Highly Overrated But Still Good

A Disappointing Continuation

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Three Guys Named Mike is a pleasant and amusing comedy about an airline stewardess who gets romanced by Three Guys Named Mike. Jane Wyman is the stewardess and she sparkles as usual. The three guys she has to choose from are Van Johnson: research scientist, Howard Keel pilot: and Barry Sullivan advertising executive.The story is based on the real life experiences of American Airlines stewardess Ethel Welles who told them to none other than C.R. Smith the charismatic president of American Airlines. He commissioned a story and then a screenplay.The resemblances and that's a kind word to RKO's Tom, Dick, and Harry are unmistakable. But in terms of quality of production look at these two films back to back and check the production values from and RKO film to an MGM film. But Jane and her guys do their usual performances and are fine in the parts.Howard Keel in his memoir says that in his first screen fight he got a little over enthused and gave Barry Sullivan a mouse over his eye. Keel was not left unbruised either. Neither of these guys were schooled in how to pull punches.One thing that surprised me about Three Guys Named Mike was the lack of a nomination for musical score since the instrumental version of it is entitled Confetti. Many orchestras recorded it in the early fifties and the theme was repeated in many MGM productions.Three Guys Named Mike holds up well today because the problems of the stewardesses flying today's 747s versus the DC-3s you see here are the same. This film could use a remake, I could see Reese Witherspoon as the one trying to choose between Three Guys Named Mike.

Noticeable cast—Mrs. Wyman is the stewardess, Howard Keel is the 1st Mike, Van Johnson is the 2nd Mike, a certain Barry Sullivan, who resembles a fellow who played vampires in the '70s, Langella, is the 3rd Mike ;a bright stewardess meets three guys—one's an airline pilot who takes a rather noble view of his job, 'the whole world to fly around', dazzlingly tourism—bent (that's the future husband of Miss Ellie from DALLAS—Keel—perhaps even less likable as a dynamic youngster, without that contemplative bonhomie given by age); one's a scientist who studies Bioluminescence and looks like a poster—boy (Johnson, you've already guessed); one's a businessman who works in the advertising and might be the creepiest of the trio.This Jane Wyman comedy is not so much unfunny (because there are occasionally things which could make one laugh if in a movie theater), as it is uninspired and unlikable, a bit stale, if you take my meaning; and another thing—the settings bizarrely leave the impression of a rarefied world, as if the action takes place in a depopulated society, as if they barely gathered a few people for the stage. Other than that now, Mrs. Wyman plays a self—confident stewardess taking the first steps in the job, the movie would of required that conventional '50s hedonism of the sex comedies. Maybe more Mikes would of fueled the script up? The male stars, Van Johnson and Keel, are perhaps a bit better as comedians than Mrs. Wyman; but then again, the script is so lifeless ….It occurred to me that our Spader resembles Johnson—well, if added a bit of perfidiousness and malice to that missionary blandness ….It takes long to establish the basic comical situation, that a girl meets three men named Mike—Van Johnson enters after a ½ an hour; the too short scene, of a quiet and mild poetry, where he shows the stars (Ursa Major, Casiopeea) to the girl and the stewardess is touching—as are generally the people taking an interest in the stars.

Jane Wyman is great as Marcy Lewis, an ambitious flight stewardess, in the golden era of flying, where flight attendants and flight crew were somewhat celebrity. Those days are gone obviously. Most people fly the friendly or unfriendly skies. The film shows Marcy, a young woman from Ohio, with aspirations to become one of the best flight attendants anywhere. During her fabulous career, she is courted by three men who all happen to be called Mike. There is Captain Mike Denison, the pilot who she offends as he offers her a lift to the airport on her first day. Then there is Mike Tracy, the science scholar and bartender, and Mike Lawrence, the advertising executive. They are played by some of Hollywood's leading men like Van Johnson. The supporting cast is equally impressive with Phyllis Kirk. It's a good film despite the fact that it's outdated by decades. Of course, there is one scene where Marcy is constantly sexually harassed by two male passengers aboard the flight.

Honestly, there was no way I couldn't like this movie. As soon as I started watching it, I was hooked. Naturally, it was cheesy and unrealistic (IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE AND YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHICH MIKE SHE PICKS, DON'T READ ON!). Look, I wasn't expecting a surprise ending. Van Johnson was the first of the "Mikes" in the credits, so naturally my money was on him. I was just hoping for a better explanation of why he got the girl. He didn't do anything the other two Mikes didn't do. Through out the entire movie, Jane Wyman never even showed any favoritism toward him. I hate to say it, but this was an obvious case of "the biggest star" gets the girl. But don't get me wrong. I just think that with a little bit of better writing, they could have pulled it off better. But don't think this movie wasn't worth watching. I loved it!Personally, I would have picked Howard Keel =P