Kiss Me Kate (1953)

Fred and Lilly are a divorced pair of actors who are brought together by Cole Porter who has written a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Of course, the couple seem to act a great ... See full summary »

Director:

George Sidney

Writers:

Dorothy Kingsley (screenplay), Sam Spewack (play),

Stars:

Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kathryn Grayson	...	Lilli Vanessi 'Katherine'
Howard Keel	...	Fred Graham 'Petruchio'
Ann Miller	...	Lois Lane 'Bianca'
Keenan Wynn	...	Lippy
Bobby Van	...	'Gremio'
Tommy Rall	...	Bill Calhoun 'Lucentio'
James Whitmore	...	Slug
Kurt Kasznar	...	'Baptista'
Bob Fosse	...	'Hortensio'
Ron Randell	...	Cole Porter
Willard Parker	...	Tex Callaway
Dave O'Brien	...	Ralph
Claud Allister	...	Paul
Ann Codee	...	Suzanne
Carol Haney	...	Specialty Dancer

Storyline

Fred and Lilly are a divorced pair of actors who are brought together by Cole Porter who has written a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Of course, the couple seem to act a great deal like the characters they play. A fight on the opening night threatens the production, as well as two thugs who have the mistaken idea that Fred owes their boss money and insist on staying next to him all night.

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Plot Keywords:

opening night | gangster | gambling | backstage | actor | 

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Taglines:

MGM presents Hollywood's first important BIG MUSICAL in 3-D on our Panoramic Screen with MIRACLOUS STEREOPHONIC SOUND! COLOR, too!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Italian

Release Date:

26 November 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Embrasse-moi, chérie

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Western Electric Sound System) Mono

Color:

Color (Ansco Color)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Deanna Durbin had been MGM's first choice for the role of Lilli Vanessi, but despite a visit by producer Jack Cummings to Deanna's home near Paris, she could not be persuaded to emerge from retirement. Miss Durbin already had rejected the chance to portray Lili in London's West End, where the British production played 400 performances at the Coliseum Theatre, running from March 8, 1951 until February 23, 1952. Patricia Morison, Broadway's original Lilli, re-created the part in London.

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Goofs

At one point during the "Tom Dick and Harry" number, you can clearly see Bobby Van trip and right himself as if waiting for the director to yell "cut". This occurs almost halfway through the number, and to the right of the screen.

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Quotes

Baptista: Wonder of wonders, a gentleman in Verona desires you in marriage.
Lilli Vanessi: Then he best go back there.

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Connections

Spoofed in Staying Alive (1983)

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Soundtracks

"Always True to You in My Fashion"
(uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Sung by Ann Miller and Tommy Rall

User Reviews

Kiss Me, Kate Is Still Great!

Kiss Me, Kate was first released at the time that the movie screens were exploading into large formats to get people away from their T.V. sets and back into the theaters, and 3-D films came out of hiding and the only musical film to be shot in the 3-D format was Kiss Me, Kate, and stereophonic sound, to me, was better in those days than it is today, but the film gave everyone in it the chance to do their finest work, but it's a shame that they will not release a 3-D Version of this film on Home Video. The distributors would make a fortune!

Everyone knows the plot of Kiss Me, Kate, so there's no sense in going into that. Kathryn Grayson, Hollywood's finest singer of all time replaced Patricia Morrison who played Lilli on Broadway, and Howard Keel replaced Alfred Drake who played Fred Graham on Broadway, and Ann Miller replaced Lisa Kirk who played Lois on Broadway, and it's not too well known but Lisa Kirk dubbed Everything's Coming Up Roses for Rosalind Russell in the movie version of Gypsy!

Tommy Rall who replaced Harold Lang in the Broadway version, to me, was never given a fair chance in Hollywood. An excellent singer and versatile dancer, but still he shines in his work in Kiss Me, Kate and for his work in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers as the brother Frank who got upset when he was called by his real name.

This movie is a good example as to why Broadway stars are not necessarily good for repeating their Broadway roles on the screen. The cast in this movie is excellent in their acting, singing and dancing and I can not picture the Broadway cast repeating their roles in the movie version. To me, it just wouldn't work!

Casting Ann Miller in the role of Lois Lane was a good break for Ann Miller since she was always given roles in past movies that showed her off as a gal who had an overly-obnoxious appetite for the opposite sex. This film gave her a chance to display her full range of talent which had in the past been overlooked, but what can a person say about her number Too Darn Hot that burned up the screen and made Lilli [Kathryn Grayson] furious with her co-star Fred-er-rick Gray-ham [Howard Keel] to the point that she called him a louse of stage in front of the cast in the play! She couldn't call him what Patricia Morrison called Alfred Drake in the Broadway play because in those days the Hayes Office wouldn't allow Kathryn Grayson to call Howard Keel a ba****d!

Keenyn Wynn and James Whitmore played the comical gangsters that were to collect a marker from Howard Keel which was really signed by Tommy Rall and when they do their number Brush Up Your Shakespeare, it's hilarious. Not because Wynn can't sing and dance, he can, but because James Whitmore gave it all he could, but faked the number beautifully, and Whitmore had the good sense never to perform in a musical ever again, but together they were excellent in their comedic performance as the gangsters in the film.

So, you guys who distribute this movie - give us guys and gals a break and release this in the original wide-screen 3-D version with stereophonic sound and let everyone see why:

KISS ME KATE - IS "STILL" GREAT!