Athena

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Athena

Released Nov 4, 1954

1h 36m

Musical

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2 Reviews

23%

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250+ Ratings

When lawyer and aspiring politician Adam Shaw (Edmund Purdom) meets Athena Mulvain (Jane Powell), she claims the stars tell her they will marry. However, Adam is already engaged to socialite Beth. Furthermore, Adam is confused by Athena's unusual family, which includes six other sisters raised in an extremely health-conscious environment that excludes meat, smoking and alcohol. Gradually, Adam is slowly won over by Athena, even at the detriment of his political future.

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Jason Shawhan

Nashville Scene

Debbie Reynolds delivers song-and-dance moxie, and Hercules himself, Steve Reeves, heads up a subplot involving the Mister Universe pageant that brings more beefcake than the mid-'50s could have imagined.

Sep 10, 2021

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Michael E. Grost

Classic Film and Television

Fun little musical with bright color design and pleasant, warm comedy.

Sep 13, 2017

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StephenPaul C

The greatest 01 hour: and 36 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/23/23

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ashley h

Athena is an okay film. It is about two sisters in love. Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds give decent performances. The script is a little in places. Richard Thorpe did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the humor and romance.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

One of the oddest of all MGM musicals; a spoof of health fads which doesn't work very well, but it gets an A for effort. A nice score (by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane) features one nice ballad ' "Love Can Change the Stars" - and one good production number, "I Never Felt Better." Steve Reeves has a small role as "Mr. Universe."

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

Middling musical filled with pretty people. Purdom was never the greatest actor but was an extremely handsome man. Jane and Debbie are bubbly and fresh as sisters. The best performance comes from the terrific Louis Calhern as the somewhat daffy grandfather. Interesting to compare Evelyn Varden's spacy Grandma here and her portrayal of the vicious Icey Spoon in the next year's Night of the Hunter. Probably the only movie, musical or otherwise that stops cold to have a Mr. Universe contest stuffed into it. Pleasant but minor.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

another mgm musical-nt my cup-o-tea

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

The characters here are supposed to be eccentric health nuts, but they get pitched to such extremes that they seem more like a forceful cult - I wouldn't have been surprised if they stopped singing and started stabbing.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Richard Thorpe

Director

Jane Powell

Athena Mulvain

Edmund Purdom

Adam Calhorn Shaw

Debbie Reynolds

Minerva Mulvain

Nancy Kilgas

Aphrodite Mulvain

Dolores Starr

Calliope Mulvain

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Synopsis

When lawyer and aspiring politician Adam Shaw (Edmund Purdom) meets Athena Mulvain (Jane Powell), she claims the stars tell her they will marry. However, Adam is already engaged to socialite Beth. Furthermore, Adam is confused by Athena's unusual family, which includes six other sisters raised in an extremely health-conscious environment that excludes meat, smoking and alcohol. Gradually, Adam is slowly won over by Athena, even at the detriment of his political future.

Director: Richard Thorpe
Producer: Joe Pasternak
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre: Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 4, 1954, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 8, 2017
Runtime: 1h 36m

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