Starring Gene Kelly, Taina Elg, Kay Kendall, and Mitzi Gaynor
Directed by George Cukor
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Our second lesser-known MGM musical this week would also be one of their last original titles, among other lasts. It was Gene Kelly's final musical for MGM, and Cole Porter's final film score and the next-to-last score he wrote. In other ways, this was as up-to-date for the late 50's as one could get, including a unique plot inspired by the 1950 Japanese epic Rashomon, wide-screen cinematography, Technicolor, and bizarre Jack Cole choreography. How does all this mix with the story of how a guy-and-girl dance act ended up in court? Let's begin with two of those girls, Lady Sybil Wren (Kendall) and Angele Ducros (Elg), as they arrive at the courtroom in London and find out...
The Story: Lady Sybil just released a tell-all memoir about her days with the act. Angele is suing her for libel, claiming she was falsely portrayed. Sybil paints Angele as a lying, manipulative wench who chased after the head of their act Barry Nichols (Kelly) while engaged to wealthy Pierre Ducros (Jacques Bergerac). She broke down during one of their performances and never showed up to the one she was supposed to do with Barry.
Angele denies ever having a relationship with Barry. According to her, Sybil was a frothing drunk and was the one who really fell for him. At the time, she was already promised to Sir Gerald Wren (Leslie Phillips), who got into a fist fight with Barry at a nightclub. Sybil supposedly attempted suicide in their apartment later that night, and would have died if her friends hadn't rescued her.
Barry finally gives the truth as he saw it. He never had any interest in Angele or Sybil. He'd been after their roommate and the third girl in the act Joy Henderson (Gaynor) from the start. The fiancees of the other two came to him to fire their sweethearts so they can get married. He claims this would make things worse and comes up with a phony heart condition instead. This does break up the act, but it also ends with Angele and Sybil in that fateful apartment, this time with Joy and Barry coming to the rescue. Joy wonders, however, if Barry really did have feelings for her partners after all...
The Song and Dance: This is an elegant treat, and possibly one of the most unusual musicals MGM ever did. You don't see too many musicals told in flashback or even partially set in a courtroom. Orry-kelly's incredible gowns for the ladies and the awesome sets won an Oscar. The Technicolor nearly pops off the screen, with all of the bold, stylized blacks, reds, and whites, cool blues of Paris, and those bizarre Jack Cole dances.
Kelly has his own fun as the man they're all after, but it's the ladies in question who wiggle away with the film. Kendall is so hilarious as a proper British drunk, you understand why she won a Golden Globe (and seriously regret that her career was tragically cut short two years later by leukemia). And if anyone knew how to direct women on screen, it was George Cukor, who lends the film a strange, warm feeling all its own.
The Numbers: We open with Angele's dance and sing that introduces her to the act, and shows off the deceitful personality Sybil assumes her to have. Elg and Kelly perform a truly bizarre ballet in a cage-like set constructed of colored wire as they dance and wrap golden ribbon around each other. The first big number is the huge "Les Girls" act, with women of all nationalities in black and white strutting across the stage as Barry sings about how much he loves his ladies...and then the three in question show up to strut down the runway in stunning black and red frocks.
Angele claims during a boat ride it's "Ca, C'est L'Amour" for her and Barry. We see the powdered wig-and-gown royalty spoof "Ladies In Waiting" twice. In Sybil's version, Angele is so upset by Pierre and his parents being in the audience, she spoils the number and doesn't show up for the golden ribbon ballet. Angele insists it's Sybil who spoiled the number by being too drunk to perform it. Sybil and Barry have a blast spoofing the upper crust while packing his clothes, claiming that "You're Just Too Too."
The other big ballet is "Why am I So Gone About That Gal." Kelly's spoof of Marlon Brando and biker films has him as the leader of a biker gang who falls for waitress Joy. It would be totally absurd if their dancing wasn't so good and the stylized red and white diner wasn't so cool.
What I Don't Like: First of all, those three points of view means that this runs almost two hours, which is a tad long for a frothy musical. It sometimes feels disorganized and slow-moving, especially in the second half during Barry's rather pedestrian flashback. Second, while the Porter songs are amusing, even he admitted that they aren't among his best or most memorable work. Phillips does get to be involved in that very funny fight sequence, but the handsome Bergerac is basically there as window dressing and has nothing to do.
The Big Finale: One of the most underrated musicals made during MGM's golden era, this is highly recommended for fans of Kelly, the leading ladies, Porter, or 50's musicals if you have time on your hands.
Home Media: Easily found in all formats; the discs are currently from the Warner Archives.
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