|
|
Les Girls (1957)
.... Angèle Ducros (MGM)
Taina Elg's greatest bid for stardom and the grandest Hollywood moment
of any Finnish-born actor or actress before or since. She was billed
fourth after Gene Kelly, Mitzi Gaynor and Kay Kendall,
and all the four leads had showy starring parts in this musical comedy
directed by George Cukor.
The Hollywood Musical: A perfectly workable idea for a musical
comedy, it unfortunately became confused in the telling and emerged
as something of a shambles. The three parts of Patrick's screenplay
failed to balance, and Porter's score turned out to be his last but,
in terms of quality, his least. - Clive Hirschhorn
The MGM Story: Les Girls marked Gene Kelly's last MGM appearance
until That's Entertainment, and Cole Porter's last score written for
a film. Its approving audiences included the Queen and Prince Philip
at it's London premiere. Under George Cukor's direction the story of
Kelly and his three Europe-touring dancing girls Taina Elg, Kay Kendall
and Mitzi Gaynor shimmered with elegant fun. All four principals drew
praise. Miss Kendall being hailed as America's most effervescent English
import since Schweppes; they were supported by Jacques Bergerac, Leslie
Phillips, Henry Daniell and Patrick Macnee. Orry-Kelly won an Oscar
for his costumes. But the script John Patrick wrote for producer Sol
C. Siegel was a bit too sophisticated to put it in the big-money class.
~ John Douglas Eames
Variety: Les Girls is an exceptionally tasty musical morsel that
is in the best tradition of the Metro studio. It's an original and zestful
entry that would have been greeted with critical handsprings if it had
been originally presented on the Broadway stage.
All Movie Guide: Les Girls is the Rashomon of MGM musicals.
The film is told in flashback, as Mitzi Gaynor and Taina Elg, two-thirds
of a popular cabaret trio, attempt to legally block the third, Kay Kendall,
from writing her memoirs. Each of "Les Girls" has her
own interpretation of the group's previous professional and amorous
escapades. To make sense of these wildly diverse recollections, the
court must rely upon a fourth party to straighten things out. Enter
Gene Kelly, the dancing star who organized "Les Girls"
in the first place. But can Kelly be believed? The "truth"
of the many reminiscences in Les Girls is secondary to the dazzling
beauty of its female stars, and to the delightful musical numbers, the
best of which is an extended Marlon Brando parody titled "Why Am
I So Gone About That Gal?" This was Gene Kelly's last musical effort
for MGM, the studio he joined way back in 1943; the film was the inspiration
for the short-lived 1963 TV series Harry's Girls, which starred
Larry Blyden, Susan Silo, Dawn Nickerson and Diahn Williams. ~ Hal Erickson
Radio Days rating: *** …rhymes with “Playgirls”, said the ads,
lest you were at all confused. This late MGM musical was selected for
its year's Royal Film Performance, and there was much discussion about
how the Queen would relate to a sexy musical about the British upper
classes in Paris. Others wondered how British audiences would get the
point of a send-up of Marlon Brando's The Wild One when the original
was still banned in Britain. Today it's fun to watch: risqué and disarming,
but not really sophisticated enough, though it certainly tries. The
flashback structure doesn't help, but the girls — Mitzi Gaynor, Kay
Kendall and Taina Elg — are delightful, and Gene Kelly is as watchable
as ever. Director George Cukor seems uncomfortable with the material,
though, and the Cole Porter score is disappointing. The location CinemaScope
photography is murky, but keep an eye out for British actors Patrick
Macnee and Leslie Phillips in decent roles, too. TS
DVD Authority: Lady Sybil Wren (Kay Kendall) was part of the
Barry Nichols and Les Girls cabaret act for some time, so she knew the
inner workings of the production. That means she knows all the inside
information, hot stories, and steamy gossip, since she was there herself
to take it all in, as opposed to just being told of the accounts. As
such, when she sits down and pens a tell-all book of her experiences,
it is loaded with spicy and controversial material. All the dirty little
secrets are revealed in Sybil's novel and it becomes an instant success.
