Les Girls
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Movie Reviews of Les Girls
Movie Review: Gene Kelly's farewell to MGM
Summary: 4 Stars
The three "That's Entertainment" films highlighted the great musicals made by MGM from 1929 to 1958, but they did not include any of this marvelous late musical film (released in 1957), which was apparently Gene Kelly's final production for the Culver City studio. Released near the end of the great musical era at MGM, "Les Girls" was also the final film to have original songs (and lyrics) by Cole Porter. (Porter's final score was for the 1958 CBS special "Aladdin.")
It is well known how Gene Kelly set such high standards for his musicals, seeking new, innovative approaches to dance on film and how he rehearsed endlessly and demanded the same from his costars. Although this film was directed by George Cukor, there are times when Kelly so dominates the film that it seems almost autobiographical. The energetic, athletic approach to dance, which was acknowledged by friend and colleague Fred Astaire (particularly in the first "That's Entertainment film), is clearly present in this production. The motorcycle gang sequence is particularly imaginative and is a good example of Kelly's efforts to seek fresh approaches to dance on film.
Kelly is partnered with three singing dancers with very different backgrounds: an American, Mitzi Gaynor (who appeared in numerous movie musicals in the 1950s, mostly at 20th Century Fox); an Englishwoman, Kay Kendall (married to actor Rex Harrison and who tragically died from cancer only two years later); and a Frenchwoman, played by Finnish actress Taina Elg.
The film presents three different versions of the same story, in which it appears that Kelly has been romantically involved with one of his female partners. The "truth" emerges during a British libel trial, leading the viewer to wonder what exactly did happen.
Besides the delightful Cole Porter music, the film also has the lavish MGM look, with impressive sets, garish color photography, and elegant costumes. Sadly, the great MGM era was drawing to a close and the studio itself would go into a slow decline.
George Cukor was often said to be a "woman's director," but he was actually very gifted and imaginative. He had a special way with musicals, as demonstrated by his work on two legendary Warner Brothers films: the 1954 version of "A Star Is Born" with Judy Garland and James Mason, and the 1964 adaptation of "My Fair Lady" with Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn.
The Hollywood musical declined, of course, in the late 1950's due to the increasing popularity of rock music. Elvis Presley actually made a series of musicals for MGM, which were quite successful, because his movies included the music most young people wanted to hear. The more traditional musicals faded, even at MGM (which was so noted for its musical, produced mainly by Arthur Freed or Joe Pasternack), with most future productions focusing on adaptations of successful Broadway shows. MGM's final original musical was Lerner and Loewe's "Gigi," released in 1958.
Although this film wasn't showcased in any of the "That's Entertainment" tributes, it is still very entertaining and it gives us yet another opportunity to enjoy the dancing and singing of the Gene Kelly, this time with three very capable partners.
Movie Review: Ladies in Waiting
Summary: 4 Stars
Cukor was tempting fate giving his stylish musical a polyglot title like Les Girls, for half the audience isn't going to know what "Les" means, unless they thought it was short for lesbians. In fact it's a sort of sapphic fantasy in which Taina Elg and Kay Kendall are suing each other with the sort of venom that only exlovers can feel for each other, their husbands clearly accessories in their battle of the courtroom. Weaving a London sandwich-board man in and out of the present day action, wearing a sign that reads "What is Truth?" underlines what is apparently the intellectual point, but the movie has a built-in weakness in that we can never really figure out what did happen, it just isn't possible on film. Was Kay Kendall an alcoholic in all three versions of the story? In none of them is she really amusing, but I'll just pretend that her performance must have cracked them up in the mid-1950s.
She is exactly the sort of actor Cukor loved, all style and elegance and yet, human and imperfect, and her sharp little chin and huge eyes and those sharp cheekbones always make her worth watching, even if in some shots she's madeup so much one loses track of what her face might actually look like. But if you ask me, Minnelli gave her a little more to work with in THE RELUCTANT DEBUTANTE, not to mention all those British movies people loved her in like the car one. Taina Elg looks great too, especially in her audition costume, if you'll remember it's an audacious 2 piece number in which it looks as though her body parts are falling out of flower baskets, very surreal. You can't even imagine how her dressers got it onto her! Finally Mitzi Gaynor is, well, I used to think she was the definition of mediocre, as maybe a third rate Doris Day, but in this movie I was really struck by how alert she was, and how subtle (I can't believe I'm saying these things about, oh my goodness, Mitzi Gaynor!!!) Shall I give her another chance? Maybe in her other movies, but I can't make myself see South Pacific again, not in this lifetime. Gene Kelly? Mixed feelings, but whoever said that he was emotionally unavailable hit the nail on the head. Cukor gets five stars for his setups and his theatrical backstagery, and more stars for the bumpy multilevel charm of Les Girls' ramshackle flat, but the picture drags and we have to wait too long for the big payoff scene between Elg and Kendall. But they are hot stuff and this film should be required viewing for a course in "Lesbianism in the Movies."
Movie Review: "Rashomon" with music and beauties, energized by Kay Kendall
Summary: 4 Stars
As several other reviewers have commented, this film, Gene Kelly's last musical with MGM, borrows its central conceit from Akira Kurosawa's immortal "Rashomon" - only this time, the central event isn't a murder, but a tangled love affair involving a song-and-dance man (Kelly) and his three gorgeous backups (Kendall, Mitzi Gaynor and Taina Elg) which becomes the subject of a media-magnet London lawsuit. The lovely, much-lamented Kendall's performance is the core of this movie (her drunken-opera scene is not to be missed!) but Elg, Gaynor and Kelly all turn in highly creditable work as well.Movie Review: little known musical
Summary: 4 Stars
(refering to VHS) This is one of the lesser known musicals and perhaps it doesn't have some of the innovation of "Singing in the Rain," or "An American in Paris," it is still a delightful musical. I have been a big fan of musicals for years and of Gene Kelly in particular. Kay Kendall is a delight, Taina Elg is lovely and very Parisien, and Mitzi Gaynor is darling as the down to earth American that keeps Gene's feet on the ground. The success of "Chicago," hopefully shows Hollywood that musicals appeal is not gone just more sophisticated. Buy it for the fun of it.
Movie Review: Nice Musical
Summary: 4 Stars
The sound (remastered in DD 5.1) is amazing for a DVD and the picture quality is very good too.
The "Robe" Dance Scene is amazing and very well made and also the Marlon Brando's "The Wild One" Parody - Did I hear a part from the melody of "Somethin'Stupid"? (or I'm wrong?).
Special Features are: a vintage Cartoon and a 9 min documentary "Taine Elg Hosts Cole Porter in Hollywood: Ca C'est L'amour"