What a beautiful movie!

Lack of good storyline.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

One of the many 'period' musicals produced by several studios in the '40s and '50s. At least several of the songs were composed around the 1910 period, to conform with the late Victorian screenplay. Even the one song performance that caught the public's imagination sufficiently to become a top pop song : "Aba Daba Honeymoon", was composed in 1914, then forgotten. I don't know if Fred Flintstone's "Yaba Daba Doo" is derived from this title, but the resemblance is clear. ..Warning the corn grows high in this film!The Robinsons are an upper class Victorian family, composed of 17 y.o. Patti(Jane), 15y.o. Melba(Debbie) and two much younger boys, one played by Tommy Rettig, who would later become well known via the TV Lassie series. Incidentally, Tommy would go on to have a very diverse life, besides his show biz period, including marijuana grower, and, in his later years, an important software developer!...The Robinsons are getting ready for their annual Catskills summer vacation: a ritual of many upper class Easterners in this pre-air conditioning era. The teenagers feel they are old enough for some puppy romance during this vacation, and thus petition to be dressed in something more adult than their 'baby' clothes. But, mother Robinson(Ann Harding) mostly resists these pleadings, resulting in more conflicts and embarrassing situations once they get to the Catskills. They stay in the romantic-sounding Kissimee Resort, owned by Mr. Finay(Clinton Sandburg), whose gangly son Billy(Carleton Carpenter) serves as bell boy. Billy remembers Patti from the previous year and tries to flirt with her, but she's not much interested, and soon is swooning over older, but suave, Cuban Demi(Ricardo Montalbam) who, in turn, is squiring Valerie(Phyllis Kirk), who quickly tries to impede Patti's chase of Demi. Meanwhile, Melba(Debbie) has struck up a friendship with Billy, who initially ignored her. Of course, we soon figure out that , despite all their age and clothes disadvantages, Patti will end up with Demi, and Melba with Billy, in the final scene.Patti ad Billy keep getting into embarrassing situations, as they try to impress the opposite sex. Patti develops a severe inferiority complex because she hasn't a corset to wear, while the other debs all have one. Papa, who is more understanding of Patti's wish to be see as a woman than is his wife, finally buys her one, but its a surgical corset that locks when she bends over too much(Yes, pretty contrived!) Also, her swimwear is not on par with her age. Thus, when Demi is seen approaching, her sibs bury her in the imported sand, except for her head, hidden by a bucket(reminding me of Oliver Hardy, in "Way Out West"). Patti is envious of Valerie, who is wearing the latest minimal swimwear when she dives into the lake((Melba dubs her 'Lady Govida'). Billy is hamstrung socially, because is father still makes him wear knickers(unbelievable, as Carleton was 24 and quite tall!). Busby Berkeley was choreographer. The film opens with papa Robinson conducting a summer band in a pavilion, with Jane, in a very elegant womanly outfit, singing a classic piece "A Heart that's Free", which Diana Durbin had sung during her brief MGM period. Much later, Debbie and some boys sing "That's How I Need You": very amateurish, as intended. Jane then walks in, and begins a much better "The Oceana Roll", composed around 1910, with the others eventually chiming in: a fun production. Besides the memorable "Aba Daba Honeymoon" duet, which also includes considerable dancing and clowning, Debbie and Carleton do a duet song and dance to "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat", which also is quite entertaining. Later, in Jane's elaborate dream sequence to "My Beautiful Lady" she is dressed very stylishly , in pink, with parasol, as Demi and Billy fight for her hand, in one portion. The finale stage production is rather short and simple: Patti tangos with Demi, she swoons when her surgical corset locks, inhibiting her breathing. This scene is set up by Billy and Melba, who stole Valerie's dancing shoes. Thus, at the last minute, Patti takes her place in the show, wearing Valerie's shoes, after Valerie leaves in disgust. Yes, pretty contrived!Debbie gets most of the easy-going, fun, musical numbers, while Jane mostly gets the serious romantic singing roles. It would be the same story when they were again paired in "Hit the Deck". Both that film and this one were directed by Roy Roland. Like Judy Garland, Jane usually had a couple of crying spells in her films. Debbie's character is not so serious about her romancing. At age 30, Richardo was in his peak handsome period. The next year, he would suffer a serious back injury that caused permanent pain and limp....Carleton was quite personable and it's too bad he wasn't included in more films....Clinton Sundberg, who played the resort manager, had a limited film career, usually playing minor service characters. I remember him as the haughty butler , in "The Girl Next Door"... Louis Calhern, who played the family father, also played Jane's grandfather, but functional father, in "Nancy Goes to Rio", released the same year... I though Phyllis Kirk did an excellent job in the thankless role of 'the other woman'.Reportedly, Jane's favorite film she did. Not really my favorite of her films, but it has it's positives.

