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Les Girls
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Wikipedia article
, Taina Elg, Kay Kendall and Gene Kelly in 'Les Girls'
'Les Girls' (also known as 'Cole Porter's Les Girls') is a 1957 American CinemaScope musical comedy film directed by George Cukor and produced by Sol C. Siegel, with Saul Chaplin as associate producer. The screenplay by John Patrick was based on a story by Vera Caspary. The music and lyrics were by Cole Porter.
It stars Gene Kelly, Mitzi Gaynor, Kay Kendall, and Taina Elg, and the cast also includes Jacques Bergerac, Leslie Phillips, Henry Daniell, and Patrick Macnee.
Premise
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 'Rashomon'-style narrative presents the story from three points of view. Sybil accuses Angele of having an affair with Barry (Gene Kelly). Angele insists that it was actually Sybil who was having the affair. Finally, Barry gives his side of the story.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050631/plotsummary Les Girls (1957) Plot summary]
Cast
* Gene Kelly as Barry Nichols
* Mitzi Gaynor as Joy Henderson
* Kay Kendall as Lady Sybil Wren
** Betty Wand provides the singing voice of Lady Sybil Wren
* Taina Elg as Angele Ducros
* Jacques Bergerac as Pierre Ducros
* Leslie Phillips as Sir Gerald Wren
* Henry Daniell as judge
* Patrick Macnee as Sir Percy
* Stephen Vercoe as Mr. Outward
* Philip Tonge as associate judge
* Barrie Chase as dancer
Background notes
* The story by Vera Caspary was inspired by an article which appeared in 'The Atlantic' a reminiscence of a dancer's touring years. Miss Caspary's version turned the memoir into a point of dispute and raised questions about the nature of truth. As only the title was used from Miss Caspary's story for the screenplay, she joked that she was the highest paid writer in the world, as she was paid $80,000 for writing just two words "Les Girls"p.249 McGilligan, Patrick 'George Cukor: A Double Life' London: Faber and Faber 1992
*'Les Girls' was Gene Kelly's last musical under his contract at MGM which began in 1942.
*'Les Girls' was the last film score by Cole Porter and the next-to-last score of his career.
*The film's original female leads were to have been played by Leslie Caron, Cyd Charisse, Jean Simmons and Carol Haney.Parish, James Robert, Mank, Gregory W, Picchiarini, Richard'The Best of MGM: The Golden Years (192859)' 1981 Arlington House
Awards and honors
* 'Les Girls' won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for Orry-Kelly and was nominated for two other awards, Best Art Direction (William A. Horning, Gene Allen, Edwin B. Willis, Richard Pefferle) and Best Sound (Wesley C. Miller).
* The film won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Musical/Comedy and for Best Actress, Kay Kendall and Taina Elg together.
* 2006: AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals nominated
Sequel
Immediately after the film was released tentative plans were announced for a sequel called 'Les Boys'. While it did not come to pass, it did inspire 'Harry's Girls', a sitcom starring Larry Blyden which ran on NBC for 15 episodes in the fall of 1963.
Box office
According to MGM records the film made $2,415,000 in the US and Canada and $1,450,000 elsewhere, but because of its high production cost lost $1,635,000.
Choreography
'Les Girls' was a major vehicle for choreographer Jack Cole, and one of the first films to feature the role of choreographer in the opening credits.
See also
* List of American films of 1957
References
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