The critics go bananas over the insider scoop found in the work, while
readers go bonkers over the steamy details about the various stars,
since the stories are quite hot. While she is basking in the success
of her project, Sybil is soon served with legal papers, as her Les Girls
costar Angele Ducros (Taina Elg) is taking her court for libel, since
some of the book deals with her exploits. The two femmes then face off
in court, as the true facts and the girl's claws are bared, thanks to
a no holds barred battle right in the courtroom, as a captive audience
watches. Then Barry Nichols (Gene Kelly) takes the stand and offers
a third side to the story, but who is telling the truth?
This is a fun movie at times, but the musical numbers are too sparse
and the storyline is too complex for the genre. I mean, musicals need
storylines just like any other kind of movie, but we expect a simpler
one in this genre, as the musical numbers, visuals, and performances
tend to take precedence over the plot movements. But the premise here
is complicated and is handled by director George Cukor with some hiccups,
which makes things even more muddled in some scenes, so smooth isn't
how Les Girls should be described. Even so, the storyline flaws and
direction troubles aren't enough to weight this one down in total, as
the wide selection of beautiful women alone merits repeat viewings here.
Mitzi Gaynor, Taina Elg, and Kay Kendall headline the female attractions,
but you'll also witness a number of other beauties, including some that
could pass for high end models, so its a nice assortment of ladies.
And since this one has some racy costumes, those girls are on full showcase,
especially in a certain number that involves green bows. The costumes
are great fun in Les Girls, as are the set pieces, which are well designed
and add some visual spark, so the scope format is well used here. I
can't recommend this to everyone, but if you're a fan of beautiful women
or musicals, give Les Girls a chance.
Although this movie is titled Les Girls, one of the main draws in terms
of name value is a man, Gene Kelly. And of course, he knew his way around
a musical or two, thanks to a career packed with superb genre performances.
Kelly often plays second fiddle to the women around him in this picture,
but his presence adds a lot to the experience. Whenever his costars
let down a tad or especially when Kay Kendall isn't around, its up to
Kelly to keep things afloat and of course, he does so every time. But
even with his immense skills, Kelly is forced t stretched often in Les
Girls, as the material is thin in numerous instances. He is able to
make the best of the situation though, so his presence keeps things
elevated in many scenes. I wouldn't put this near his best efforts,
but all things considered, he is more than solid in Les Girls. Other
films with Kelly include Singin' in the Rain, An American in Paris,
On the Town, Anchors Aweigh, The Three Musketeers, Brigadoon, and The
Devil Makes Three. The cast also includes Mitzi Gaynor (Three Young
Texans, South Pacific), Kay Kendall (Lady Godiva Rides Again, The Reluctant
Debutante), and Taina Elg (Hercules in New York, The Mirror Has Two
Faces).
Digitally Obsessed: Les Girls is a notable film for two reasons:
Save for his brief musical numbers with Fred Astaire in That's Entertainment
II, this George Cukor-directed effort marked Gene Kelly's last full-length,
big screen appearance for the studio that made him a star. For Cole
Porter aficionados, the 1957 release was bittersweet as it would be
the final project graced by original songs from the legendary composer.
Set in Europe, Les Girls spins the tale of cabaret dancer Sybil Wren
(Kay Kendall), the focus of a libel suit instigated by former roomie/stage
partner Angéle Ducross (Taina Elg), brought upon by revelations made
in her memoirs. With American export Joy Henderson (Mitzi Gaynor), the
threesome were part of a musical act produced by Barry Nichols (Gene
Kelly), an "all work and no play" professional whose whole life revolved
around the stage. Or at least, until fetching Angéle entered the picture.
After mixing business with pleasure, the twosome attempt to keep their
mutual admiration society under wraps, failing miserably. Further complicating
matters is Angéle's fiancé, Pierre (Jacques Bergerac), who pops in on
a performance. Unnerved by his presence, the stage equivalent of a train
wreck follows as she attempts to go incognito. Angered at the display,
Barry gives Angéle her walking papers. Hours later, Sybil returns to
their flat to find the heartbroken lover lying face down after a (thankfully)
unsuccessful suicide attempt.
Angéle gets her turn in court with drastically different recollections,
casting Sybil as a blithering drunk prone to frequent crying jags and
impromptu opera singing. Anxious to keep the act going, Angéle concocts
a fictitious story for Barry that Sylvia's chemical dependency is her
way of dealing with intense feelings for him. Romance blossoms and all
seems cheerio until the English tart's boyfriend surfaces. As the trial
winds down to deliberation status, a surprise witness appears, offering
yet a third version of events with an interesting twist.
