy Cavazos, who is one of the world's current great matadors. If a viewer would like to experience an accurate, truthful account of a matador's preparation for a bullfight, then "Story Of A Matador" is an excellent resource.

Acapulco circa 1963, Hugh and beach boy hunks bearing their Eros wares, brandy swill ing Lana rocking a million dollar Edith Head wardrobe; well-directed for the genre, sensitively shot on location and smartly designed Mexico City sound stage interiors ... chips & guacamole for the senses!

As usual, another boring Lana Turner film in which Lana plays 'herself'. This film is very skimpy on story and is a total waste of time as far as I'm concerned. Even though the cinematography is beautiful, the film editing is awful and extremely choppy. Oh, and the Edith Head costumes are great, especially Lana Turner's, Cliff Robertson's and Hugh O'Brien's, if indeed you can call what O'Brien wears a costume. I don't know why Ruth Roman and Virginia Grey were even cast in this film, both talented actresses with absolutely nothing to do. Even Stephanie Powers was boring. I guess one other good thing about this film is the title....attractive!

Lana Turner, you have to admit it can make even the campiest, trashiest, movie look good. I can watch almost anything with her in it. Her costumes are over the top but she looks great in them. Ruth Roman plays a boozy broad with great one liners. One line I remember is where gigolo Hugh O'Brien says "Haven't I seen you around?" , Ruth responds with "Could be, I've been there". Not much plot but who cares, the sets are gorgeous, the campy dialogue and the entrance of a very young Stephanie Powers make it all a good old roll in the mud. I enjoy trash like this, it is far superior to the vulgar trash they make now. If a bad movie like this is memorable so many years later then it succeeded on some level. Of course there are no stars like Lana Turner anymore. Watch it for her alone.

My favorite quote: Hugh O'Brian, who plays an aging beach-boy gigolo, stands in front of a mirror in shorts patting his flat abs and saying "How long, oh Lord, how long..." Recommended for fans of lurid, tasteless, over-the-top Hollywood camp drama. The basic story involves wealthy middle-aged American women hanging out in their lavish Mexican beach houses, wearing flashy expensive clothes, and passing the time toying with the local gigolos - so why should they be miserable? All the stars are attractive, though no longer young. The story is played devastatingly straight, with many heavy emotional moments and Dramatic Revelations which will have you chuckling.