Home > 1940 - 1949 > One Touch of Venus
One Touch of Venus
Year - 1948
Studio - United Artists
Stars - Robert Walker, Ava Gardner
Director - William A. Seiter
Writing Credits - F. Anstey (novel), S.J. Perelman (book), Harry Kurnitz, Frank Tashlin (screenplay)
Music - Ann Ronell, Kurt Weill
Synopsis
Eddie Hatch (Robert Walker) is a window dresser for a large department store. The store owner, Whitfield Savory II (Tom Conway), has purchased an expensive, life size statue of Venus, Goddess of Love, for the store's art collection, and Eddie is preparing for it's public unveiling. On a whim, he kisses the statue and, when he again turns around, it has turned to life as a beautiful woman (Ava Gardner). She flirts with Eddie and follows him everywhere. He finds a place for her to stay in the department store model home.
When the curtain is raised at the ceremony, owner Savory is horrified and embarrassed that the statue is gone. He calls for the police to arrest Eddie for its theft.
As Eddie tries to evade the police in the store, his girlfriend Gloria (Olga San Juan) and best friend, Joe Grant (Dick Haymes), try to cover for him, but Gloria and Joe end up falling in love with each other.
Eddie takes Venus to the park and, as they embrace, the cops arrive to arrest him.
Savory, finding Venus in his store, invites her to his office for a dinner. But she makes him realize that it his long-time secretary, Molly Stewart (Eve Arden) whom he really loves. He calls the police to tell them he's dropped the charges against Eddie.
At midnight, lightning flashes and Venus knows it is time for her to return. Eddie returns to the store, but the live Venus is gone, replaced by the statue.
The next day, as Eddie resumes his job, a beautiful girl, a new store employee, asks him for directions to the model home- she looks exactly like the departed Venus, and says that her name is Venus Jones. Eddie says the name is beautiful, and, as they walk away together, she responds, "Well, it's an unusual name. No one is likely to meet two girls named Venus."