Guys & Dolls (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
Based on a popular stage musical, 'Guys & Dolls' (directed by the great Joseph L. Mankiewicz) takes place among the small-time underworld characters of NY. Nathan Detroit (Frank Sinatra) runs "The Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in NY". But he doesn't have enough $$ to book the next location for this high-stakes game. And, his long-term fiancee (14 years!), showgirl Adelaide (adorable Vivian Blaine), is so distressed over his failing to marry after all these years that she has developed a perpetual psychosomatic cold. Nathan has an opportunity to rent out the Biltmore Garage, but he needs $1,000 to do so. To get that $$, Nathan makes a bet with slick, high-roller Sky Masterson (Marlon Brando); known for his willingness to bet on just about anything.
After Sky brags that he can get any "doll" to go out on a date with him, Nathan challenges him to ask virginal Salvation Army worker, Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons). Sky is somehow able to persuade the prudish Sarah to go to Havana, Cuba(!) for dinner, and, after he spikes her "sweet milk" with liquor - it's really a Pina Colada - they have an absolutely wonderful time & she starts to fall for him {of course}. When they get back to NY, however, she discovers that the crap game couldn't materialize at the Biltmore garage, and would be held in Sarah's mission instead -- making Sarah feel betrayed by Sky. Desperate, and in order to persuade Sarah that his intentions are honorable, Sky rolls the dice in said crap game against the sinful 'souls' of the other players. Singing, dancing & romantic entanglements ensue.
Much of Guys & Dolls' exorbitant 150 min. run time is a lot of fun. Some of the casting choices drew criticism at the time of release (1955) ... but I kinda like them. I find it fascinating that 2 of the 4 leads are known as serious actors and NOT singers/dancers. We know that Frank Sinatra & Vivian Blaine (reprising her role from the Broadway show that this film is based on) are traditional showbiz pros who can sing & dance. But could Marlon Brando & Jean Simmons? The answer: Yes. Brando has a nasal tone to his speaking voice which crosses over into his singing (like with Luck Be a Lady). But the vocals are acceptable. And he's such a magnetic, charming performer that you can still enjoy his give-it-a-try theatrics.
I absolutely adored his romantic duet I'll Know with Jean Simmons as he's trying to woo her. Speaking of Simmons, she's lovely, here. The acting performance is stellar (watching her drunkenly fall over Brando in Havana is a hoot). And you know what … her voice is lovely, as well. They, along with Sinatra/Blaine, lend an emotional depth that is rare in musicals. The script is impressive; with dialogue sequences that serve as a kind of foreplay. You know it's good when you'd rather experience that, than if they were rolling around in a bed. From a technical standpoint, the production values are great. Sure, some of the sets look like sets. But most of this film was shot in a Hollywood studio and not in NY or Cuba. And the color cinematography aids the vibrancy of those sets & costumes.
Some of the songs are left off from the hit stage show. But the ones remaining in this film are joyous; and 3 or so were even written specifically for this production (such as the swoon-worthy Your Eyes are the Eyes of a Woman in Love & the jubilant Adelaide). 'Guys & Dolls' provides bold, brash & splashy fun. My main issue with the movie is that I feel like the ending was rushed (which is absurd, given the 150 min. running time). 2 of our 4 stars get celebrity treatment in the final moments with a grand wedding scene on a crowded city street. I wanted that kind of celebration for BOTH couples; yet one of them was irritatingly shortchanged. But I digress. Overall, I was thoroughly entertained by this movie musical – more so than I imagined.
After Sky brags that he can get any "doll" to go out on a date with him, Nathan challenges him to ask virginal Salvation Army worker, Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons). Sky is somehow able to persuade the prudish Sarah to go to Havana, Cuba(!) for dinner, and, after he spikes her "sweet milk" with liquor - it's really a Pina Colada - they have an absolutely wonderful time & she starts to fall for him {of course}. When they get back to NY, however, she discovers that the crap game couldn't materialize at the Biltmore garage, and would be held in Sarah's mission instead -- making Sarah feel betrayed by Sky. Desperate, and in order to persuade Sarah that his intentions are honorable, Sky rolls the dice in said crap game against the sinful 'souls' of the other players. Singing, dancing & romantic entanglements ensue.
Much of Guys & Dolls' exorbitant 150 min. run time is a lot of fun. Some of the casting choices drew criticism at the time of release (1955) ... but I kinda like them. I find it fascinating that 2 of the 4 leads are known as serious actors and NOT singers/dancers. We know that Frank Sinatra & Vivian Blaine (reprising her role from the Broadway show that this film is based on) are traditional showbiz pros who can sing & dance. But could Marlon Brando & Jean Simmons? The answer: Yes. Brando has a nasal tone to his speaking voice which crosses over into his singing (like with Luck Be a Lady). But the vocals are acceptable. And he's such a magnetic, charming performer that you can still enjoy his give-it-a-try theatrics.
I absolutely adored his romantic duet I'll Know with Jean Simmons as he's trying to woo her. Speaking of Simmons, she's lovely, here. The acting performance is stellar (watching her drunkenly fall over Brando in Havana is a hoot). And you know what … her voice is lovely, as well. They, along with Sinatra/Blaine, lend an emotional depth that is rare in musicals. The script is impressive; with dialogue sequences that serve as a kind of foreplay. You know it's good when you'd rather experience that, than if they were rolling around in a bed. From a technical standpoint, the production values are great. Sure, some of the sets look like sets. But most of this film was shot in a Hollywood studio and not in NY or Cuba. And the color cinematography aids the vibrancy of those sets & costumes.
Some of the songs are left off from the hit stage show. But the ones remaining in this film are joyous; and 3 or so were even written specifically for this production (such as the swoon-worthy Your Eyes are the Eyes of a Woman in Love & the jubilant Adelaide). 'Guys & Dolls' provides bold, brash & splashy fun. My main issue with the movie is that I feel like the ending was rushed (which is absurd, given the 150 min. running time). 2 of our 4 stars get celebrity treatment in the final moments with a grand wedding scene on a crowded city street. I wanted that kind of celebration for BOTH couples; yet one of them was irritatingly shortchanged. But I digress. Overall, I was thoroughly entertained by this movie musical – more so than I imagined.