Party Girl (1958)

Director:

Nicholas Ray

Writers:

George Wells (screenplay)
Leo Katcher (story)

Release Date:

28 October 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

ROUGH AND READY! THE TRUTH ABOUT THE 'MODELS,' 'ACTRESSES' AND 'DANCERS' WHO PLAY WITH FIRE...AND OFTEN GET BURNED! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Lawyer Thomas Farrell has made a career defending crooks in trials. He has never realised that there is a downside to his success...

Plot Keywords:

Trial | Dancer | Gangster | 1920s | Cripple

Cast

Robert Taylor	...	Thomas 'Tommy' Farrell
Cyd Charisse	...	Vicki Gaye
Lee J. Cobb	...	Rico Angelo
John Ireland	...	Louis 'Lucky Louie' Canetto
Kent Smith	...	Jeffrey Stewart
Claire Kelly	...	Genevieve, Farrell's Wife
Corey Allen	...	Cookie La Motte
Lewis Charles	...	Danny Rimett, Golden Rooster Mgr.
David Opatoshu	...	Lou Forbes, Farrell's Assistant
Kem Dibbs	...	Joey Vulner, Rico's Mgr.
Patrick McVey	...	O'Malley, Detective
Barbara Lang	...	Ginger D'Amour, Party Girl
Myrna Hansen	...	Joy Hampton, Party Girl
Betty Utey	...	Cindy Consuelo, Party Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hy Anzell	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Herb Armstrong	...	Intern, Joy Hampton Affair (uncredited)
Margaret Bert	...	Wardrobe Woman (uncredited)
Herman Bode	...	Speciality Dancer (uncredited)
Peter Bourne	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Marshall Bradford	...	District Attorney (uncredited)
Andrew Buck	...	Farrell's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Bob Calder	...	Speciality Dancer (uncredited)
Pat Cawley	...	Farrell's Secretary (voice) (uncredited)
Barrie Chase	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
John Damler	...	Detective (uncredited)
Richard Devine	...	One of Rico's Hoods (uncredited)
Jack Dodds	...	Speciality Dancer (uncredited)
Burt Douglas	...	P.A. (uncredited) (voice)
Michael Dugan	...	Jenks, Detective with O'Malley (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Apple Vendor (uncredited)
John Franco	...	One of Cookie's Henchmen (uncredited)
David Garcia	...	Newsman (uncredited)
Jack Gargan	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Irving Greenberg	...	One of Rico's Hoods (uncredited)
Ed Haskett	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Tom Hernández	...	Sketch Artist, Canetto Trial (uncredited)
Harry Hines	...	Newsman (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Juror, Canetto Trial (uncredited)
Paul Keast	...	Judge Davers (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Backstage Card Player (uncredited)
Jack Lambert	...	Nick - Speakeasy Proprietor (uncredited)
Rusty Lane	...	Judge John A. Davis (uncredited)
Herbert Lytton	...	Judge Alfino (uncredited)
Thomas Martin	...	Prospective Juror (uncredited)
Sam McDaniel	...	Jesse, Farrell's Valet (uncredited)
Harry Tom McKenna	...	Politician (uncredited)
David McMahon	...	Jail Guard (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Charles Morton	...	Juror (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Party Guest at Rico's (uncredited)
Maggie O'Byrne	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Sanita Pelkey	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Ken Perry	...	One of Cookie's Henchmen (uncredited)
Albert Petit	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Carmen Phillips	...	Rico's 'Secretary' (uncredited)
Michael Pierce	...	One of Cookie's Henchmen (uncredited)
Dolores Reed	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Benny Rubin	...	Mr. Field, Bribed Juror (uncredited)
George Saurel	...	One of Rico's Hoods (uncredited)
Aaron Saxon	...	Frankie Gasto (uncredited)
Jerry Schumacher	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Vito Scotti	...	Hotel Clerk, Venice (uncredited)
Floyd Simmons	...	Assistant Prosecutor (uncredited)
Ralph Smiley	...	Hotel Proprietor, Venice (uncredited)
J. Lewis Smith	...	Juror, Canetto Trial (uncredited)
Sydney Smith	...	Judge Bookwell (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Cashier, Italian Restaurant (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Vaughn Taylor	...	Dr. Caderman, Farrell's Doctor (uncredited)
Carl Thayler	...	One of Cookie's Henchmen (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Restaurant Customer (uncredited)
Herb Vigran	...	Bailiff / Radio Newscaster (voice) (uncredited)
Erich von Stroheim Jr.	...	Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Geraldine Wall	...	Day Matron (uncredited)
Sandy Warner	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Marc Wilder	...	Speciality Dancer (uncredited)
Robert Williams	...	Jail Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Nicholas Ray

