:
Fred Astaire,
Cyd Charisse,
Janis Paige,
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:
Rouben Mamoulian
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: Not Rated
: Warner Home Video
: Musicals
: 117 min.
: English, French
: English, Spanish, French
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Silk Stockings, a musical version of the 1939 Greta Garbo film Ninotchka, was adapted for the stage by George S. Kaufman, Leueen McGrath (the then-Mrs. Kaufman) and Abe Burrows, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The Broadway production, starring Hildegarde Neff and Don Ameche, ran 478 performances. The 1957 film version cast Fred Astaire as a movie producer and Cyd Charisse as dedicated communist functionary Ninotchka. In the original 1939 film, Ninotchka was sent from Mother Russia to Paris to check up on three commissars, who in turn had been ordered to retrieve a fortune in Czarist jewels. This time the commissar trio, played by Peter Lorre, Jules Munshin and Joseph Buloff, have been dispatched to Paris to reclaim defecting Soviet composer Wim Sonneveld. Since Astaire wants the composer to write the songs for his newest musical, he plies the commissars with wine, women and song, dissuading them from their mission. When Ninotchka shows up to retrieve the errant Russians, Astaire turns on the old charm with her as well. She gradually succumbs to the combined lures of romance and capitalism, but returns to Russia when she believes that Astaire has thrown her over for film-star Janis Paige (delivering a hilarious take-off of swimming star Esther Williams). But Astaire convinces her that he truly loves her, and all is well. Most of the Cold-War comedy in the Broadway production of Silk Stockings remains intact in the movie version (Soviet official George Tobias, seeking information on his predecessor, looks up the man's record in "Who's Still Who"). Also surviving virtually untouched is the Cole Porter score, including "All Of You," "A Chemical Reaction," "Without Love," "Satin and Silk," "The Red Blues," "Stereophonic Sound," and the rollicking "Siberia" (which offers the spectacle of a singing, dancing Peter Lorre!) Watch for Fred Astaire's future TV-special partner Barrie Chase as one of the dancers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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| Twilight of the MGM musical
by cjereneta
March 4, 2004 - 9:35 PM PST
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2 out of 2 members found this review helpful
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In an accompanying featurette, Cyd Charisse recalls that director Rouben Mamoulian "hated" the wide Cinemascope frame. That discomfort is clear throughout the film, weakly adapted from a Broadway play as one of MGM's last big musicals. Most every scene plays out as an uninterrupted master, with no depth of blocking. (The absence of interesting characters or dialogue also doesn't help.)
Cole Porter's songs are surprisingly weak (with the exception of his old standby "All of You"), but the staging is even worse. E.g. "Stereophonic Sound", the novelty sendup of Cinemascope and other technologies/marketing gimmicks. The song is unmelodic, but could have been saved with creative use of the frame (or with quick cuts with a variety of costumes or sets). Or with a director with a sense of comedy.
Only two Cyd Charisse numbers ("Silk Stockings" and "Red Blues") stand out with choreography and staging that feature depth and editing (and, of course, Charisse's...er...dancing).
But the rest of it was darn near unwatchable. I was tempted to scan ahead on multiple occasions.
And no, Peter Lorre's musical comedy debut is not campy fun. It's just painful. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 6.00)
8 Votes
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