Elizabeth Taylor in "Father Of The Bride" (1950)

Elizabeth Taylor in "Father of the Bride" (image from JSR Pages)

REVIEW:
Major changes occured in Elizabeth Taylor' life on and off the screen in 1950. Two days before the premiere of "Father Of The Bride", her real wedding took place, the first marriage of Elizabeth Taylor, to Hilton's heir, Nicky Hilton (the brother of Paris Hilton's grandfather). Over 3,000 fans attended the religious ceremony, along with Hollywood stars such as: Mickey Rooney, Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, Joan Bennett, Gene Kelly, Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson, Esther Williams, Greer Garson, Roddy McDowall etc. The two events, the real wedding and the movie wedding, were widely publicized, making "Father Of The Bride" the highest grossing film of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1950. This film reinforced the position of Elizabeth Taylor as the most important actress of the younger generation. Her marriage with Nicky Hilton will only last 205 days. But her movie marriage from "Father Of The Bride" has passed the test of time and the film remained until today as one of the best comedies of the American classic cinema.

"Father Of The Bride" is a top film of the 50's, a huge box-office success! A classic comedy, unmatched until now.

FILM TITLE
"FATHER OF THE BRIDE" (U.S.A./M.G.M./1950)

PROMO
You are invited to a memorable wedding! The bride receives the thrills and the father gets the bills! (M.G.M.)

OVERVIEW
Three months after the wedding of his daughter Kay (Elizabeth Taylor), Stanley Banks (Spencer Tracy) - a successful lawyer - reminds the adventures that went on that occasion. On a typical evening meal, Kay suddenly announces his parents that she will marry! From now on a carousel of comical situations begins: the meeting with the future son-in-law, the rivalries between both families, the wedding preparations, the number of invitations and so on. Both Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor give sensational performances and the box-office success of the film led M.G.M. to immediately prepare a sequel with the same cast.

CAST
Spencer Tracy (Stanley Banks), Joan Bennett (Ellie Banks), Elizabeth Taylor (Kay Banks), Don Taylor (Buckley Dunston).
DIRECTED BY
Vincente Minnelli.
SCREENPLAY
Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, adapted after Edward Streeter's novel.
PRODUCED BY
Pandro S. Berman.
DURATION92 minutes.
GENRE
comedy.
PRODUCTION DATES
between January-February 1950.
RELEASED
June 1950.

NOMINATED at
- Oscar for Best Actor (Spencer Tracy), Oscar for Best Picture, Oscar for Best Screenplay.

TRIVIA
- once again, Elizabeth Taylor's private life as well as her professional life join up to almost perfect identity;
- M.G.M. produced the follow-up: "Father's Little Dividend", with the same cast and crew and was also planning to produce yet another two or three films, a true saga of the Banks family. Unfortunately, Joan Bennett (Elizabeth Taylor's movie mother) was caught by her husband, the famous producer Walter Wanger, with another man. The husband shot the lover and spent a few years in prison, but Joan Bennett was fired by M.G.M. and never again found work in Hollywood. The paradox is that Walter Wanger, a few years after leaving prison, was to become the producer of the most expensive film ever made: "Cleopatra" with Elizabeth Taylor!
- in the 90's, Hollywood produced a remake with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton;
- the director Vincente Minnelli was Judy Garland's husband and the father of Liza Minnelli;
- a great friendship and mutual respect developed between the veteran Spencer Tracy and his young partner Elizabeth Taylor.

Watch TRAILER here.