Monday 9 May 2022

Ask Any Girl (1959 Charles Walters)

Funny how in just a decade this film would have already seemed unacceptable. Shirley MacLaine won't indulge in sex before marriage, thus disappoints many New York creeps. Sets her sights on one of her bosses, Gig Young, and enlists the help of his brother David Niven to woo him by copying attributes from various girlfriends - guess what happens?? So, sort of a Sabrina variant, in a way.

Worst of all is MacLaine's flatmate who doesn't tidy up or pay the rent, has loads of parties with pretentious actor types, then locks her out and keeps all her possessions!

With a young Rod Taylor. An MGM picture but didn't recognise writer George Wells (based on Winifred Wolfe's out of print novel), DP Robert Bronner, composer Jeff Alexander nor editor John McSweeney. A rare film now - the remaining commercially available Italian DVD is expensive, is not anamorphic and of dubious quality. My 'MGM Story' reports it was a box office hit, and comments on the teaming of Niven and MacLaine as being like a Powell and Loy partnership...?

Didn't think I knew Gig Young really; in fact he's been in many diverse films from Old Acquaintance in 1943 through to Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia in 1974, and comedies like Desk Set, Teacher's Pet, and That Touch of Mink.

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