TWO WEEKS WITH LOVE is a rarity, a movie that sets out to capture the innocent charm of the early 20th century, and succeeds. A brave confection, built on a rather silly premise, it artfully presents the conflict in the heart of a 17-year-old girl who yearns to grow up and whose parents yearn to ignore it. Jane Powell is delightful as the adolescent who has a crush on the dashing man, and Ricardo Montalban hits just the right note of sophistication and kindness as he begins to fall for her. Debbie Reynolds is perfect as the wisecracking younger sister who knows what she wants and how to get it (and "it" is Carleton Carpenter), and two little brothers add just the touch of innocent mischief we would expect from little brothers in those days. Louis Calhern is delightful as the fumbling father, and Ann Harding is elegant and regal as always as the mother.I don't see how anyone could interpret this as the same movie as DIRTY DANCING, except they both took place in Catskills resorts. It is truly about a loving family and how they cope with growing pains all around. The later film was no such thing, with a different set of characters and a totally different story line. It was certainly a different kind of resort as well.

One of Jane Powell's more popular musicals was this turn of the last century classic, Two Weeks With Love. With music and atmosphere set in the Theodore Roosevelt era, Two Weeks With Love is good entertainment and marked Debbie Reynolds's breakthrough film.The Robinson family headed by Louis Calhern and Ann Harding are taking their annual two weeks outing in the Catskills, circa 1905. Apparent to all, but Ann Harding, her daughter Jane Powell is developing a figure. However we've got a firm rule in this family, no corset until her 18th birthday. Another person stymied by the 18th birthday rule is Carleton Carpenter who is 17 and still in knickers. Father Clinton Sundberg owns the hotel that Robinsons stay at and will not give him long pants. Though Powell and Reynolds can still play as teenagers, Carleton Carpenter is positively ridiculous playing a 17 year old. He's quite a bit over 6 feet tall, but that's good in a way, because that's part of his gawkiness. Where in the name of the Deity were they finding knickers back in the first decade of the last century for someone over 6 feet tall beggars the imagination.There's a nice mixture of period, public domain music that MGM didn't have to shell out for the rights that Powell, Reynolds and Carpenter perform. Debbie Reynolds as Powell's younger sister sang Abba Dabba Honeymoon with Carpenter here and it became the hit and the song had a revival in popularity in 1950. Powell's best number is in an imaginary sequence singing Come, Hero Mine from The Chocolate Soldier. Again, MGM owned the rights by dint of purchasing that property for their Chocolate Soldier film from nine years before where Rise Stevens and Nelson Eddy duet ed this one.Powell also dances a mean tango with Ricardo Montalban the object of her youthful crush and why she's so anxious to show her figure off.Ann Harding as a mom is nice and loving and doesn't have a clue. She dresses her boys, Tommy Rettig and Gary Gray, in Reynolds's and Powell's old hand me down nighties. Mom, get real.Two Weeks With Love is a nice trip down memory lane and back when it was released people actually did have memories of the turn of the last century.

Jane Powell and Ricardo Mantalban headline this film made in 1950. Debbie Reynolds was the supporting star early in her career. Jane Powell has said that this was one of her favorite films to work on, despite being more famous for "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers." The plot is about Jane's character trying to break out into womanhood, despite her mother trying to keep her a little girl. Along the way, she falls for a young Cuban (Mantalban) and conflicts between Powell, her mother and her romantic rival climax at a good moment. Debbie Reynolds is Jane Powell's younger sister in the film and sings her first record hit, "Aba Daba Honeymoon" with Carlton Carpenter. This song is available from Curb Records nowadays. Not to be outdone singing at an early age, Debbie's sparkling style of acting was the real highlight of the film. Her character's wit and occasional negative attitude creates a "she's so cute" attitude towards her from the audience. Debbie fans will notice this right of the bat. Despite being 17 or 18 when the film was shot, the film calls for her to be 14 or 15, and she looks it too. This film is not one of the "Great Classics" of Hollywood, but Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds' fans should thoroughly enjoy this one. Jane Powell would go on to star with Debbie Reynolds in "Athena" and "Hit the Deck." Ricardo Mantalban would star with Debbie Reynolds 16 years later, in "The Singing Nun."