StrictlyConfidential 1955's "Guys and Dolls" was a big-budget musical production that cost MGM Studios $5.5 million.Yes. It was bright and flashy. Yes. It was busy and bushy-tailed. And, yes - It was also a hopelessly boring Rom/Com that ended (after 2.5 hours) on one of the most cringe-worthy bum-notes imaginable.And, speaking about actor, Marlon Brando (aka. "Mumbles") - I cannot figure out, for the life of me, why he would agree to star in this fluffy foolishness.Not only did he come across looking like an utter jackass, singing and dancing - But he was far from being at all convincing as a sweethearted lover-boy in the heat of romance.I mean - Let's face it - Brando was born a bully (of both men and women) and that's the only type of character he's at all suited for playing.Anyway - This film has an interesting behind-the-scenes story involving the strained working relationship, on the set, between Brando (it figures) and Frank Sinatra. (For further juicy details - Check it out on Wikipedia)

pyrocitor Guys and Dolls really shouldn't have worked. Helmed by a director with no experience with musicals, starring two legendarily feuding leads, neither of whose singing styles (crooning/mumbling-with-notes) fit the piece, it's a testament to the fundamental fun of the Broadway show (faithfully adapted here) that its filmic companion is somehow all the more infectiously charming as a summation of its disparate parts. Call it luck, call it skill, but, over sixty years on, director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's film remains one of the most beloved and enduring movie musicals of all time, and still well worth experiencing for the first or fifty-first time. It's also somewhat of a time capsule for a genre in the midst of transition. Mankiewicz juxtaposing Michael Kidd's snappy, avant garde choreography with static sequences of the leads singing swooning songs to each other and the camera lands the film squarely betwixt classical and contemporary sensibilities. Amazingly, the duelling styles complement each other perfectly, infusing the seedy gambling sequences with a jazzy excitement, while painting the parallel romantic subplots with a gentle sweetness and elegance. Similarly, Mankiewicz shows a flair for infusing setting with personality, as the New York sequences bustle with a nervy energy, while colouring the dalliance to Havana with a sultry breeziness. At two-and-a-half hours, the film is indisputably overlong, but the gentle, teasing humour throughout, and little touches like the strangely eloquent gamblers and their strangely stilted, contraction-free dialogue make it a thoroughly pleasant romp, antiquated sexual politics and all. That said, it's the dazzling, star-studded cast who really give the film its unforgettable lustre. As infamous sex symbol Sky Masterson, Marlon Brando is suave, sparkling-eyed charisma personified, practically gliding through his scenes with the lope of a panther. However, Brando is too consummate an actor to deliver a mere caricature, and he weaves his breeziness with a deceptively nuanced undercurrent of brusque pragmatism and soft regret, to better sell Masterson's somewhat forced character arc into decency. Despite his purported distaste at playing second banana Nathan Detroit, Frank Sinatra proves perfect casting, delivering the perfect blend of fast-talking weediness and bombastic romanticism to keep relentless bum Detroit a roguishly irresistible scoundrel. Jean Simmons is a scream throughout, bustling with such gusto and perfect screwball banter to selling her 'adorably corrupted buttoned up prude' schtick as fresh and natural, while Broadway carryover Vivian Blaine is exquisitely sharp and witty as she is shrill, lending her scenes with Sinatra a vivacious energy. What might have seemed an ambitious gamble at the time now plays as a pair of loaded-ahem-"special" dice, as Mankiewicz's Guys and Dolls bubbles with a perfectly mischievous sense of fun and irresistible heart. It may be simpler, sweeter, and less memorable than other genre-defining classics such as Singin' in the Rain, but if you're seeking out a rollicking, robustly entertaining classical gem, you're in luck. And (you've been waiting for this), luck be a lady tonight. -8/10

l_rawjalaurence Sometimes reviewers need to rid their minds of their knowledge of a film's production history and approach it on its own terms. This is certainly the case for Joseph L. Mankiewicz's GUYS AND DOLLS, which was beset by problems arising from the antipathy between Sinatra and Brando in the leading male roles. The finished product turns out surprisingly good, not least because there are few sequences in which these two actors appear on their own. They are part of an outstanding ensemble in which many of the stars of the original Broadway production (Vivian Blane, Stubby Kaye) recreate their roles. Jean Simmons offers a winning interpretation of Sarah Brown although her songs are dubbed. Designer Oliver Smith creates a surreal yet haunting world of Runyoneseque New York, full of small shops with Expressionist facades, iconic mid-Fifties automobiles and passers-by thronging the streets. The costumes are both colorful yet indicative of an underworld where outward show mattered as much as honoring one's marker. These guys might have been small-timers but they were proud of their images. Brando is surprisingly good as Sky Masterson; he brings a Method Actor's sensibility to the role, which means that each gesture matters, even during his songs. Sinatra doesn't do much, even though he has a song especially written for him. The stand-out performances come from Blaine and Kaye; their interpretations are just definitive. For lovers of the Broadway version, Skip Martin's orchestrations of the Loesser score are perhaps a little too lush; and the arrangement of Kaye's classic "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" is just too speedy, preventing from appreciating the sheer brilliance of the lyrics. On the other hand Michael Kidd's choreography is truly miraculous - a riot of color, energy and subtlety.

Chrysanthepop Joseph Mankiewicz's 'Guys and Dolls' is a funny musical comedy based on the famous musical play. Colourful and full of energy, filled with songs, dance and gambling, the pacing does occasionally stumble as it sometimes feels as though the songs overshadow the story. In my opinion, some of the songs could have been left out, like the pussycat number. The overall dance numbers are very well choreographed. Hats off to the art department for making the film look so beautiful and vibrant with different colours. The cinematography is brilliant.I never thought I'd see Brando sing and dance. It wasn't something I'd even imagined but he does a decent job. Sinatra is already familiar with this genre. However, his role is barely developed. Of the women, Vivian Blaine and Jean Simmons do a fine job using their comic flair. Stubby Kaye provides fine support as Nicely.Finally, in my opinion, 'Guys and Dolls' is among the better musical of the 50s. Amusing, entertaining, energetic and (at the very least) foot-tapping, just what a musical should be.