The Girl Can't Help It (1956)

Director:

Frank Tashlin

Writers:

Frank Tashlin (writer) and
Herbert Baker (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

1 December 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Tagline:

BABY, IT'S THE GREATEST! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Gangster hires down-and-out press agent to make his blonde bimbo girlfriend a singing star.

Plot Keywords:

Star | Gangster | Marriage | Singer | Promotion

Cast

Tom Ewell	...	Tom Miller
Jayne Mansfield	...	Jerri Jordan
Edmond O'Brien	...	Marty 'Fats' Murdock
Julie London	...	Herself
Ray Anthony	...	Himself
Barry Gordon	...	Barry the paperboy
Henry Jones	...	Mousie
John Emery	...	Wheeler
Juanita Moore	...	Hilda
Fats Domino	...	Himself
Herb Reed	...	Himself (as The Platters)
David Lynch	...	Himself (as The Platters)
Tony Williams	...	Himself (as The Platters)
Paul Robi	...	Himself (as The Platters)
Zola Taylor	...	Herself (as The Platters)
Little Richard	...	Himself
Gene Vincent	...	Himself
Gene Gilbeaux	...	Himself (as The Treniers)
Don Hill	...	Himself (as The Treniers)
Claude Trenier	...	Himself (as The Treniers)
Cliff Trenier	...	Himself (as The Treniers)
Milt Trenier	...	Himself (as The Treniers)
The Chuckles	...	Themselves at the Hi Hat Club
Eddie Fontaine	...	Himself
Abbey Lincoln	...	Herself
Johnny Olenn	...	Himself
Nino Tempo	...	Himself
Eddie Cochran	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
The Platters	...	Themselves
Sue Carlton	...	Teenager (uncredited)
Fred Catania	...	Wheeler's bodyguard (uncredited)
Les Clark	...	Recording engineer (uncredited)
Richard Collier	...	Milkman (uncredited)
Alex Frazer	...	Rogers (uncredited)
Milton Frome	...	Nick (uncredited)
George Givot	...	Lucas (uncredited)
Barbara Gould	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Johnny Grant	...	Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
Henry Kulky	...	Iceman (uncredited)
Fiorello LaGuardia	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
George Meader	...	Elderly man (uncredited)
Pamela Ann Murray	...	Girl (uncredited)
Milton Parsons	...	Broadcasting Manager (uncredited)
Peter Potter	...	Himself (uncredited)
Teddy Randazzo	...	Himself (uncredited)
Michael Ross	...	Wheeler's bodyguard (uncredited)
Frank J. Scannell	...	Samuels (uncredited)
Garry Stewart	...	Teenager (uncredited)
Norman Sturgis	...	Ticket taker (uncredited)
Emerson Treacy	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
Herb Vigran	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Billy Wayne	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Sandy White	...	Cigarette girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Frank Tashlin

Writing credits
Garson Kanin		(novel "Do Re Mi") uncredited
Frank Tashlin		(writer) and
Herbert Baker		(writer)

Produced by
Frank Tashlin	....	producer

Cinematography by
Leon Shamroy

Film Editing by
James B. Clark

Art Direction by
Leland Fuller
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Paul S. Fox
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Charles Le Maire

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist
Sidney Perell	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Gaston Glass	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ad Schaumer	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound
E. Clayton Ward	....	sound

Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Lee Crawford	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Gaston Longet	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Irving Rosenberg	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)
Marjorie Plecher	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Merle Williams	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Leonard Doss	....	color consultant
Orven Schanzer	....	first assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Ken Darby	....	vocal supervisor
Lionel Newman	....	conductor
Lionel Newman	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Pat Lamb	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Rudy Makoul	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Key Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Media Cooperation One (MC-One) (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Video Beat (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Beat (????) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Average Shot Length (ASL) = 10 seconds

Goofs:

Factual errors: In Toby Miller's commentary in the 2006 DVD release of "The Girl Can't Help It", he erroneously says that Little Richard is singing the song "The Girl Can't Help It" in his appearance with his band *in the nightclub scene*. Little Richard is actually singing his hit titled "Ready Teddy" in that scene.

Quotes:

Barry the paperboy: [after Jerri Jordan walks by] If that's a girl, then I don't know what my sister is!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Cheers: The Guy Can't Help It (#11.24)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

My Idea of Love

Jayne is still THE blonde

Some of the entertainment of this movie has been forgotten or been given bad marks by modern jaded viewers.It was my great privilege to view this film when it first came out at the neighborhood theater together with "Rebel without a cause".A privilege because such moments in movie viewing history just don't come along often.It was a Friday night and the theater was packed with a variety of juveys-hoods,roque's,frats,squares from high school down to my grade school.They were all there to witness a movie twin bill that would never be equaled again.When talking of that night my description is "The place was rockin".When the music came on it was as though the crowd was at a live concert.At school the following Monday the kids wern't trying to figure out James Dean's character from r.w.a.c. they were talking and singing about t.g.c.h.i.The slow witted girl that sat across from me in class knew by heart the words to the song Edmund o'Brien sang in the picture...I was amazed.Almost everyone agrees the music was good,I'm a little at odds with other comments.Till this day in my circle Jayne Mansfield was THE blonde of that era.She was cuter,funnier(her figure speaks for itself)than any blonde of that era.One reviewer used the word bubbly,that's a good description.At times she appeared on TV in bubbly character almost out of breath when speaking,she was a real card.Despite her eye popping outer appearance she generated a lot of laughter with her character.While some are trying to figure out if the other blonds were a symbol,sensuous,tragic,etc. there was no mystery to Jayne.She was funny and a real man's and/or boy's woman.So dynamic was her outer appearance some of her criticism may stem from jealousy.The movie at times was a bit bawdy and it's humor still should hold up today.When watching Jayne walk up the stairs a man's glasses crack, although still funny it can never be as hilarious as it was back then.In no way was it a fashion statement to wear glasses back then,it was a social stigma for young people.To hurt another youngster's feelings they were called 4 eyes if they wore glasses,an expression all but forgotten.So anyone wearing glasses was considered pretty much of a goon in the first place thus an even funnier scene in this movie.In the complete gchi song the words are spicy-She makes grandpa feel like 21....has a figure made to squeeze.Of the entertainers Fats and Little Richard were my favorites hands down.In fairness to the entertainers that some have referred to as copies or clones of Elvis they were what a lot of the public wanted at the time.This movie has very good color,may the viewer be fortunate to see a good copy.