Writing credits
George Wells		(screenplay)
Leo Katcher		(story)

Produced by
Joe Pasternak	....	producer

Original Music by
Jeff Alexander

Cinematography by
Robert J. Bronner		(director of photography) (as Robert Bronner)

Film Editing by
John McSweeney Jr.

Casting by
Bobby Webb		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Randall Duell
William A. Horning

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace
Richard Pefferle

Costume Design by
Helen Rose

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup creator
Peggy Shannon	....	hairdresser (uncredited)
Stanley Smith	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Sergei Petschnikoff	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Erich von Stroheim Jr.	....	assistant director
E. Darrell Hallenbeck	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Harry Edwards	....	props (uncredited)
Tony Lorette	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Wesley C. Miller	....	recording supervisor (as Dr. Wesley C. Miller)
Fred Faust	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Conrad Kahn	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Lee LeBlanc	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric Carpenter	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Chet Davis	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Dale Deverman	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Bill Hannah	....	best boy (uncredited)
Edward R. Plante	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Mervin Price	....	grip (uncredited)
C.J. Vaughn	....	best boy (uncredited)

Casting Department
Warren Mace	....	assistant casting director (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Harry Kress	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)
Donald MacDonald	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)
Tommy McCoig	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)
Vicki Nichols	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Charles K. Hagedon	....	color consultant
Thomas J. McCarthy	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
André Previn	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert Sidney	....	stager: dance numbers
Grace Dubray	....	continuity (uncredited)
Emily Torchia	....	publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents)
• Euterpe (as A Euterpe Production)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1958) (USA) (theatrical) (released by)
• Die Lupe (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Australia:G (TV rating) | West Germany:18 (nf) | Norway:16 | UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | USA:Approved (certificate #19047) | UK:PG (tv rating) | Finland:K-16

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Director Nicholas Ray was certainly impressed with Robert Taylor's commitment. "He worked for me like a true Method actor," said Ray, who remembered Taylor going to an osteologist, poring over X-rays and asking probing questions so that he would have an understanding of where in his body the pain would be from his character's crippled leg.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the car after the visit to the doctor's office, traffic seen through the car windows is of 1950's vintage.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Perras callejeras (1985)

Soundtrack:

Party Girl

Taylor/Charisse Surprise

Having passed up this movie many times, I decided to check it out when it came up again on TCM recently. Now that you can tape something and scan through, it is easier to evaluate before you waste your time. Going through, I noticed Robert Taylor coming across better than I've ever seen him. He was the main deterrent before. I've never thought him good enough looking to put up with, especially when the main lead. But seeing Lee J. Cobb in it and really liking the deep color, I became interested. Also, have always liked Cyd Charisse's dramatic persona – generally smooth, no overstatement. Her musical numbers were rather enlarged for the type of film, but guess they couldn't resist. And, MGM could really come up with some odd titles.

Taylor proved to be convincing and capable throughout. Enjoyed him and Charisse together and definitely the visual. Cobb seems to have been used a lot for the more gregarious type, like the crime boss here. I initially saw him in roles as the no nonsense good guy, and I think I prefer him as that. He played that very effectively in "The Virginian" television series. He was the strong guiding hand, somewhat a father figure, who could bring up the volume when needed and take care of any foolishness, with dispatch. His screen time as such was my favorite part of that interesting series.

Hey, it's a Hollywood movie, which is going to have some form of the Hollywood treatment, both good and bad. If you can anticipate and accept any given film's set of excesses and idiosyncrasies, it's easier to enjoy what is enjoyable to you. This one is liberally laced with improbables, for one thing. Again, expect that and other unrealities from old Hollywood. It's the nature of the genre. I certainly prefer it to where they've gone now. For this one, I could ignore the improbables and move along with things. The relationship of Taylor and Charisse (and the quality of the visual) captured this movie out from the ranks of ones I would usually pass over.