Film Review
With three successful MGM musicals under his belt -
On
the Town (1949),
Royal
Wedding (1951) and
Singin' in the Rain (1952) -
director Stanley Donen was well into his stride by the time he came to
direct
Give a Girl a Break
(1953). What was initially conceived as a big budget extravaganza
with a stellar cast ended up being one of MGM's less ambitious musicals
and, lacking the star power of similar MGM productions, it actually proved
to be a notable box office flop. Despite the lukewarm reception
it received on its initial release and the fact that it has been
massively overshadowed by Donen's other great cinematic achievements
Give a Girl a Break is one of the
director's most charming and heart-warming films, and its lack of
in-your-face showiness adds hugely to its appeal.
Debbie Reynolds and Bob Fosse (later to become one of Broadway's most
successful directors and choreographers, best known for his popular musical
Cabaret (1972)) are easily the stars of the
show and form the most delightful couple as a wannabe dancer and
love-struck star-maker respectively. Not only do they get to play
the most sympathetic and believable characters (the others are, almost
without exception, blatant caricatures who struggle to win our indulgence), they also get the best dance
routines, including a spectacular rooftop sequence in which they
trip the light fantastic in a hail of brightly coloured balloons. There is a
similarly intoxicating dreamlike feel to most of the other dance
numbers, each interpreted with stunning élan by performers of
exceptional ability and staged with nothing less than faultless
genius. The only thing that lets the film down is its well-worn
and mostly predictable plot, but this is a flaw that is easily forgiven
on account of the shameless exuberance that ends up getting plastered on the screen. It
may look modest compared with MGM's grander musicals, and
the dearth of memorable songs could be the main reason for its
comparative obscurity, but
Give a Girl a Break still has a great
deal to commend it - a sweet, feel-good indulgence that leaves you
craving more of the same.
© James Travers 2014
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Film Synopsis
Broadway producer Felix Jordan has a crisis on his hands when his
temperamental lead actress walks out of his latest show
Give a Girl a Break. His
director Ted Sturgis persuades him to organise auditions with a view to
casting an unknown talent in the role. Two hopefuls are selected
- the ballerina Joanna Moss and an aspiring newcomer Suzy Doolittle - but
Jordan still hankers after giving the role to an established performer
and so coerces Ted's former dance partner, Madelyn Corlane, into
auditioning for the part. Ted's initial reluctance to work with
Madelyn again soon wanes but his composer Leo Belney is adamant that
Joanna should get the part. The show's naive gofer Bob Dowdy sees
things differently however. Smitten with Suzy, he is certain she
will be the ideal lead...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.