I was really pleased to finally locate this film as I'd never heard of it until seeing a segment in 'That's Entertainment Part 3' years ago. It's a big of an oddity- it almost seems as though it's the last chance for some big name women to strut their stuff on the big screen before retiring. The storyline vaguely follows the original play but the biggest error is the inclusion of male characters. The charm and cleverness of the original is the fact that men are discussed but never seen. The musical numbers are generally pretty dire so keep the forward button close to hand if you can't handle them- the banana number from the musical within the plot line is a huge cringe-fest. Great costumes by Helen Rose make it at least visually interesting (although I'm not sure where she was going with Dolores Gray's bust-line in one of the dresses- a bit of an east/west angle which looks frightening!!) Joan Collins is fun in the Crystal Allen role but a few wasted opportunities with some of the others. Why have Anne Miller in a movie and not have her dance? Anne Sheridan always lovely and Agnes Moorehead suits the role of the Countess. It's not a BAD film but it's such a strange affair. Stick to the original though I must say it is bearable compared to the 2008 version which almost had me reaching for a paper bag for both nausea and hyperventilation in it's awfulness. I'm glad to say I've seen it and maybe it will start me off on a hobby of collecting the lesser known 'treasures' of the musical genre. You WON'T leave the film singing the tunes from this film as they are generally forgettable but as a curiosity factor, I give it a 6.
Review of The Opposite Sex
