Athena

MGM, 1954, Color, 95 minutes, ***
Released November 1954

Unusual MGM musical extravaganza follows the romantic adventures of seven daughters of a health-conscious family who are named for heroines of Greek myth. Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Virginia Gibson, Edmund Purdom, Vic Damone and Louis Calhern star; songs include "Love Can Change the Stars," "I Never Felt Better" and "The Girl Next Door."

As far as I'm concerned, any film with Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds together is made in heaven! This one is quite unusual, and bit odd the first time around. But after watching it several times, I've come to enjoy it - primarily because of Debbie and Jane. The Martin-Blane song score is beautiful. Vic Damone sings, "The Girl Next Door," (just change the gender of Judy Garland's "The Boy Next Door" from Meet Me in St. Louis); Jane, Debbie and their sisters sing "I Never Felt Better" (great number!); and Jane sings "Vocalize," "Love Can Change the Stars," and "Chacun le sait." Two of the Brides from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Nancy Kilgas and Virginia Gibson) play sisters of Jane and Debbie.

Produced by: Joe Pasternak
Directed by: Richard Thorpe
Assistant Director: Arvid Griffen
Written by: William Ludwig and Leonard Spigelgass
Songs: Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane
Music Supervised and Conducted by: George Stoll
Orchestrations: Robert Van Eps
Vocal Supervision: Jeff Alexander
Choreography by: Valerie Bettis
Art Directors: Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis, Henry Grace
Costumes by: Helen Rose, Walter Plunkett
Hair Styles by: Sydney Guilaroff
Make-Up Created by: William Tuttle
Recording Supervisor: Wesley C. Miller
Director of Photography: Robert Planck
Photographed in Eastman Color, Print by Technicolor
Color Consultant: Alvord Eiseman
Film Editor: Gene Ruggiero

Cast:
The Sisters:
Jane Powell ... Athena
Debbie Reynolds ... Minerva
Virginia Gibson ... Niobe
Nancy Kilgas ... Aphrodite
Dolores Starr ... Calliope
Jane Fischer ... Medea
Cecile Rogers ... Ceres
and
Edmund Purdom ... Adam Calhorn Shaw
Vic Damone ... Johnny Nyle
Louis Calhern ... Grandpa Mulvain
Evelyn Varden ... Grandma Salome Mulvain
Linda Christian ... Beth Hallson
Ray Collins ... Mr. Tremaine
Carl Benton Reid ... Mr. Griswalde
Howard Wendell ... Mr. Grenville
Henry Nakamura ... Roy
Steve Reeves ("Mr. Universe" of 1950) ... Ed Perkins
Kathleen Freeman ... Miss Seely
Richard Sabre ... Bill Nichols

Music:
[0:00] Overture: Athena (played by Orchestra behind titles, short vocal by Chorus)
[0:02] The Girl Next Door (sung by Vic Damone)
[0:15] Vocalize (sung by Jane Powell)
[0:22] Imagine (sung by Vic Damone and Debbie Reynolds)
[0:38] Vocalize (sung by Jane Powell and The Mulvains)
[0:44] Imagine (sung by Vic Damone and Debbie Reynolds)
[0:46] Webson's Meat (commercial jingle on radio)
[0:49] Love Can Change the Stars (sung by Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Virginia Gibson, Nancy Kilgas, Dolores Starr, Jane Fischer and Cecile Rogers)
[0:57] I Never Felt Better (sung and danced by Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds and the Mulvains)
[1:10] Chacun Le Sait (from the opera THE DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT, sung by Jane Powell)
[1:14] Venezia (sung by Vic Damone, danced by Ensemble)
[1:30] Love Can Change the Stars (sung by Vic Damone)
[1:34] Vocalize (sung by Jane Powell and Chorus)