Designing Woman (1957)

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writer:

George Wells (writer)

Release Date:

29 July 1957 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

His world is guys and dolls! Her world is gowns and glamor!

Plot:

When Mike Hagen and Marilla Brown marry after a whirlwind romance on the west coast, they return to...

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Boxing | Sports Writer | Theatrical Producer | Musical Number

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Mike Hagen
Lauren Bacall	...	Marilla Brown Hagen
Dolores Gray	...	Lori Shannon
Sam Levene	...	Ned Hammerstein
Tom Helmore	...	Zachary Wilde
Mickey Shaughnessy	...	Maxie Stultz
Jesse White	...	Charlie Arneg
Chuck Connors	...	Johnnie 'O'
Edward Platt	...	Martin J. Daylor
Alvy Moore	...	Luke Coslow
Carol Veazie	...	Gwen
Jack Cole	...	Randy Owens

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Ontario) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #18350)

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows - 9641 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Average Shot Length = ~12.8 seconds. Median Shot Length = ~13.4 seconds.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In Marilla's office, just after she's accepted the job with the Broadway show, the men's shoes make the sound of shoes on hard flooring, despite the fact that they're actually on a thick shag rug.

Quotes:

Mike Hagen: So, what's for dinner?
Marilla Hagen: [realizing] Lori Shannon.
Mike Hagen: For dinner?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Dallas: Designing Women (#14.12)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

Music Is Better than Words

Glossy, forgettable Vincente Minnelli nonsense...

Witless romp featuring Gregory Peck as a sports-writer who has a whirlwind courtship with fashion guru Lauren Bacall, leading to a quick trip to the altar. CinemaScope fluff directed by a water-treading Vincente Minnelli does allow Peck to loosen up for a change, but the screenplay seems to have been written around the opportunities for mini-fashion shows (indeed, costumer Helen Rose devised the movie's premise, which helped win a Best Screenplay Oscar for writer George Wells). It's very slow on laughs until the amusing farcical conclusion. Peck and Bacall are not quite the sparkling romantic duo they're meant to be, nor is the lackluster supporting cast any help. Good to look at, perhaps, but certainly not memorable. *1/2 from ****