Les Girls isn't held in the same regard as other entries on Kelly's
resume, but this DVD may change all that. More plot-driven and sophisticated
than your average songfest without sacrificing the charms of the classic
musical, today's audience will likely appreciate its virtues more so
than moviegoers did back in the day. Playing a harder edged yet toned
down variation on his Don Lockwood role in Singin' In The Rain, Kelly
is as smooth as ever in a performance that relies more on his gift for
light comedy and less on song-and-dance showmanship (although that's
not to say Kelly's left his dancing shoes at home).
The trio of lovely ladies compliment their co-star, and each other,
beautifully: Kay Kendall's Golden Globe®-winning turn as Lady Sybil
is delightful, Taina Elg offers appealing charm and Mitzi Gaynor is
quiet sexiness personified (making one wonder why this talented dancer/singer
never caught on with movie audiences). In the "before they were stars"
department, Avengers fans will perk up to the sight of a pre-John Steed
Patrick Macnee in a small role as one of the courtroom participants.
Given its low profile in movie musical history, I braced myself for
disappointment as far as Cole Porter's score. Like most composers whose
later works are unfairly compared to their golden years, the musical
wunderkind proves he still had a knack for composing melodies that stick
in your head, including Ladies in Waiting, the romantic Ca C'est L'Amour,
You're Just Too, Too (which includes a sly Kendall reference to an "animated"
moment from a vintage musical) and the show-stopping Why Am I So Gone
(About That Gal)? that features Kelly (with wonderful support from Gaynor)
at his very best, in a wicked parody of Marlon Brando's The Wild One.
Rating for Style: A- Rating for Substance: A-
Cinema Laser DVD Review: Because movie-going tastes had begun
rapidly changing by 1957, LES GIRLS ($20) probably wasn’t as successful
as it might have been had it been released a few scant years earlier.
In the cinematic scheme of things, LES GIRLS also marked Gene Kelly’s
swan song as a leading man in an MGM musical, as well being the last
time that the legendary Cole Porter would compose songs for a motion
picture. With all of that in mind, LES GIRLS is really more of a comedy
with musical numbers, than an actual screen musical. However, the film’s
comedy literally sparkles because of the presence of the beautiful Kay
Kendall, an actress of tremendous comedic gifts, whose career wasn't
allowed to achieve its full potential.
Utilizing the same storytelling device as Akira Kurosawa’s RASHOMON,
LES GIRLS tells wildly different versions of the same story as the events
of a particular summer are "remembered" by the various participants.
The film opens with Lady Sybil Wren (Kay Kendall) being sued over the
memoir that she has written about her days as a performer in a trio
known as Les Girls. Former costar, Angèle Ducros (Taina Elg) claims
that Sybil’s memoir is slanderous fabrication, with nary an ounce of
truth in it. During the trial, Sybil and Angèle are each called upon
to give testimony, which allows them to recount (via flashback) the
summer in question, during which headliner Barry Nichols (Gene Kelly)
and Les Girls were on tour together. While the Cole Porter tunes for
LES GIRLS aren’t the best of his career, the film does feature one standout
musical number- Why Am I So Gone About That Gal, in which Kelly gets
to do a hilarious spoof on Marlon Brando, as well as demonstrate his
amazing dancing prowess with costar Mitzi Gaynor.
Warner Home Video has made LES GIRLS available on DVD in a wonderful
looking 2.35:1 wide screen presentation that has been enhanced for playback
on 16:9 displays. This is the absolute best that I’ve ever seen LES
GIRLS look in the home venue, with the image appearing nicely crisp
and well defined. The film element used for the transfer is very clean;
displaying very few age related anomalies or blemishes. A grain structure
is occasionally noticeable, but never particularly pronounced. Colors
are quite nice, and while the hues don’t display the saturation of IB
Technicolor, there are times that the MetroColor elements appear quite
vibrant. Blacks appear deep, whites are clean and the contrast is smooth.
