Movie Review - Guys and Dolls (1955)
I like this movie. Musicals are just great. I think we all should just break out in song and dance every once in awhile. It would make life so much more interesting. Anyway. 'Guys and Dolls' is about Sky Masterson (Marlon Brando), a gambler who bets Nathan Detroit (Frank Sinatra) that he can get any woman Nathan chooses to go to Havanna with him. The woman Nathan chooses is Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons) who, of course, is an uptight prudish Save-a-Soul mission (like Salvation Army) missionary. (I liked this movie before, but when I watched it this time, I had to laugh because I am sure that this is how the cook at work sees me, and I could see shades of him in Sky.)
The songs are fun. 'Luck Be a Lady' was on AFI's list of top 100 movie songs. I remember when I was watching that countdown that Barbara Streisand said that she likes this movie and when she first saw it she was thinking 'yeah, this is good,' until Marlon Brando came on singing that song. All of a sudden she was a lot more interested - this man had such a sexy voice. I remember thinking, 'sexy voice? his voice is not all that.' But then I saw it in context. And yeah - wow is it sexy! I had heard Sinatra's version, and it is good, but Brando's version has a lot more urgency and pleading, which is perfect for this song.
Sinatra wanted the role of Sky but I cannot picture that. Brando was great as Sky. But more than that, Sinatra was perfect as Nathan. While it is hard to picture anyone else as Sky, it is impossible to picture anyone else as Nathan. He was brilliantly cast.
I do not, however, care for Jean Simmons. For one, I did not like her voice (nasal and often flat), and for two, (though it was not completely her fault - the script is also to blame) I felt she made Sarah too uptight at the beginning to make any interest in Sky believable. (I hope I did not just ruin it for you.)
But it is still good. It has a Broadway feel to it. Oh yeah, and one more thing I like is that the guys do not use contractions. It is quite amusing.
And oh yeah, one more reason I probably like it is that I find gamblers sexy.
posted by melilotnfosco | 5:06 PM
6 Comments:
Ooh definately want to see this one now! I'm interested in the pleading yearning that goes with sexy gamblers. :-) Something like that.
lol!
I could have told you just by the names that Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterson were players and that Sarah Brown was prudish.
You didn't think young Brando was sexy? Haven't you seen "Streetcar"?
They talked without contractions? I was watching "Boy Meets World" today and Frankie Stupino (Randy from "My Name is Earl") was not using contractions. "Father, it is you..."
I just didn't think Brando's voice was sexy (until I saw this). Cuz yeah, he himself was way sexy. Just ask mom.
oops - you're right. You were commenting on his sexy voice, not his sexy body.
thank you for telling me i'm right. (like i didn't know :P )
i wonder what it was that mom said about brando
Post a Comment
<< Home