Guys and Dolls (1955)

In New York, a gambler is challenged to take a cold female missionary to Havana, but they fall for each other, and the bet has a hidden motive to finance a crap game.

Director:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writers:

Jo Swerling (based upon the play: "Guys and Dolls" book by), Abe Burrows (based upon the play: "Guys and Dolls" book by)

Stars:

Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marlon Brando	...	Sky Masterson
Jean Simmons	...	Sarah Brown
Frank Sinatra	...	Nathan Detroit
Vivian Blaine	...	Miss Adelaide
Robert Keith	...	Lt. Brannigan
Stubby Kaye	...	Nicely-Nicely Johnson
B.S. Pully	...	Big Jule
Johnny Silver	...	Benny Southstreet
Sheldon Leonard	...	Harry the Horse
Danny Dayton	...	Rusty Charlie (as Dan Dayton)
George E. Stone	...	Society Max
Regis Toomey	...	Arvide Abernathy
Kathryn Givney	...	General Cartwright
Veda Ann Borg	...	Laverne
Mary Alan Hokanson	...	Agatha

Storyline

All the hot gamblers are in town, and they're all depending on Nathan Detroit to set up this week's incarnation of "The Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York"; the only problem is, he needs $1000 to get the place. Throw in Sarah Brown, who's short on sinners at the mission she runs; Sky Masterson, who accepts Nathan's $1000 bet that he can't get Sarah Brown to go with him to Havana; Miss Adelaide, who wants Nathan to marry her; Police Lieutenant Brannigan, who always seems to appear at the wrong time; and the music/lyrics of Frank Loesser, and you've got quite a musical. Includes the songs: Fugue for Tinhorns, "Luck Be a Lady", "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat".

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Plot Keywords:

mission | gambler | new york city | based on stage musical | havana cuba | 

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Taglines:

SAMUEL GOLDWYN presents America's Own Musical!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 December 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ellos y ellas

Filming Locations:

Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$13,000,000, 31 December 1956

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min 152 min (with overture and exit music)

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System) (magnetic prints) Mono (optical prints)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

For the publicity value alone, Samuel Goldwyn decided early on that Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons would sing their own vocals. Ironically, amid all the critical attention paid to Brando's singing debut, no one at the time or since has taken issue with Simmons' vocals, which, despite a game and spirited effort, are noticeably off-key the majority of the time.

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Goofs

While Sky and Nathan are talking in the restaurant and Nathan is trying to get Sky to eat some cheese cake, a man walking in the street outside disappears and a woman walks past in his place.

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Quotes

Sky Masterson: For two weeks I gambled in green pastures. The dice were my cousins and the dolls were agreeable with nice teeth and no last names.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Peter Boyle/Al Jarreau (1976)

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Soundtracks

Exit Music
(1955) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
After the last end credit, the screen goes blank for about 2 minutes while the orchestra plays "Guys and Dolls" (sung by a chorus),
"A Woman in Love" and "Adelaide"

User Reviews

flawed classic

As much as I like this film I can still see the missed opportunities. It does work, Brando has a certain charm as Sky Masterson but be honest, he cant really do justice to the multitude of classic songs he has got. This is where the dilemma lies. Sinatra is a fantastic Nathan Detroit, but he doesnt get many songs. Sinatra could easily play both roles but Brando would not make a good Detroit. However getting these to together in a film as well as the unlikely opportunity of getting Brando singing and dancing in a musical (!!!) is its saving grace. Any other actor and it may have seemed as bizarre as it really was. However its carried off with style. Its lunacy is its backbone, heres an established "serious" actor crooning and dancing, while the serious singer acts more than he sings. Its not often you see Sinatra taking a back seat; albeit reluctantly! A great film for what it is, but if it had been given to a musical director I think it would have been in a completely different league.