Digital compression artifacts are well concealed throughout. For this
release, LES GIRLS has had its soundtrack upgraded to the 5.1 channel
variety of Dolby Digital. Considering its vintage, this is a very nice
sounding track; fidelity isn’t up to modern standards, but it is very
pleasing nonetheless. The forward soundstage tends to dominate the mix,
with the songs and music having a nice stereo presence. As for the rears,
they supply a bit of ambient and musical fill to the track. Dialogue
is always fully understandable and clean sounding. A French monaural
track is also encoded onto the DVD, along with English, French, Spanish
and Portuguese subtitles.
Music underscores the basic interactive menus, which provide access
to the standard scene selection and set up features, as well as some
very nice extras. Cole Porter In Hollywood: Ca, C'est L'Amour is a nine
minute program hosted by Taina Elg that looks back fondly on the production
of LES GIRLS and costar Kay Kendall, whose fire was prematurely extinguished.
Also included on the DVD is the French themed Tex Avery cartoon Flea
Circus, awards listing and a theatrical trailer.
While not the perfect musical, LES GIRLS is indeed a comic delight with
five musical numbers thrown in for good measure. Warner has done a fine
job with the DVD presentation, so there is nothing disappointing on
that front. Recommended to genre buffs, Gene Kelly fans and those who
remember or want to discover the effervescent Kay Kendall.
Channel 4 Review: A showbiz libel trial, in which the jury -
and the audience - get a blow-by-blow account of the relationship between
three chorus girls. Sounds like a 70s sex comedy, but as the three gals
are Gaynor, Kendall and Elg, everything is kept nice and tasteful -
except, perhaps, for the scene in which Kendall does her drunk act and
swigs gin from a perfume bottle ('If I was a man,' she declaims, 'I'd
have nothing to do with me!'). For a musical, however, there's surprisingly
little song and dance - especially when you consider Kelly's presence
in the cast and that the songs are all tried-and-tested Cole Porter
classics.
Rotten Tomatoes: An original, unconventional musical boasting
some of MGM’s finest talents of the time, LES GIRLS tells the tale of
a performing troupe of three charming girls who discovered that their
romantic adventures got in the way of their act. The dynamite combination
of Barry (Gene Kelly), Angele (Taina Elg), Joy (Mitzi Gaynor), and Sybil
(Kay Kendall) are the former members of Barry Nichols and Les Girls,
a popular European cabaret act. Years after the group is dissolved,
the now Lady Sybil Wren faces a libel suit after publishing a scandalous
account of the group in her memoirs. All the former partners are called
into court to give their own widely contradicting accounts of those
long-ago events, whereupon the film becomes a sort of musical RASHOMON.
LES GIRLS is a dazzling adaptation of Vera Caspary’s novel, featuring
Cole Porter’s last score.
The story for LES GIRLS was purchased by producer Sol Siegel for MGM
in 1955. Saul Chaplin had to finish Cole Porter's score after he fell
ill during production; the film features Porter's last score. Gene Kelly
did not want to star in the film, which was his last musical with MGM.
Told You So: “Les Girls” won an Academy Award for Best Costume
Design: Orry-Kelly; also received Golden Globe Awards (Musical/Comedy):
Best Film, Best Actress (Kay Kendall)
After the success of "High Society," producer Sol C. Siegel engaged
John Patrick again, this time instructing him to completely ignore Vera
Caspary's original story, and start completely from scratch. "She said
she was the highest paid writer in world because she got eighty thousand
dollars for two words: Les Girls" - described Patrick, when interviewed
for Patrick McGilligan's 1992 biography of director George Cukor.
With "A Star Is Born" on his C.V., Cukor seemed an ideal choice to direct
a more full-fledged musical. Indeed, as evidenced by the numerous backstage
moments throughout the film, the visuals are a further enhancement from
the aforementioned film: soft makeup, rich colours, lens flares from
incandescent bulbs, and softened stage spotlights given the same actor's
perspective, along with waves of colorfully attired panicky dancers,
ascending or descending staircases for the next act. Warner Bros' DVD
contains a brilliant transfer of the film, preserving the creamy colours
of 1957, including the radically designed bar for the Gene Kelly-choreographed
number "Why Am I So Gone About That Gal?" which uses props and backdrops
etched in black on white pen strokes, and several massive red brush
strokes for swathes of Metrocolor crimson. Naturally the Oscar-winning
costume designs benefit from Robert Surtees' exceptional cinematography,
particularly the bizarre 'flower basket' bikini Elg wears during an
audition, and the backless Can-Can gowns for the saucy "Ladies In Waiting"
number.
