One of my favorite MGM musicals. It had something that stood out from the rest, for me at least. It was so sexy and fun and the costume/ set design grabbed me. Not to mention the music. I have it on DVD and I find myself playing this quite often. Always puts me in an upbeat mood. Ann Miller and Tommy Rall's chemistry. Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson. They were phenomenal as an onscreen couple. And Bob Fosse, that number " From This Moment On" was legendary. 10 out of 10 indeed! ❤
Enjoyed your review of "Kiss Me Kate." You seem very knowledgeable about the stars you talk about. Let me ask you this then. If "Kiss Me Kate" was such a success for MGM why then did Kathryn Grayson fail to ever make another film for MGM after "Kiss Me Kate?" Miss Grayson was under contract to MGM since 1942 or so and then after "Kiss Me Kate" MIss Grayson never again starred in a motion picture except for a rather obscure film she did three years after "Kiss Me Kate" called "The Vagabond King." Did MGM terminate Miss Grayson from her contract after "Kiss Me Kate"? The fact that Miss Grayson never again worked for MGM after "Kiss Me Kate" must mean that MGM did not think much of her performance in the film. Deanna Durbin would have been better than Miss Grayson. Miss Durbin was a better actress with more nuances to her acting technique whereas Miss Grayson tends to over act in all of her pictures. Ann Miller on the other hand got her MGM contract renewed for another seven years based on her performance in "Kiss Me Kate."
Hi! Thank you for your comment. I believe the reason for Miss Grayson's decreased film work after Kiss Me Kate was due to both the decline of the Hollywood musical (musicals were still being made after this time but not nearly as frequently as before) and possibly also to her particular style. Her voice did not lend itself to the Pajama Game/Oklahoma/Guys and Dolls (etc etc) style of musical, in my opinion, certainly not in a leading role. She was loaned out to Warners Bros after this time, but her contract did expire around this time and MGM obviously decided not to pick it up. She did work very successfully on stage, though. I personally prefer watching Deanna Durbin to Kathryn Grayson myself, but I enjoy Deanna Durbin's rather wry take on the world around her. It would have been fascinating to see her in this role, I agree!
Keel and Grayson were Louis B Mayer's replacements for Eddy and Macdonald, but by the early 1950s audiences were getting tired of the operetta-ish tunefulness LB adored. Nor were new trends in jazz such as bebop amenable to song-and-dance movies. Rogers & Hammerstein's dramatically rich musicals were hot on Broadway, but not yet on screen. Grayson and Keel were adequate actors and could have fitted into that kind of story picture, but nobody was yet writing them for the big screen; Loesser and Loewe, Kander and Ebb and the Sherman brothers had not yet clicked. And neither Keel nor Grayson were hoofers. Clearly their short-term futures lay on the boards, not in front of cameras, even 3D ones.
Ann Miller's performance in "Too Darn Hot!" is fabulous. The score is wonderful. The rest of the movie sucks--especially Kathryn Grayson. Bitch works my last nerve.
One of my favorite MGM musicals. It had something that stood out from the rest, for me at least. It was so sexy and fun and the costume/ set design grabbed me. Not to mention the music. I have it on DVD and I find myself playing this quite often. Always puts me in an upbeat mood. Ann Miller and Tommy Rall's chemistry. Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson. They were phenomenal as an onscreen couple. And Bob Fosse, that number " From This Moment On" was legendary. 10 out of 10 indeed! ❤
Tommy Rall is phenomenal. I am glad that she gives him the attention and accolades he deserves.
One of my favourite lines from Cole Porter's output -
" Oh where is Lisa, the lovely Lisa,
she gave a new meaning to the Leaning Tower if Pisa "
One of Evelyn Waugh's favorite movies.
Oooh, NEVER saw this one! I LOVE the soundtrack of this show (think it's the one from Broadway in late '90s or early '00s)! Gotta check it out soon...
Enjoyed your review of "Kiss Me Kate." You seem very knowledgeable about the stars you talk about. Let me ask you this then. If "Kiss Me Kate" was such a success for MGM why then did Kathryn Grayson fail to ever make another film for MGM after "Kiss Me Kate?" Miss Grayson was under contract to MGM since 1942 or so and then after "Kiss Me Kate" MIss Grayson never again starred in a motion picture except for a rather obscure film she did three years after "Kiss Me Kate" called "The Vagabond King." Did MGM terminate Miss Grayson from her contract after "Kiss Me Kate"? The fact that Miss Grayson never again worked for MGM after "Kiss Me Kate" must mean that MGM did not think much of her performance in the film. Deanna Durbin would have been better than Miss Grayson. Miss Durbin was a better actress with more nuances to her acting technique whereas Miss Grayson tends to over act in all of her pictures. Ann Miller on the other hand got her MGM contract renewed for another seven years based on her performance in "Kiss Me Kate."
Hi! Thank you for your comment. I believe the reason for Miss Grayson's decreased film work after Kiss Me Kate was due to both the decline of the Hollywood musical (musicals were still being made after this time but not nearly as frequently as before) and possibly also to her particular style. Her voice did not lend itself to the Pajama Game/Oklahoma/Guys and Dolls (etc etc) style of musical, in my opinion, certainly not in a leading role. She was loaned out to Warners Bros after this time, but her contract did expire around this time and MGM obviously decided not to pick it up. She did work very successfully on stage, though. I personally prefer watching Deanna Durbin to Kathryn Grayson myself, but I enjoy Deanna Durbin's rather wry take on the world around her. It would have been fascinating to see her in this role, I agree!
She had already left the studio before filming Kiss Me Kate but was asked back to make it.
old films are of a time♥️
Keel and Grayson were Louis B Mayer's replacements for Eddy and Macdonald, but by the early 1950s audiences were getting tired of the operetta-ish tunefulness LB adored. Nor were new trends in jazz such as bebop amenable to song-and-dance movies.
Rogers & Hammerstein's dramatically rich musicals were hot on Broadway, but not yet on screen. Grayson and Keel were adequate actors and could have fitted into that kind of story picture, but nobody was yet writing them for the big screen; Loesser and Loewe, Kander and Ebb and the Sherman brothers had not yet clicked. And neither Keel nor Grayson were hoofers. Clearly their short-term futures lay on the boards, not in front of cameras, even 3D ones.
no. dear, Ansco color it was filmed in. and they did want Deanna Durbin to do it, but she declined. pity.
💜💜💜👈YMJ🎭🎬💜...
I THOUGHT KATHRYN GRAYSON WAS AT HER BEST IN THIS MOVIE SINGING ACTING AND COMEDY
Ann Miller's performance in "Too Darn Hot!" is fabulous. The score is wonderful. The rest of the movie sucks--especially Kathryn Grayson. Bitch works my last nerve.
Put your handz down!
Who is this weird woman ?