User reviews

I hate this expression, because I dont categorize film by gender, etc. a good movie is a good movie thats it However, it is appropriate to use in this case.... A very good film never heard of/ once again, Thank You TCM.... another sleepless night... I got hooked immediately. Dorothy McGuire was such a special actress, always good !! beautiful and elegant, this film was geared for her special talents..Beautiful MGM production, with excellent cast, Van Johnson as the husband, who must eventually proove his love; Ruth Roman, in a very "bitchy" role,, as the "other woman", with a twist,, she plays this role extremely well also; and Louis Calhern as the very rich aristocratic overloving father. Good cast / good storyline/ started at 2AM in my area, could not get back to sleep, and my VCR was not on.. Glad I watched... Dorothy McGuire was a treasure!!

This glossy MGM film bears traces of DARK VICTORY, with Dorothy McGuire suddenly finding out about her impending doom and that her marriage is a sham--a convenience arranged by her loving father and a man who always had a soft spot for her, Van Johnson. To her credit, McGuire plays the role with great simplicity and sincerity, especially moving once she finds out what's really going on around her. Her quiet reaction to what Van Johnson reveals (in a long monologue) is one of the finest aspects of her overall performance. Her face reflects so many shaded nuances of expression as she tries to understand the truth.

But sadly, the script never lives up to its promise. Despite some fine acting by Louis Calhern as her father and Ruth Roman as a vindictive woman who has been cast aside by Johnson, none of it is told in a compelling enough format. It's as though Ladies Home Journal had a hand in selecting the impeccable furniture and set designs. Gottfried Reinhardt's heavy direction seems incapable of infusing the story with a real sense of life.

It's no help that there's little real chemistry between Dorothy McGuire and Van Johnson. He gives a decent performance but it's as though his heart isn't in the role--there's not much he can do with it. Despite his limitations, McGuire commands the screen with an incisive portrayal and has seldom looked lovelier even though she is supposed to have barely a year to live. Ruth Roman is quite convincing as "the other woman" in Van's life.

An asset is the haunting theme, "Invitation," which could have been used more forcefully for the final thirty minutes of exposition.

The soaper's better than it had any right to be. A plain looking single woman (McGuire) has a heart condition and only a year to live. Her wealthy father (Calhern) wants to inject some happiness into her remaining year, so he bribes handsome Dan (Johnson) to marry her. Trouble is this leaves cold-hearted Maud (Roman) minus her heart's desire, Dan. Thus she plots revenge.

A plain girl with a year to live!—sure it's a tear-jerker but done intelligently without rubbing our nose in it. Ellen's had a difficult time holding onto self- respect after years of romantic rejection. Her sense of dignity has somewhat hardened, making her more sympathetic than likable. It's a difficult role, similar to DeHaviland's in The Heiress (1949). Fortunately, winning actress McGuire rivets interest in the woman's plight despite an unsmiling demeanor. At the same time, Johnson's boyish charm hits the right notes, though the production fudges on showing Dan's grasping side. To me, that's the movie's biggest flaw, though given the script's general direction, probably understandable. On the other hand, credit MGM's production crew with first-rate craftsmanship in putting the elements together in tasteful fashion. Good also to see such supporting players as Ray Collins and Louis Calhern adding their brand of plausibility to the results. And credit someone—writers, producer?—with avoiding a clichéd ending.

No, there's nothing memorable here. But considering the many excesses a movie like this is subject to, the results amount to an affecting exercise in sheer Hollywood professionalism.

The high rating is due to the cast. Van Johnson is really underrated, as is Ruth Roman. Both of them, especially in later roles, displayed a great deal of talent that was underutilized by Hollywood.

However, the true standout here is the radiant Dorothy McGuire--playing a "plain" girl. Plain? Even with a bag over her head, Miss McGuire could never be plain. In addition to her consummate and versatile acting ability, she can be summed up in four words--THAT FACE, THAT VOICE. She is one of the truly greats who can never be replicated.

The lovely score by Bronislau Kaper adds to the enjoyment of the movie; the title song, "Invitation," has become a standard. (Percy Faith recorded it memorably on one of his many albums.)

It is a comment on Hollywood and the current audiences that this film--essentially a woman's picture--is graced with such literate dialog and fine acting that is not often seen today.