The DVD's soundtrack has been cleaned up in a discreet 5.1 mix, with
most vocals isolated to the centre channel, and Porter's big band score
(co-orchestrated by a young Alexander Courage) booming from the front
and rear speakers - a nice stopgap until the soundtrack material, previously
available on vinyl and an out-of-print CD, gets a proper release on
a commercial CD.
Like other entries in the Classic Musicals series, the DVD includes
a brief featurette, "Cole Porter In Hollywood: Ca c'est l'amour." Hosted
by Finnish dancer/actress Taina Elg, there's a nice flurry of behind-the-scenes
stills, and Elg offers several personal anecdotes on Kelly (then involved
in a divorce), Cukor, adapting from ballet to jazz dancing under task
master Jack Cole, and the tight camaraderie of the female cast.
In addition to some production notes, the DVD also includes the film's
anamorphic trailer - "Les Girls - Rhymes with Play-Girls" - and a vintage
Tex Avery cartoon from 1954, about a 1,000 flea circus that's saved
by a well-endowed flea clown ("Vive la France!"). Note to Warner Bros:
the world needs more Tex Avery lunacy on DVD! This Warner Bros title
has a suggested retail price of $19.98 U.S. and $24.98 Cdn. and is available
separately or as part of a five-disc “Classic Musicals Collection –
The Cole Porter Gift Set.” ~ Mark Richard Hasan
Amazon: Never heard of Kay Kendall? Chic, leggy, funny Kay Kendall?
Check out Les Girls, one of the best moments for the beautiful British
actress (and wife of Rex Harrison), whose promising career ended when
she died two years after this film's 1957 release. A cheeky musical
variation on Rashomon, the film gives three flashbacks on the Parisian
sojourn of a dance master (Gene Kelly) and his featured artists (Kendall,
Tania Elg, Mitzi Gaynor). The film isn't a peak outing for director
George Cukor, and the Cole Porter songs are infrequent and not top-drawer.
But there's a kooky dance number inspired by motorcycle gangs (Kelly
in Wild Ones territory), and Kendall has a long drunk scene that she
handles with regal aplomb. A stuffy suitor asks les girls why they spend
their youth scurrying around Europe in a dance troupe: "Is having fun
so important?" The film answers a resounding "mais oui." -- Robert Horton
DVD Savant: Stunningly photographed and designed, Les Girls is
definitely the MGM musical on the downslope. It works quite well as
a comedy, while coming in a bit short in the music and dance department.
As Cukor is said to have claimed, it actually is a comedy with some
music in it, and taken as that, it's not bad at all. Standouts in the
cast are Kay Kendall and Mitzi Gaynor, and Gene Kelly is charming as
a leading man, even if the picture isn't a genre highpoint.
At a libel trial in London, ex-performers Angèle Ducros (Taina Elg)
and Lady Sybil Wren (Kay Kendall) cross legal swords over Sybil's tell-all
book. On the stand, the author unapologetically tells how Angèle was
a cheating lover who tried to commit suicide over their handsome employer/headliner
Barry Nichols (Gene Kelly). Then Angèle tells a conflicting tale of
Sybil's alcoholism. Finally, Nichols himself takes the stand, and relates
a third version of events where the combatants' partner Joy Henderson
(Mitzi Gaynor) plays a larger role.
At almost two hours and with fewer than six songs, Les Girls is definitely
more of a comedy than a traditional musical. There's a sprightly title
tune to introduce Barry Nichols' sexy cabaret show, and some rather
forgettable songs that elbow their way in later on. The choreography
by Jack Cole is direct and unfussy, without any ballets or other efforts
to challenge anything done before. Even in his dancing with Mitzi Gaynor,
Kelly is satisfied to repeat and echo moves seen in earlier love duets.
It's all handsome, but it isn't top-flight musical material.
