JohnHowardReid Copyright 1957. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall: 3 October 1957 (ran 6 weeks). U.K. release: 22 December 1957. Australian release: 12 December 1957. 10,278 feet. 114 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Which of his three dancing partners is Barry Nichols in love with?NOTES: One of the last original (as opposed to Broadway adaptations) big-screen musicals, this movie also stands in the record books as Cole Porter's last score and Gene Kelly's last film for Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer. While the critics loved it (the film came in 6th in the Film Daily's annual poll of film critics and commentators) and New Yorkers took it to their hearts, the rest of the nation was pretty well indifferent. I remember seeing it with a very modest crowd at its L.A. showcase.COMMENT: A most stylish and invigorating musical, "Les Girls" gives the impression that director Cukor set out to emulate the best of Minnelli, whilst producer Siegel threw down a similar challenge to Arthur Freed.Like all the very, very best musicals, the plot of "Les Girls" is particularly strong. In fact, so fascinating and appealing is it that our novel story and its colorful characters actually tends to overshadow the musical numbers — even with a score by the great Cole Porter.Naturally, being a Cukor film, the acting is particularly enchanting. Kay Kendall enacts a most difficult role with a consummately delightful ease which will set both critics and fans cheering.Taina (pronounced "Tina" to rhyme with China) Elg also handles a challenging role with considerable skill and finesse. In fact, she even succeeds in eliciting and maintaining audience sympathy for a character who is too worldly-wise for her own good.Both comediennes receive able support from the two men in their lives, namely British stalwart Leslie Phillips and charming (if aptly a little stiff) Frenchman, Jacques Bergerac.It is the wonderful Mitzi Gaynor who receives somewhat short shrift from the script. True, she looks most attractive, but it is not until the third of the story flashbacks that she has anything much to do. And as for her singing and dancing abilities, these are hardly catered for at all. Her numerous fans from "South Pacific" are going to be mighty disappointed.Mr. Kelly of course is much his usual calculatedly easy-going self. As mentioned above, "Les Girls" is nothing if not stylish. The color, the sets, the costumes — all represent M-G-M musical craftsmanship and artistry at its highest. If the movie is not a masterpiece, it's not for want of creativity and sensibility, it's simply that the score itself is — by Porter standards — somewhat second-rate.OTHER VIEW: I don't consider myself a director of musicals, like Minnelli or Stanley Donen. There's something illogical about musicals: people open their mouths and start singing, all of a sudden. It has to be done with a certain amount of style, not realistic at all. Did you notice how carefully color was used in "Les Girls"? Color- coordinator George Hoyningen-Huene and I decided to give each girl a color to herself, that would color each girl's sequence. Sometimes there was no color at all, which whets your appetite for later. Of course, we also had Gene Allen working with us, a very talented designer and now, sometimes, a writer. Gene is credited with George for designing the main title, but he actually did much, much more than that. - George Cukor.

verna-a There are fabulous talents involved in this film, but the result is not as good as I expected. Cole Porter's songs are surprisingly undistinguished, and there's not quite as much singing and dancing as there could be. The settings and costuming are great however, and keep the eye entertained. Love those 50's wasp waists and bouffant skirts! The screenplay is sharp, the acting good, and the intriguing story keeps bowling along.Predictable it's not. Kay Kendall displays her talent for comedy, but for me the standout is Mitzi Gaynor. She is a snappy little actress and a lithe and fluid dancer. In this vehicle she outclasses Gene Kelly who falls short of his usual charm. Taina Elg (who?)is pretty enough, but to me does not have any charisma. Overall, while witty and entertaining, the story is lacking in warmth and romance. Maybe it's too witty: the stuff about relationships is pretty cynical. To summarize, it falls short on delivering the magic of the great musicals. You won't fall asleep, but you won't be singing or dancing around the living room either. 6 out of 10.

msato404040 Ah, the radical viewpoint. It seems that Cukor, a cinematic legend, had a muse, one that no one would suspect because he only used the most bare bones part of his inspiration - Akira Kurosawa's 1950 masterpiece, Rashomon. Cukor created his own masterpiece in Les Girls, with a feel that's 180 degrees away from Rashomon's dark, brooding atmospherics. Much more clever than the excellent adaptation of The Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven. Setting the self interest of different witnesses about the scandalous events upon which their very disparate versions of those events, painting themselves in the best light, into a typical behind-the-scenes plot of a musical comedy production is brilliant, but not well appreciated.

Boba_Fett1138 This is an enjoyable and good late MGM musical.This is a good genre movie, from genre specialist George Cukor, with all of the typical and formulaic elements present in it. It's cheerful looking and slightly over-the-top, like it should be. The story is of course once more about love and the musical business.The story might sounds formulaic and simple but it is yet the story that makes this movie distinct itself from other genre movies and make this an original one. The story is told from three different point-of-views in a courtroom, after each other. The storytelling is obviously inspired by Akira Kurosawa's "Rashômon". Does this storytelling work out perfect in this movie? I have to say no. Although it works original, it also tends to make the movie needlessly tiresome after a while. It's not always interesting or refreshing enough to follow the story from the three different viewpoints. Unlike "Rashômon", you as the viewer often feel cheated about what the real truth is. The three different stories too often make each other weaker, instead of stronger and more intriguing, even though it still makes the movie as a whole original and refreshing. So you can really say that the story and storytelling is one of the stronger- as well as one of the weaker points of the movie.Gene Kelly is good in his role but really the main characters of the movie are the three girls. They mostly carry the movie and make the movie a delight to watch. The movie further more also features some other great supporting actors, such as; Patrick Macnee and Leslie Phillips. The characters are all fun and have some good chemistry, even though they are all far from well developed or written.The sets, costumes (Oscar-winner) and the musical numbers are great looking, like you always should expect from a genre movie like this one, from the MGM-studios. This movie will surely not disappoint the fans.It's a good and even one of the better and more fun musicals from the MGM-studios.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/