I'll admit it - it's taken me a long time to write a review for this movie, because Dorothy McGuire was my favorite actress and since she passed away last year I've had trouble watching this, my favorite movie of hers.

"Invitation" is truly a film unlike any other. Dorothy McGuire is so beautiful (although the department did their best to make her look plain for the part), and she captures the passion of this role completely. Dorothy plays Ellen, who discovers something that makes everything she knows seem like a fraud. She realizes she has to question her whole life, her family, and her husband's loyalty. I don't want to give anything away, because it's meant for you to go on the same journey as Ellen. Dorothy is simply heart-breaking, and in my opinion it was the performance of a lifetime.

The supporting cast is superb, most notably Van Johnson and Ruth Roman, but this movie really belongs to Dorothy. She carries the whole film on her shoulders, and never falters once. It's a very emotional film, and I am still saddened when I think of her loss. She was an actress I always had a great respect for, and always hoped to meet. But, as she herself says at the end of the film, "There is something much more important than keeping alive, and that is knowing that you have lived."

The plot to "Invitation" is very odd to say the least and it's really a one of a kind picture. A woman (Dorothy McGuire) has learned a couple important things that folks she loved failed to mention to her: doctors expect her to be dead within a year due to her heart condition and thta her husband was paid by her father to marry her! How is the husband (Van Johnson) going to deal with all this?!

The plot was weird, confusing and hard to believe. I did, however, love Johnson't monologue with his wife late in the film...it was very sweet. A money-losing picture that isn't as bad as you might assume.

Wealthy businessman's daughter, who as a young girl caught rheumatic fever and now suffers from a shortness of breath, discovers her marriage to a charming ne'er-do-well was arranged by daddy (whom she affectionately refers to as "Darling"); worse than that, she may in fact have only a few weeks left to live, leaving her husband free to marry her conniving romantic-rival. Pure bunk. Paul Osborn's screenplay (via Jerome Weidman's thin story) trots out the redundant flashbacks in the second-half instead of proceeding ahead with the plot, which submerges the already-soapy scenario in grim talk. Why go backwards when we can figure out what's happening for ourselves? This is a "woman's weeper" with no faith in its target audience, so simplistic is the set-up. Dorothy McGuire, swathed in furs for most of the picture, isn't a canny, clever heroine at all; when she's upset, she turns inward and stony. Upon realizing her marriage is basically a sham, she shrinks away from her husband like the consummate virgin (well, that's a possibility, she and Van Johnson sleep in separate beds after all!). Ruth Roman has the film's best moments as a society shark with her trap set for Van, but what exactly do these women see in him? Johnson can be charming when it's required, but put him in a melodramatic setting and he goes stony, too. MGM production values only so-so, however director Gottfried Reinhardt tries adding some visual flavor to the flashback segues and he attempts a lively pacing for the movie's initial half-hour. ** from ****

Simple story. Great writing and acting. An unusual love story that keeps the viewer interested from beginning to end. If this movie were to be made today, there would be foul language, a couple affairs a business man being investigated and a doctor accused of sexual harassment. None of which would have been necessary. And all wrapped up in under 90 minutes. What a gem!!

The premise of Invitation is very interesting, and the rest of the movie doesn't disappoint. Isn't it nice when that happens? Dorothy McGuire, a classic actress who shouldn't have been forgotten about by modern audiences, shines in this drama about an ill woman who doesn't know of her condition. She thinks she's perfectly healthy, and she loves her husband, Van Johnson. She enjoys planning parties and vacations and thinks he's as happy as she is. . . Until she finds a letter.

The letter was written by her father years ago, and it reminds her of how she and Van met. It was a set-up by her dad, Louis Calhern. A whirlwind courtship led to a quick marriage, but why? Was she really that irresistible? Or did her father give Van some "incentive" to make his daughter happy? I'd recommend this entertaining romance if the storyline appeals to you, or if you're a Dorothy fan. I was impressed by Van's performance, especially since I don't usually like him. For those who like classic romances that make you reach for your hankies, check out this drama.

Powerfully performed and acted by Dorothy McGuire. The plot seems like it will be simplistic, but you are in for a surprise.