The show fares much better as a straight-on comedy, set in Paris and
including the obligatory scene of the lover waking neighbors while calling
up to his girlfriend's flat in the middle of the night. Taina Elg is
a bit subdued next to the sharper playing of ace comediennes Kendall
and Gaynor, but they make a credible trio. The fondly remembered Kendall
gets most of the attention in reviews. Her drunk act is so good, she
makes singing Carmen badly a funny schtick, and she has the ability
to get goofy while retaining a character's pride and poise. Most reviewers
use Mitzi Gaynor for critical target practice, but those who've seen
her only as a whiney WAVE in South Pacific will be surprised to find
her sexy & sharp here, a good dancer and a funny comedienne. Her baiting
of Gene Kelly by dressing in frowsy garb when he's angling for a seduction,
is a lot funnier than it should be.
The script is okay, but not tops. The Rashomon idea is an okay plot
engine that witholds the predictable story surprises until needed, but
it raises expectations of romantic insights that don't surface. The
three testimonies barely overlap, and completely contradict one another,
so there are no clever 'spins' of the same events. All three tales are
obviously lies, and it's only a matter of whose lies the judges will
believe. Since none of this gets beyond the mechanical stage, the man
who walks around with a sandwich board asking, "What is truth?", seems
out of place.
Beyond the main structure, the character humor is much better. The three
showgirls have fun personalities and cleverly snipe at one another ...
covering for each other's gaffes even while competing for attention.
They're attractively vain and actually rather frisky for the times.
It's interesting seeing an MGM musical, all perfect hues and costumes,
where the girls handle the sex jokes, even getting away with some risqué
responses to Cole Porter's suggestive lyrics in the Les Girls number.
Savant doesn't notice clothes in films unless they're bad. The late
50s were big fashion years, when a lot of movies, including MGM efforts,
stuffed their actresses into unlikely gowns in a bid to compete with
the glossy magazines. Only Audrey Hepburn seemed born to this double
role as actress-fashion model. But the clothes in Les Girls are really
beautiful and interesting, and fit the characters well. The tall Kay
Kendall doesn't look like a horse next to her more petite cohorts. As
Barry Nichols' Parisian revue would presumably be a really racy affair,
the designer gets away with a funny nude look in a set of backless dresses
that appear to only have a green bow decorating the girls' rear ends.
It's just teasing enough to match the rest of the show's MPAA-stretching
seductions and sex talk.
Some of the comedy defuses common stereotyping. The French showgirl
is capricious and flighty, the English girl tends toward snobbery, the
American is a hick at heart, etc., but each gets a second level of sophistication:
Gaynor's American abroad knows the score, even though she's holding
out for marriage. As the script barely acknowledges such fine points,
the deciding element must be the input of George Cukor's direction,
or the actresses themselves. When the jokes get broader, they tend to
go a little flat. An elaborate gag where Kelly gets yanked off his feet
by a rope during his act isn't very good. Neither is Kelly's celebrated
song 'n dance takeoff on The Wild One, which tries to pretend that Marlon
Brando's method modernism is just a fad in comparison to Les Girls'
real deal. It's too defensive, as if 'The MGM Musical' had to assert
its identity in a changing world. Kelly's imitation of Brando is way
off target - take away the leather jacket and we wouldn't even get the
connection, If it weren't for Mitzi Gaynor's half of the comedy, nothing
much would be going on. Harvey Lembeck's pitiful Brando riff in AIP's
Beach Party movies actually comes off better than this.
Critics like to laud It's Always Fair Weather as a downbeat tale of
soured friendship and curtailed hopes, but Les Girls has its own interesting
undercurrent of melancholy. A decade has passed here as well. Only Barry
Nichols is still in show business, and he second-guesses that with a
chain of Orange Juice stands. The girls know that their dancing days
are limited, and the tale feeds on a faint hysteria that explains their
extreme behaviors & romantic desperation. It's not exactly Showgirls,
but the conflict does revolve around an incident that might be suicide.
If the final Rashomon testimony covers it up, it's not some attempt
to whitewash a lifestyle, but to just let ex-performers get on with
their lives in peace. I think that Les Girls is unbalanced because these
difficult-to-control elements were downplayed in favor of straight farce
- Fair Weather's depression wasn't boxoffice. Three years later, Billy
Wilder would be roundly criticized for making a suicide attempt a central
factor in his bittersweet The Apartment , so it's possible that all
concerned didn't think the public was ready for the material.
