Kiss Me Kate (1953)
The beloved Cole Porter stage musical was adapted to the screen in 1953, starring Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson, the dynamite duo who won audience’s hearts in Showboat two years prior. I don’t know how it’s possible, but the finished result of Kiss Me Kate is terrible. It’s so bad, I didn’t buy a copy to keep on my musical film shelf, which boasts over twenty classics.
Kathryn Grayson, normally beautiful, endearing, and possessing a gorgeous soprano voice, is extremely disappointing. She wears a terribly unflattering wig, and the hair color and style make audiences forget how pretty she is. She tries to belt “I Hate Men” and it just doesn’t work. Ann Miller takes the second lead and absolutely ruins the part. Kiss Me Kate is a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, and the part of Bianca is normally sweet, adorable, and irresistible. I’ve never liked Ann Miller; her conceit and dance style always rubbed me the wrong way. She turns Bianca into an arrogant, stage-hogging character with extended dance sequences that bore the audience to tears. However, if you feel differently about Ann Miller, you’ll obviously feel differently about what she does to the role.
The good news is there’s nothing wrong with Howard Keel’s performance. As you can imagine, he’s wonderful in the role of Fred. Fred has to be larger than life, just as much an actor onstage as he is off; he’s charming, boisterous, and it doesn’t hurt if he’s handsome. Howard Keel earns his title as the king of musicals, giving all the elements of a wonderful performance despite his lackluster costars. His timing is impeccable, and he sells a song with his expressions as well as his beautiful voice.
If you can find a taped version of a live production of Kiss Me Kate--there are several out there—you can give one of those a try for a better rendition. It really is a cute musical, but the 1953 film doesn’t showcase it properly. I’m a bit biased, though. I’ve seen tapes of my mom playing both the Kathryn Grayson and Ann Miller roles onstage; it’s no wonder I was so critical of the film’s leading ladies. I know what it looks like when it’s done properly!
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Classic Cinema Central Seleus B" for posting!
More Kathryn Grayson movies here!
More Howard Keel movies here!
Kathryn Grayson, normally beautiful, endearing, and possessing a gorgeous soprano voice, is extremely disappointing. She wears a terribly unflattering wig, and the hair color and style make audiences forget how pretty she is. She tries to belt “I Hate Men” and it just doesn’t work. Ann Miller takes the second lead and absolutely ruins the part. Kiss Me Kate is a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, and the part of Bianca is normally sweet, adorable, and irresistible. I’ve never liked Ann Miller; her conceit and dance style always rubbed me the wrong way. She turns Bianca into an arrogant, stage-hogging character with extended dance sequences that bore the audience to tears. However, if you feel differently about Ann Miller, you’ll obviously feel differently about what she does to the role.
The good news is there’s nothing wrong with Howard Keel’s performance. As you can imagine, he’s wonderful in the role of Fred. Fred has to be larger than life, just as much an actor onstage as he is off; he’s charming, boisterous, and it doesn’t hurt if he’s handsome. Howard Keel earns his title as the king of musicals, giving all the elements of a wonderful performance despite his lackluster costars. His timing is impeccable, and he sells a song with his expressions as well as his beautiful voice.
If you can find a taped version of a live production of Kiss Me Kate--there are several out there—you can give one of those a try for a better rendition. It really is a cute musical, but the 1953 film doesn’t showcase it properly. I’m a bit biased, though. I’ve seen tapes of my mom playing both the Kathryn Grayson and Ann Miller roles onstage; it’s no wonder I was so critical of the film’s leading ladies. I know what it looks like when it’s done properly!
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Classic Cinema Central Seleus B" for posting!
More Kathryn Grayson movies here!
More Howard Keel movies here!