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Guys and Dolls ReviewsRating: 5 - Guys & Dolls is a TRUE masterpiece of a musical! All I can say is... WOW. I think this has to be probably my second favorite movie musical (and one of my FAVORITE musicals) of all times... tying with "Singin' In The Rain", being preceeded only by "Damn Yankees" and followed by "Sweet Charity." So what makes Guys & Dolls so great? Michael Kidd's choreography for one thing... the guy is a genius!!!! He's introduced some of the best dancing stars to the stage (ie, Gwen Verdon in "Can-Can") and this showcases his talents as a choreographer. Another thing are the wonderful tunes. Can you imagine a world without tunes like "Adelaide's Lament" and "I'll Know"? I sure can't. Of course, the actors have a lot to do with it. Case in point number 1... Marlon Brando. Okay, so Marlon Brando's NOT a singer... big deal. But it's not like he's absolutely so horrendous you want to THROW things at the screen. In fact, I found him marvelous! He's VERY talented. He and Jean Simmons have such charisma together! Case in point 2, Jean Simmons! Who better to play adorable little mission doll Sarah Brown than this lovely lady? And her singing pipes aren't terrible either. Her acting skills are most exquisite! Case in point 3... Frank Sinatra. GORGEOUS MAN. GORGEOUS VOICE. And whatta actor! He is so loveable as Nathan Detroit... and he and Vivian Blaine have SUCH A GREAT CHEMISTRY!!!! Which brings me to case in point 4... VIVIAN BLAINE. I adore her. I don't think there will ever be another Adelaide who comes even CLOSE to her (except for, perhaps, the wonderful Miss Faith Prince...). I mean, Vivian just OWNS this part! That voice... that electricity... to me, she just steals the show! So in short, if you love 50s movie musicals, or you're just a fan of the Broadway show... buy it! (But there are a few songs cut... such as "A Bushel and a Peck" and "Marry The Man Today"... but don't let that discourage you!) Rating: 4 - Not perfect, but a heckuva lot of fun. Damon Runyon's work is an odd choice for musical comedy, but here it works just fine with a score by Frank Loesser, and a terrific cast. Sinatra as Nathan Detroit is a great anchor. He can sing, he can act and he's got charm for days. Scene-stealer Stubby Kaye offers considerable support as Nicely Nicely Johnson as does Vivian Blaine as Miss Adelaide. The casting of Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons in the central roles, strikes me as odd, but they both do good jobs, showing, particularly in Brando's case, a nice comedic sensibility. The tunes are mostly catchy ("Can Do," "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat" and "Luck Be a Lady Tonight" will have you humming for days,)the dialogue is witty and the actors give it their all. The result is a clever, funny, engaging film that you'll enjoy over and over. Highly recommended.
Guys and Dolls |
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