MGM cast four of its biggest actors in this non-supernatural musical about an odd family living through health food, tons of exercise and visions through the stars. Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds are two of the six sisters starstruck in love with two outsiders-staid businessman Edmund Purdom and TV singer Vic Damone. Evelyn Varden ("Pinky", "The Bad Seed") and Louis Calhern ("Annie, Get Your Gun", "The Magnificent Yankee") are their eccentric grandparents who run an easy-going but disciplined ship filled with body builders (including Steve Reeves), sunshine and nuts and berries. No sooner have Purdom and Damone become involved with them than strange things begin to happen to their personalities. Grandma warns the lovers that the stars are not in favor of these romances.
A delightfully silly musical, "Athena" is probably the only MGM musical to feature practically naked men. They make their entrance into Varden and Calhern's dining room wearing only the briefest of briefs and sing along to a chorus of "Harmonize", making Purdom and Damone look like 90 pound weaklings. The songs are all wonderfully corny, especially a production number about re-decoration ("I Never Felt Better") lead by perky Reynolds. Powell gets the most beautiful song ("Love Can Change the Stars"), and seeing her as Reynolds' sister is a musical lovers dream. In fact, they had played sisters once before, in "Two Weeks With Love", and also appeared together in "Hit the Deck". When Reynolds left the Broadway musical "Irene" 20 years later, she personally chose Powell to replace her.
Look for Virginia Gibson, one of the "Seven Brides", as another one of the "Six Sisters". There's even a reference to the same years "The Student Prince" which starred Purdom. I don't think MGM realized when it made this film of the gay overtones of the body builders which would later be seen on Broadway and the big screen with "Li'l Abner".
A delightfully silly musical, "Athena" is probably the only MGM musical to feature practically naked men. They make their entrance into Varden and Calhern's dining room wearing only the briefest of briefs and sing along to a chorus of "Harmonize", making Purdom and Damone look like 90 pound weaklings. The songs are all wonderfully corny, especially a production number about re-decoration ("I Never Felt Better") lead by perky Reynolds. Powell gets the most beautiful song ("Love Can Change the Stars"), and seeing her as Reynolds' sister is a musical lovers dream. In fact, they had played sisters once before, in "Two Weeks With Love", and also appeared together in "Hit the Deck". When Reynolds left the Broadway musical "Irene" 20 years later, she personally chose Powell to replace her.
Look for Virginia Gibson, one of the "Seven Brides", as another one of the "Six Sisters". There's even a reference to the same years "The Student Prince" which starred Purdom. I don't think MGM realized when it made this film of the gay overtones of the body builders which would later be seen on Broadway and the big screen with "Li'l Abner".