The Girl Can't Help It (1956)

A gangster hires a down-and-out press agent to make his airheaded girlfriend a singing star.

Director:

Frank Tashlin

Writers:

Frank Tashlin (screenplay), Herbert Baker (screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Ewell, Jayne Mansfield, Edmond O'Brien

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
The Platters	...	Themselves
Little Richard and His Band	...	Themselves (as Little Richard and his Band)
Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps	...	Themselves (as Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps)
The Treniers	...	Themselves
Eddie Fontaine	...	Himself

Storyline

A down-and-out gangster hires an alcoholic press agent to make his blonde bombshell girlfriend a recording star in 6 weeks. But what is he going to do when he finds out that she has no talent? And what is going to happen when the two fall in love?

---

Plot Keywords:

singer | based on novel | psychotronic film | cult favorite | laundry drying on a clothesline | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Comedy | Music

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Schlagerpiraten

Filming Locations:

Westward Beach - Westward Beach Road, Malibu, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Color by Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the opening scene, Fats is speaking to Tom about being homesick for the US and begins reciting a poem: "Breathes there a man with soul so dead... You know it?" and Tom nods. The line is from Walter Scott's poem "The Lay of the Last Minstrel".

---

Goofs

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: [runs in with newspaper] Mr. Miller, look, you're in Earl Wilson and Louis Sobol.
Tom Miller: Made it, eh?
[reads from gossip column]
Tom Miller: "At the Trianon, Tom Miller pubbed it with a new find. Her name's a secret, but the rest of her isn't."
Barry the paperboy: Saw her yesterday; she's something!
Tom Miller: She's a girl, Barry. Just a girl.
Barry the paperboy: If she's a girl, then I don't know what my sister is!

---

Alternate Versions

A black and white print of the film has also been shown on television.

---

Connections

Featured in Hollywood Uncensored (1987)

---

Soundtracks

Ready Teddy
(uncredited)
Written by Robert 'Bumps' Blackwell and John Marascalco
Performed by Little Richard and The Upsetters

User Reviews

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.