My Gal Sal (1942) / Let's Make Love (1960)

Film critics used to talk a lot about chemistry, that inexplicable pairing of two stars who just seem to "get" each other. With genuine movie stars, particularly of the female variety, all but extinct these days, it's pretty much a moot point; films are packaged around a concept rather than characters. But it wasn't an exact science even then.

Take 1942's My Gal Sal, a pretty typical 20th Century Fox musical starring the completely atypical Rita Hayworth. In this based-on-a-true story adaptation of the life of songwriter Paul Dresser, an Indiana born preacher's son who works his way from traveling medicine shows to the toast of New York's high society, she's paired up with Victor Mature, whose rugged features and frankfurter fingers are a poor match for a dashing tunesmith.

But such is the charm and allure of Hayworth that it doesn't really matter who she's paired with; she commands her co-star's - and the audience's - attention with the smallest of gestures. And she works overtime to compensate for director Irving Cummings' lackluster staging and bland camerawork. The songs, all Dresser compositions including "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" (which just happens to be the state song of Indiana), are somewhat less than classics. But Hayworth adds enough class to go around.

Twilight Time's 3000-copy limited edition Blu-ray is a Technicolor wonder. There are no extras besides the isolated score track and Julie Kirgo's much-appreciated liner notes, but the transfer itself is jaw-droppingly colorful.

1960's Let's Make Love finds another match made in a Hollywood marketing department....but with better results. Yves Montand - making his American debut - plays billionaire playboy Jean-Mark Clement who passes himself off as a struggling actor to seduce Amanda (Marilyn Monroe), a showgirl with a heart of gold. The deception begins by accident, but soon Clement commits himself to learning the art of entertainment, hiring the best "coaches" in the business (which mean high-profile cameos from Milton Berle, Bing Crosby and Gene Kelly) to impress the only girl who's not impressed by his money.

Like Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe is much more than an impressive set of measurements. There's a charisma here that director George Cukor captures right from the opening number, with the actress sliding down a stage pole in fishnet stockings and an oversized sweater. It takes a while for Montand to catch up - his accent is a slight impediment - but the final act finds the pair singing and dancing in perfect romantic harmony. The big name stars in the background add to the fun, but Let's Make Love proves chemistry - even if it's manufactured in a boardroom - can't be faked.

Twilight Time's 3000-copy limited edition Blu-ray is another thing of beauty, with a startling good hi-def transfer. Extras include and isolated music track, original theatrical trailer and liner notes.