Warners/Turner's DVD of Les Girls is immaculate. The color is excellent,
from the very Almodóvar - like titles to the flashy stage shows. The
enhanced picture replicates the original CinemaScope framing, which
thankfully doesn't leave much room for interpretation. The remixed 5.1
audio captures the finely nuanced music & underscoring, as well as Kay
Kendall's screechy singing when tipsy.
The Classic Musicals Collection featurette this time has Taina Elg hosting
a scripted overview of the show that gets across a lot of needed backstory,
while glossily praising Kelly and the MGM musical machine. A second
short harks back to a 1980s VHS habit by adding a Tex Avery Cartoon,
Flea Circus, about flea performers who quit when they find a dog to
infest. If the inclusion of the cartoon is a comment on the showbiz
situation in Les Girls, it's pretty cynical! ~ Glenn Erickson
DVD Journal: Gene Kelly starred in a lot of great MGM musicals.
Cole Porter wrote a lot of brilliant music. And George Cukor directed
many fine films. Put them all together and you get 1957's Les Girls,
a film that shows that even the best often go out not with a bang, but
with a whimper.
After the phenomenal success of High Society, MGM brought an ailing
Cole Porter back to pen twelve songs for this new musical, Kelly's last
at MGM. Only five made it into the film and all are, sadly, quite forgettable.
Kelly plays Barry Nichols, a song-and-dance man traveling through Europe
with his "Les Girls" stage show. The story's told in flashback as one
of the girls, played by Kay Kendall, is being sued for libel by one
of the others (Taina Elg) over a tell-all autobiography. The tales that
the girls tell are wildly different (one of the film's biggest weaknesses
is that their stories share almost no common elements, destroying any
cleverness in the gimmick), and finally, in the third act, Kelly shows
up to give his version of events.
The film is overly talky and awkwardly paced, with Kelly doing some
of his worst overacting ever; between his one-dimensional performance
and Cukor's lackluster direction, the picture has a knocked-out-quickly-to-fulfill-a-contract
feeling. The one set-piece with real sparkle is Kelly's dance number
with third "Les Girl" Mitzi Gaynor set to Porter's "Why Am I So Gone
About That Gal?" in which Kelly parodies Marlon Brando's The Wild One
persona before segueing into one of his trademark modern ballets.
The women are gorgeous, the costumes delightful (the "Ladies in Waiting"
number has all three in rather risqué, backless Marie Antoinette outfits,
with blue bows decorating their almost-naked backsides), but the songs
are too few and too far between, and the story is just silly. Patrick
Macnee pops up as a barrister in the courtroom scenes, though, which
is good for a giggle.
Warner Home Video's DVD release of Les Girls, part of their "Cole Porter
Collection," offers a new digital transfer in anamorphic widescreen
preserving the film's original CinemaScope screen ratio (2.35:1). The
Metrocolor has been nicely preserved, with its vivid blues and reds;
the transfer is very clean, but some scenes are unaccountably darker
than others, making the picture occasionally appear murky. The new Dolby
Digital 5.1 audio mix (in English or French, with English, French, Spanish
and Portuguese subtitles available) is fine, if unexceptional. Also
on board is a behind-the-scenes featurette, "Cole Porter in Hollywood:
Ca C'est L'Amour" (8 min.), hosted by Taina Elg. It's a bit of fluff,
but it does provide an overview of the film's background, including
a segment on Kay Kendall, who'd been diagnosed with leukemia and died
just three years after making the film. Also included is the theatrical
trailer (which helpfully tells us that the title "rhymes with 'playgirls'")
and Tex Avery's 1954 cartoon "Flea Circus," about fleas who run away
from the circus to join a dog. Snap-case. ~ Dawn Taylor
Awards:
ACADEMY AWARDS:
Art Direction (Nomination)
Sound Recording (Nomination)
Costume Design (Winner)
GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS:
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
Taina Elg (Nominee)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
Kay Kendall (Winner)
Motion Picture Comedy or Musical (Winner)
GUILD AWARDS:
Directors Guild Award - Finalist George Cukor
W.G.A. Award - American Musical Vera Caspary John Patrick (Winner)
#8 - NEW YORK TIMES ANNUAL TEN BEST
Les Girls was one of the top-grossing films of 1957
IMDb
|
