The Groom Wore Spurs is a 1951 American comedy film directed by Richard Whorf and starring Ginger Rogers and Jack Carson. The film was distributed by Universal Pictures and is based on the novel Legal Bride by Robert Carson.
At his home in California, heartthrob and movie cowboy Ben Castle explains to his new lawyer Abigail Furnival that he owes gangster Harry Kallen $60,000 in gambling fees. Ben, attracted by Abigail’s intelligence and beauty, asks her to accompany him to Las Vegas to consult with Kallen. In Las Vegas, Abigail is so smitten with Ben that she fails to realize that he is neither as competent nor as virtuous as he appears in his films. While waiting for Kallen, they dance and kiss in the moonlight. When Ben asks her to marry him, Abigail immediately agrees. They marry that night and afterward meet with Kallen, who tells Abigail that he is in debt to her father, a famous lawyer, and that he will drop the debt as a wedding gift. When Ben’s friend, pilot Steve Hall, hears this, he accuses Ben of marrying Abigail only to pay off his debts. Abigail realizes that Steve is right and returns home, where her fiery roommate Alice Dean convinces her to fight for Ben and make a real man out of him.
The next morning, Abigail returns to Ben’s house and takes charge. After waking him from his stupor and firing his lazy housekeeper, she poses with Ben for the studio’s press photographers. When they are persuaded to kiss on camera, they can’t stop. That evening, Ben plans to entertain Abigail with one of his movie songs, but she realizes that he is lip-syncing and can’t actually hold a note. She becomes increasingly disillusioned, especially after his loud, flirtatious friends come to visit. The next day, Ben takes Abigail to studio boss JN Birgin to renegotiate his contract. Although Birgin is cunning and intimidating, Abigail manages to negotiate an improved contract for Ben and obtain a $60,000 advance. She then tells Ben that she is leaving him because she has done all she could for him.
Even when Steve stalks her days later, Abigail continues to have a crush on Ben. At the same time, Ben takes the $60,000 to Kallen and admits that he misses Abigail. Just as he turns to leave, an intruder shoots Kallen and runs away. Ben is caught at Kallen’s body and charged with murder. He insists that Abigail take his case. She convinces the police chief to give them a chance to identify the real killer. Thanks to her clever detective skills and her father’s old contacts, they track the murderer Tony Lomac to a plane about to take off for Mexico. Steve helps them stop the pilot and they jump into the plane. When Lomac recognizes Ben, he attacks. Abigail pilots the plane and makes a crash landing, after which they chase Lomac into a hangar. Ben is able to disarm Lomac using a rope trick he learned in his movies. After Lomac is captured, Abigail kisses Ben while reporters excitedly take photos.
The film was shot from early July to late August 1950 at the Motion Picture Center Studios in Hollywood, the Republic Studios in North Hollywood and the Universal Studios in Universal City.
Perry Ferguson was the artistic director. Julia Heron was in charge of production design. The sound engineers were Victor B. Appel and Mac Dalgleish. Robert Justman worked as production assistant.
It was the last film role for Stanley Ridges, who died on April 22, 1951.
The following songs were played in the film:
- No More Wanderin’ Around by Leon Pober and Emil Newman
- The Groom Wore Spurscomposer unknown
The film premiered on March 13, 1951 in New York. It was released in Austria on March 16, 1952.
The film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes found an audience score of 20 percent positive reviews.[1]
Bosley Crowther from the The New York Times lamented Ginger Rogers, who had to struggle with a task in a completely lackluster play that would make any actress look like a fool. And the kind of task that has made many lesser actresses and audience members wince in pain.[2]
- ↑ The Groom Wore Spurs. In: Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 12, 2024 (English).
- ↑ The Screen in Review. In: New York Times. March 14, 1951, accessed August 12, 2024 (English).
