Copyright 13 May 1957. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall: 18 July 1957 (ran six weeks). U.K. release: 1 August 1957. Australian release: 25 July 1957. 10,567 feet, 117 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Hollywood producer in Paris (Fred Astaire) hires long-hair Russian composer (Wim Sonneveld) for his latest trashy musical starring raucous ex-swimming star (Janis Paige), much to the dismay of Moscow commissar (George Tobias). An envoy (Cyd Charisse) is sent to Paris to break the contract and bring the errant composer back home.
NOTES: Mamoulian's final film, this re-make of "Ninotchka" (1939) (which starred Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas), was M-G-M production number 1709. It started shooting 7 November 1956 and wrapped up 31 January 1957. Negative cost: $1,853,463. Initial rentals gross: a most satisfactory $4,417,753.
COMMENT: Dazzling direction by Rouben Mamoulian (one of the few Hollywood artists to use CinemaScope creatively) more than makes up for a somewhat tepid script in this generally lackluster remake of the far more trenchant and much wittier "Ninotchka". The Porter score is reasonably entertaining, yes, but it's not Porter at his ravishing best – not by a long shot. Mind you, the dancing is agreeably energetic nonetheless, but even here our enjoyment strikes a setback in that Fred Astaire is often photographed so unattractively. Cyd Charisse and Peter Lorre also have reason to complain, although Cyd is supposed to look dowdy for most of the time (but is that any reason to make her close-ups so unflattering?), while Mr. Lorre did accept the role knowing full well that he'd be playing the buffoon.
Fortunately, the wonderful Janis Paige (who unaccountably disappears from the action for long stretches soon after her great introduction) does have two ebullient solos as well as the rousing "Stereophonic Sound" which she shares with Astaire.
The movie is now available on a terrific DVD from Warner which sports some excellent extras, including an interview with Cyd Charisse, plus two marvelous shorts. One of these, "Paree, Paree" (1934), based on Cole Porter's "Fifty Million Frenchmen", demonstrates exactly what is wrong with the overlong "Silk Stockings." In two delightful reels, the short focuses firmly on the songs, rather than the silly story. In other words, the story is just a hook for the songs – which is the way it should be!.
SYNOPSIS: Hollywood producer in Paris (Fred Astaire) hires long-hair Russian composer (Wim Sonneveld) for his latest trashy musical starring raucous ex-swimming star (Janis Paige), much to the dismay of Moscow commissar (George Tobias). An envoy (Cyd Charisse) is sent to Paris to break the contract and bring the errant composer back home.
NOTES: Mamoulian's final film, this re-make of "Ninotchka" (1939) (which starred Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas), was M-G-M production number 1709. It started shooting 7 November 1956 and wrapped up 31 January 1957. Negative cost: $1,853,463. Initial rentals gross: a most satisfactory $4,417,753.
COMMENT: Dazzling direction by Rouben Mamoulian (one of the few Hollywood artists to use CinemaScope creatively) more than makes up for a somewhat tepid script in this generally lackluster remake of the far more trenchant and much wittier "Ninotchka". The Porter score is reasonably entertaining, yes, but it's not Porter at his ravishing best – not by a long shot. Mind you, the dancing is agreeably energetic nonetheless, but even here our enjoyment strikes a setback in that Fred Astaire is often photographed so unattractively. Cyd Charisse and Peter Lorre also have reason to complain, although Cyd is supposed to look dowdy for most of the time (but is that any reason to make her close-ups so unflattering?), while Mr. Lorre did accept the role knowing full well that he'd be playing the buffoon.
Fortunately, the wonderful Janis Paige (who unaccountably disappears from the action for long stretches soon after her great introduction) does have two ebullient solos as well as the rousing "Stereophonic Sound" which she shares with Astaire.
The movie is now available on a terrific DVD from Warner which sports some excellent extras, including an interview with Cyd Charisse, plus two marvelous shorts. One of these, "Paree, Paree" (1934), based on Cole Porter's "Fifty Million Frenchmen", demonstrates exactly what is wrong with the overlong "Silk Stockings." In two delightful reels, the short focuses firmly on the songs, rather than the silly story. In other words, the story is just a hook for the songs – which is the way it should be!.