Les Girls

PLOT:

After writing a tell-all book about her days in the dance troupe “Barry Nichols and Les Girls”, Sybil Wren (Kay Kendall) is sued for libeling her fellow dancer Angele (Taina Elg). A Rashômon (1950)-style narrative presents the story from three points of view where Sybil accuses Angele of having an affair with Barry (Gene Kelly), while Angele insists that it was actually Sybil who was having the affair. Finally, Barry gives his side of the story.

REVIEW:

Cole Porter was one of the greatest composers of show tunes that was around during the Golden Age of Broadway and Hollywood. Les Girls not only had the distinction of being one of his last works, but it was also Gene Kelly’s last musical (excluding Xanadu). Would this be a film that would be a worthy entry to the final chapters of the wondrous careers of these men?

What is this about?

Tap-dancing lothario Gene Kelly romances three different showgirls (Kay Kendall, Mitzi Gaynor and Tania Elg) from three different countries. Their stories are told in flashback and set to a sprightly Cole Porter score.

What did I like?

Gene. The last couple of Gene Kelly films I’ve seen have let such a bad taste in my mouth that I have questioned whether I really am a fan, but this has restored my faith in one of the greatest song and dance men to ever grace an American movie screen. Not only does he give a vintage Kelly performance, but he does so with the charm and grace that endeared to him to many fans past, present, and probably future. Leave us not forget the big dance number near the end. While not as elaborate as other films (part of this is because of the plot), it is still remarkable to see him do this, especially knowing this is the last musical he did for some time.

Triangle. I guess it is more of a square, huh? Since it is 3 girls and a guy, I suppose something more 4 sided would be more appropriate. Anyway, the stories told from 3 of the 4 viewpoints interested me. It may be a trope that we see ad nausem in film and television, but when done well, it is interesting to see what each of the various parties has to say for themselves and how warped and different each of their stories are from one another.

Music. While I wasn’t blown away by the songs in this film, they weren’t horrible. They kept the tone and pace of the film going, weren’t a distraction, and left the audience wanting more. Can you honestly ask for more from a musical? I think not!

What didn’t I like?

Music. I was a little disconcerted that other than the titular track, none of these songs are memorable. Even that one isn’t that remarkable. Cole Porter has penned some of the greatest songs in the American songbook, but none of them came from this film, that’s for sure.

Brushed aside. It seems that up until Kelly’s testimony at the trial, we got little to no Mitzi Gaynor. Of the 3 of these women, she is the true prize, in my opinion. The segment that finally features her is not only the funniest, but also seems to be the most drama free and well thought out. It made me wonder why they didn’t use her a bit more in the other segments, rather than have her just play a background character, for the most part.

Fun. I would have liked for this film to have a bit more of a fun tone. That isn’t to say this is some dark, dreary joint like many of today’s films, but it is no Singin’ in the Rain, to be sure. Given the subject material, one can’t exactly expect a happy-go-lucky jaunt, but these flashback scenes were meant to be a happier time. I guess I just thought that joy would have been more visible.

Believe it or not, this is one of the Gene Kelly films I was avoiding. Why, you may ask? Well, with a title like Les Girls, I assumed it was French and that Kelly, like Jayne Mansfield and many other actors of the time had been exported to Europe to do a film or two. I guess that was my first mistake of the year. So, let’s get down to it. Is this worth seeing? Well, as I was telling someone just a little while ago, this is a film that you really need to be a fan of musicals to enjoy. As a film on its own, it isn’t that great, but throw in the musical aspects and bow down to the greatness o Gene Kelly and this is a fairly decent flick. No, it isn’t something that you will remember watching 5 minutes after the credits roll, but it isn’t a bad watch. Check it out sometime!

4 out of 5 stars