The Girl Can’t Help It

Tags

1950's, Comedy, Edmond O'Brien, Frank Tashlin, Henry Jones, Jayne Mansfield, Musical, The Girl Can't Help It, Tom Ewell

Film Title

The Girl Can’t Help It

Director

Frank Tashlin

Starring

• Tom Ewell as Tom Miller
• Jayne Mansfield as Jerri Jordan
• Edmond O’Brien as Marty ‘Fats’ Murdock
• Henry Jones as Mousie

A wild and funny satire on the emerging rock n roll music industry of the 1950’s, Frank Tashlin’s The Girl Can’t Help It is a colourful, eventful and rocking comedy musical. It may be dated in some ways, but the comedic performances and music keep it a watchable experience.

Tom Miller is a down on his luck talent agent who hasn’t discovered a singing sensation in years and drinks heavily as a result of these crises. He is approached by mobster Marty Murdock, also referred to as Fats. Having been released from jail, he wants Tom to do a job for him. He wants Tom to turn his attractive, curvaceous and seemingly gullible moll Jerri Jordan into a star in under six weeks. The one hitch is that Jerri can’t sing and freely admits this fact to Tom. Jerri says she just wants to be a wife and live a life of domesticity, but with Fats as a partner this seems impossible. Daunted by what Fats could do to him if he doesn’t oblige, Tom agrees to the task, little realising he will get more than he originally bargained for. Matters become very complicated as Tom begins to fall for Jerri and Fats begins to suspect something about the two. Witty lines, satiric barbs and a host of cameos from many of the music stars of the 50’s heyday all come together in The Girl Can’t Help It.

Frank Tashlin brings his experiences from working in cartoons to the film and shoots it sumptuously in CinemaScope. His skill at larger than life spectacles is perfectly suited to the piece and brings an exuberance and vibrancy to the work. His eye-popping use of colour and blending with rocking music is shown to full effect when Jerri wiggles down the street in a figure-hugging dress and sends men into a frenzy, causing a man’s glasses to break and ice from the cooler to thaw in her curvaceous presence. The musical interludes of the film are outstanding and showcase the talents of many a 50’s singing sensation in inventive ways. Most of the humour in The Girl Can’t Help It comes from the satiric vibe aimed at the underhand world of the music industry and the script nicely gives this a fresh spin. Some of the story may be dated and more than a little silly at times, but these are minor flaws in a cracking musical comedy with visual flair.

Tom Ewell manages to be funny and sympathetic as the down and out Tom, whose life becomes more complicated because of his involvement with Fats and Jerri. The gorgeous Jayne Mansfield brings sexy energy to the part of the seemingly dumb blonde bombshell, who isn’t as dim as people think she is. Mansfield owns the film with her seductive shimmy,witty lines, girlish squeals and quiet intelligence that is masked by her beauty. Edmond O’Brien brings humour and a little menace to his part of Fats, his many outbursts at those around him a particularly funny occurrence. Henry Jones is quietly amusing as the enforcer of Fats, who isn’t as tough as he sometimes looks and has a decent heart.

A rollicking satire on rock n roll, The Girl Can’t Help It can’t quite escape its age but is still a whole lot of fun because of the performances and soundtrack.

 

 

Fear in the Night

Tags

1970's, Fear in the Night, Jimmy Sangster, Joan Collins, Judy Geeson, Peter Cushing, Psychological Horror, Ralph Bates

Film Title

Fear in the Night

Director

Jimmy Sangster

Starring

• Judy Geeson as Peggy Heller
• Ralph Bates as Robert Heller
• Joan Collins as Molly Carmichael
• Peter Cushing as Michael Carmichael

A creepy psychological entry into the realms of Hammer Horror comes Fear in the Night, a neatly constructed and suspenseful piece of sinister horror and rising menace. It may not rank as high as other movies from the studio, but it certainly gives off a creepy atmosphere and good performances that are hard to shake off.

Peggy Heller is a young woman who has recently married her teacher husband Robert after a short courtship. A few months prior to the marriage, Peggy suffered a nervous breakdown of which she is now recovering from. Her recovery is disturbed after she is attacked by an unknown assailant with a prosthetic arm. Although Peggy believes the attack on her was real, everyone around her believes her fragile mental state is to blame for it. Robert invites Peggy to stay in a cottage on the grounds of the school he works for. The old building is empty as the children have gone home for half term. After meeting the mysterious headmaster Michael Carmichael, who has a habit of appearing out of nowhere and his vindictively bitchy wife Molly, Peggy is again attacked by the unknown assailant. This plunges Peggy into a terrifying search for the truth in the ominous building and suspect individuals that occupy it as more creepy events begin to occur. Is all of this in Peggy’s mind? Or does she really need to be worried about her safety in the school? As the tension rises, will Peggy be able to figure out the mysterious events before it’s too late?

One thing to praise in Fear in the Night is the way it keeps you guessing for a long time. We are made to doubt our suspicions of characters because of conflicting stories and this quality makes the film very creepy indeed. One minute we’re suspecting one character, the next it’s completely turned on its head. Jimmy Sangster adds the spooky atmosphere to the film and the constant shift in suspicions by cutting scenes very close together, so it appears that they are all linked in the most sinister way. Sometimes this style may over complicated things, but he admirably keeps it in line for the majority of the picture and keeps us guessing what strange events are occurring around the terrified Peggy. Relying on sound and atmosphere, Sangster makes sure Fear in the Night is psychological if nothing else. The music for the film is an eerie mix of creeping rhythms and sudden jolts of terror that really envelop the film in a twisted glee.

Judy Geeson makes an impact as the vulnerable and childlike Peggy, capturing how her already precarious hold on events begins to crumble as she becomes more terrified by her surroundings and the repeated attacks on her by someone who no one has seen. Ralph Bates is suitably enigmatic as Robert, we are never sure whether he knows more than he is letting on or not. The sultry Joan Collins is feisty and devilishly bitchy as the headmaster’s wife, whose cutting remarks and seductive appearance begin to threaten Peggy. Although only playing a brief part, Peter Cushing cuts an imposing figure as the headmaster who seems to be around when creepy events happen.

It may not be up there with the greats of Hammer Horror, but Fear in the Night is a neat little horror flick with just enough atmosphere to keep you interested for an hour or so. Plus, it makes for creepy viewing with Halloween just around the corner.