Les Girls (1957)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

John Patrick (screenplay)
Vera Caspary (story)

Release Date:

26 December 1957 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

They're the most vivacious...vexacious...flirtatious personalities in gay Paree!

Plot:

After writing a tell-all book about her days in the dance troupe "Barry Nichols and Les Girls", Sybil...

Plot Keywords:

Dance | Dancer | Truth | Chorus Girl | Trial

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Gene Kelly	...	Barry Nichols
Mitzi Gaynor	...	Joanne 'Joy' Henderson
Kay Kendall	...	Lady Sybil Wren
Taina Elg	...	Angèle Ducros
Jacques Bergerac	...	Pierre Ducros
Leslie Phillips	...	Sir Gerald Wren
Henry Daniell	...	Judge
Patrick Macnee	...	Sir Percy
Stephen Vercoe	...	Mr. Outward
Philip Tonge	...	Associate Judge

Also Known As:

Cole Porter's Les Girls (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (35 mm optical prints)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Australia:G (TV rating) | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Sol C. Siegel Productions

Trivia:

On the DVD, 'Tania Elg' says the original cast was supposed to include Cyd Charisse as the American girl, Leslie Caron as the French girl and Kay Kendall as the English girl. Cyd Charisse decided to do Silk Stockings (1957) instead, so Mitzi Gaynor took her part. At one point, Kay Kendall didn't want to do the film and Tania Elg was tested for her part. Ms. Kendall took the part after all, but then Leslie Caron withdrew. Tania Elg was tested for THAT part and received her first major film role.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Barry walks away from Joy after he first fakes heart problems at the outside market, Joy's voice can be heard telling the salesperson in French that she wants celery. But as she is turning her head to watch Barry leave, you can clearly see that her mouth is not moving.

Quotes:

Joy Henderson: Would you like a glass of water?
Barry Nichols: Why, do you want to soak your feet?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Rat Race (1960)

Soundtrack:

Be a Clown

One of my favorites!

As the glory days of M-G-M as Hollywood's preeminent manufacturer of musical treasures entered the sunset years, this very stylish bit of fluff, under George Cukor's very astute guidance, graced the CinemaScope/Metrocolor screen. Cole Porter contributed a score quite a bit more slender than his best, with only one standout, "Ca c'est l'Amour" briefly delivered by Taina Elg. Gene Kelly wasn't permitted any extensive opportunities to display his more athletic dancing skills, possibly because Jack Cole seems to have been the sole credited choreographer. Some viewers, reading other IMDb comments on this one, were rather annoyed by the Rashomon-like structure of John Patrick's very clever, in my view, screenplay. But it's all quite sophisticated, at least for 1957, and the "Ladies In Waiting" production number, in which Porter indulges his penchant for the risque, is hilariously reprised as the story progresses, making naughty use of the three leading ladies' attributes.

Robert Surtees lensed the entire production within the confines of M-G-M's soundstages but, with Cukor's favorite collaborator, Hoyningen-Huene, helping to apply the visual gloss, the whole enterprise is much more elegant looking than Hollywood's usual musical output. Orry-Kelly won a well-deserved Oscar for his color costume design, with one gorgeous gown worn by Mitzi Gaynor that probably accounts for most of the votes cast in his favor.

Finally mention must be made of Henry Daniell's drily witty incarnation of a judge whose patience is sorely tried by the frivolity of the case before him and, of course, Kay Kendall's terrifically funny romp as Lady Wren. What a loss to the cinema when she died so suddenly. Her fans, and I am certainly in their forefront, do so regret her early departure. (If you add this one to your video library, the widescreen DVD is the only way to do it.)