My Sister Eileen (1955)

Director:

Richard Quine

Writers:

Ruth McKenney (stories)
Joseph Fields (play) ...

Release Date:

22 September 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

That Joyous New Musical !

Plot:

Ruth and her beautiful sister Eileen come to New York's Greenwich Village looking for "fame, fortune and a 'For Rent' sign on Barrow Street"...

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Writer | Drugstore | Elevator | Bandstand

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Janet Leigh	...	Eileen Sherwood
Jack Lemmon	...	Robert 'Bob' Baker
Betty Garrett	...	Ruth Sherwood
Bob Fosse	...	Frank Lippincott (as Robert Fosse)
Kurt Kasznar	...	'Papa' Appopolous
Dick York	...	Ted 'Wreck' Loomis (as Richard York)
Lucy Marlow	...	Helen, Wreck's girlfriend
Tommy Rall	...	Chick Clark
Barbara Brown	...	Helen's mother
Horace McMahon	...	Police officer Lonigan
Henry Slate	...	Second drunk
Hal March	...	Pete, first drunk

Also Known As:

The Gay Girls (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (magnetic prints) | Mono (optical prints)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Columbia/Warner Bros. Ranch - 411 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Columbia originally intended to star Judy Holliday as Ruth Sherwood.

Quotes:

Ruth Sherwood: Just what kind of work are you out of, Wreck?

Movie Connections:

Version of Wonderful Town (1958) (TV)

Soundtrack:

There's Nothin' Like Love

An under-appreciated gem!!!

There are so many accolades that can be linked to the musical version of MY SISTER EILEEN in its Columbia 50's version that one doesn't know where to start. First some facts -- WONDERFUL TOWN, the Bernstein-Comden-Green Broadway version was a smash, not a so-so attempt as has been stated elsewhere. Rosalind Russell received every honor imaginable for her return to the state, and Edie Adams, as Eileen, was also acclaimed, along with the score, the book, etc. Columbia could not arrange with Bernstein and Co. for their handiwork so it rolled out its own EILEEN, and the results are beyond charming. For the record, to dispute another silly comment, BETTY GARRETT, one of the genuine talents of stage and screen, was a musical comedy star on Bway and Hollywood, so her training was extensive, and her performance in the film, perhaps, is its greatest attribute -- but the Bob Fosse-Tommy Rall 'challenge' dance outside the burlesque theater is brilliant, as is the Bandstand song. Janet Leigh would have enchanted any and all males within sight, and her singing and dancing is quite expert. Jack Lemmon's work is fine, and his voice is good -- he was a cabaret pianist-singer whenever the chance opened for him. He also recorded several LP's. IF there is one weakness, it is the same as the Broadway production (which incidentally got a stellar revival and awards recently with Donna Murphy). The ending is too abrupt, and the Conga Line number could have ended stronger. BUT it is a small element. This is one of those musicals, at the tale end of the musical era in Hollywood, that deserves to be listed among the finest of them all!!!