Movie Reviews

‘Athena’ Blu-Ray Review – Oddball Rom-Com Charms Thanks To Jane Powell And Debbie Reynolds

By Dillon Gonzales
May 17, 2021
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It is not uncommon for me to spend some time in my reviews of classic films drawing comparisons to trends of the present. Just as pre-existing intellectual property is king when developing new projects these days, it was not a foreign concept in the past either with novels and plays serving as the most frequent means of adaptation. In the case of the 1954 romantic comedy Athena, you would swear that the film had to be derived from the stage given its quaint-yet-crazy premise of bringing both numerology and physical fitness into affairs of the heart. You could be forgiven if you have never heard of the film; it was a money loser upon its original exhibition and is rarely discussed outside of the context of the careers of Jane Powell (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) or Debbie Reynolds (Singin’ In The Rain). This is what I love about the Warner Archive; Athena is a film I never would have heard of, let alone seen, yet now I am seeing it in stunning high definition. The film is not a hidden classic, but the oddball nature of the romance brought a good amount of joy to my heart.

To explain this plot is to not do the film justice, but it has to be done. Adam Shaw (Edmund Purdom, The Egyptian) is a stuffy, conservative lawyer who has dreams of running for political office, just as men in his family have done for generations. He is on the right trajectory; he has a team who is trying to help guide him on his journey, and he is engaged to a respectable society lady, Beth Hallson (Linda Christian). Things only start to veer off path for him during a jaunt to a nursery to complain about a peach tree he had purchased. It is here he meets the eccentric and excitable Athena Mulvain (Jane Powell), the eldest in a large family whose lives are guided by the stars and numbers and are obsessed with general health – no smoking, drinking or meat-eating for them! Athena tries to give advice about his trees, but she quickly shakes up his world with talk of their “numbers” being compatible and how they are likely to end up together. Athena is a strange ray of light in Adam’s stuffy life, and the way in which she slowly gets under his skin with her atypical actions is one of the great charms of the film.

Athena derives most of its charm from the strong performances from the women in the large ensemble, although nearly everyone in the Mulvain family is putting in memorable work. Outside of Athena herself, it is her sister Minerva (Debbie Reynolds) that makes the greatest impression on her path to romance. When it is determined that Adam’s musician friend Johnny Nyle (Vic Damone) is the perfect numerological match for Minerva, the movie begins to get really wild as the love of family fitness comes into play. Without going too much into specifics, let’s just say the Mr. Universe contest comes into play and there are a lot of beefy men walking around shirtless to make Johnny look like a shrimp in comparison. Numerology, physical fitness and musical numbers, what more could one ask for? Louis Calhern (Notorious) goes big in his performance as Grandpa Ulysses alongside Evelyn Varden (Night of the Hunter) as the kooky Grandma Salome. The Mulvain family are a bunch of confident oddballs, but you really enjoy spending time with them.

The Mulvain family is the reason to tune in to this film, but the men outside of the family are mostly a bit milquetoast. Purdom in particular does not hold up his side of the romance with the effervescent Powell. The film is a romantic comedy, but the romance never completely wins you over by the end on an emotional level. Reynolds is put in a similar situation with her courtship, but both of these talented women make up for the lack of charisma from their counterparts. Even so, the full weight of the film should not be placed solely on these two, so a stronger set of leading men would have likely made this a film people talk about more often. Director Richard Thorpe (Ivanhoe) is said to have not put much of an effort into filming this feature, but the direction and assembly of the film is solid enough from an audience point of view. The script is a lighthearted satire on the uncertainty of vegetarianism and atypical scientific practices wrapped up in the conventional romantic trappings. It is both a unique picture, but very straightforward in many regards. If you want a playful diversion from the world, this is a pleasant way to spend your time if you know what you are getting into.

Video Quality

Warner Archive presents Athena with a handsome new 1080p master transfer in its original 1.75:1 aspect ratio. While it appears the original camera negatives were not available, Warner Archive nonetheless delivers a stunning presentation from the elements that were available. One of the standout aspects of the film is the vibrant colors within the costumes and settings that practically leap off the screen in the way old Hollywood did so well. The black levels are very deep with impeccable stability throughout. Detail and clarity is off the charts with the beautiful, natural film grain intact and well resolved. There does not appear to be any digital nuisances such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such issues. The film exhibits no signs of any damage or debris, which is typical of the magic that the workers at Warner Archive pull off. This presentation offers a lovely viewing experience from start to finish.

Audio Quality

Warner Archive has delivered via DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio presentation that is incredibly pleasing. Dialogue comes through clearly from beginning to end without being stepped on by any musical beats or sound effects. This track also effortlessly handles all of the music that pops up to shape this story with nothing ever sounding blown out. Every single element seems clearly defined and in balance as everything is presented with a nice fidelity. Warner Archive has provided a top notch audio presentation that does not exhibit any glaring signs of age-related wear-and-tear. The disc also comes with optional English (SDH) subtitles.

Special Features

Outtake Musical Numbers: A collection of unused material from the film that shows alternate versions and angles for the below numbers.

- Competition Dance (3:36)

- Imagine (Second Reprise) with Vic Damone and Debbie Reynolds (4:38)

- Love Can Change the Stars (Duet Reprise) with Jane Powell and Edmund Purdom (5:12)

Theatrical Trailer: A three-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here that starts off with a fun animation and then lays out the story pretty well. As is to be expected, it shows a bit too much, but it gets the job done.

Final Thoughts

Athena is a true oddball of a romantic comedy that primarily works due to the strength of the women in the cast. They are key to providing the joy and grace that make the picture feel like a warm hug, while the gentlemen in the story feel like a placeholder for more charismatic performers. There is not really an argument to be made for this being one of the great Hollywood pictures, but those who want a unique angle into a classic comedic romance may find this one enjoyable romp. At the very least, Warner Archive has provided a Blu-Ray that sports an A/V presentation worthy of praise and a decent assortment of special features. If you are a fan of Jane Powell or Debbie Reynolds and want something lighter in your cinematic diet, add this one to the list. Recommended

Athena can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers. The release will be available on May 25, 2021.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.