Invitation is another of Hollywood's tales told from the rich man's perspective (weren't they all?) but this one has some guts to it and a solid performance by McGuire.

I never liked Dorothy McGuire as and actor, but in this film she was spot-on!

Van Johnson never made a bad movie (he's the glue that holds "Battlegound" and "The Caine Mutnity" together). HE never looks like he's acting; has that college boy look (always up to the next girl adventure).

It's a compelling story that is easily plausible and very human. I'm guessing that it was shown back to back with "Til We Meet Again," a similar tragic situation, yet much more intense. So if you liked "Invitation" you had to enjoy this one as well, assuming you liked the actors: George Brent and Merle Oberon.

I do not like spoiling a movie by telling specific about it; reviews should be, in my intractable position, your response to story and actor. Stop telling what happens.

I love these old B/W film. The quality forever surpasses predictable crap made today.

Breathing difficulties !!!! Fiddle-dee-dee. Whatever shall I do. I have breathing difficulties !!!!!!! Cripes, if you're going to make a film about an unmarry-able gimp whose daddy buys her a husband, at least have the courage to make the woman fat, or ugly or wheelchair-bound. Is there anything about Dorothy Maguire that says ''invalid"? If the 1950s weren't the most boring decade for Hollywood and America in general, I challenge anyone reading this to point out a viable challenger. It's fitting, at least, that in a bland film with such a bland premise that ultra-bland Van Johnson would play the husband. Good gawd this film represents everything that was wrong with the silver screen in 1952.

An underrated, somewhat ignored film, Invitation , is much more than a soap opera. The cast, including Van Johnson, Louis Calherne, and Ruth Roman, deliver solid, professional performances. But it's wonderful Dorothy McGuire who raises the film to the fine level it attains. Her performance as a sick woman whose father has bought her a husband so she can have a short time of happiness before her demise , is positively incandescent. Her performance is full of subtlety, nuance, shading and real pathos. Sincere, sympathetic and utterly believable at all times, she makes the film very poignant. Recommended highly!!

Always believing she had a happy marriage, a young wife's trust in her husband is shaken when she discovers that her father had paid him to marry her. Van Johnson and Dorothy Maguire made the perfect movie, in that the smoothness of each other was almost perfect, one would not ever know, Van was being paid. The ending was a surprise!I could watch this movie again and again. It was heart-warming.

First, let me say, that I am delighted that there are so many other admirers of this truly talented and beautiful performer of the screen (that's Ms. McGuire, and NOT Van Johnson. Sorry, Van!). Of course, Ms. McGuire delivers her customary and, unfailingly, consummate performance as Ellen Pierce. But, could you really buy her character saying, that she thought of herself as ordinary-looking and, even, uninteresting to men? I mean, it was difficult enough, not to be mesmerized by those beautiful eyes and cheekbones in "The Enchanted Cottage" (in which the film studio make-up professionals "tried" to make Ms. McGuire look "plain" and "dowdy"). Yet, in "Invitation," Ms. McGuire is at her drop-dead gorgeous (not to mention, enticingly-eloquent) best. I mean, you literally cannot keep your eyes off of her, she's such a vision of beauty and elegance! And, with all due respect to nice-guy, actor Van Johnson, he's hardly Errol Flynn or Robert Taylor in the looks department or very "compelling" either, although, he was excellent in "Battleground." (Ellen really found HIM so irresistible? Oy vey!) Heck, any chance to see this great lady of the screen perform IS an absolute joy and delight. Still, I much prefer seeing Ms. McGuire in such wonderful and truly memorable films as "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn," "The Spiral Staircase" and "Till The End Of Time." "Invitation" gets an "8" because of the presence of its luminous star (no, NOT the "boy-next-door," Van Johnson, the unbelievably zaftig Ruth Roman (who, by the way, is outstanding as a particularly vindictive virago) or even the distinguished Louis Calhern!).

In his book, "Van Johnson: MGM's Golden Boy," author Ronald L. Davis wrote: "'Invitation,' Johnson's next film, had character actor Louis Calhern attempting to persuade Van to romance his invalid daughter, played by Dorothy McGuire. While the movie was cloaked in MGM gloss, it was a tearjerker with little to commend it except competent performances from a strong cast." Yes, tearjerker is the apt description of the maudlin "Invitation."