The Opposite Sex (1956)

Shortly after their tenth wedding anniversary, New York City Theater Producer Steven Hilliard (Leslie Nielsen) and his wife, former popular radio singer Kay Ashley Hilliard (June Allyson), ... See full summary »

Director:

David Miller

Writers:

Fay Kanin (screenplay), Michael Kanin (screenplay)

Stars:

June Allyson, Joan Collins, Dolores Gray

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
June Allyson	...	Kay Ashley Hilliard
Joan Collins	...	Crystal Allen
Dolores Gray	...	Sylvia Fowler
Ann Sheridan	...	Amanda Penrose
Ann Miller	...	Gloria Dahl
Leslie Nielsen	...	Steve Hilliard
Jeff Richards	...	Buck Winston
Agnes Moorehead	...	Countess de Brion
Charlotte Greenwood	...	Lucy
Joan Blondell	...	Edith Potter
Sam Levene	...	Mike Pearl
Bill Goodwin	...	Howard Fowler
Alice Pearce	...	Olga
Barbara Jo Allen	...	Dolly DeHaven
Sandy Descher	...	Debbie Hilliard

Storyline

Shortly after their tenth wedding anniversary, New York City Theater Producer Steven Hilliard (Leslie Nielsen) and his wife, former popular radio singer Kay Ashley Hilliard (June Allyson), are getting a Kay-initiated Reno divorce after Kay finds out about a marital indiscretion he had with Crystal Allen (Dame Joan Collins), a gold digging chorus girl in one of his shows. News of the indiscretion made its way to Kay indirectly by her catty friend, Sylvia Fowler (Dolores Gray). In Kay getting the divorce, Kay's best friend, playwright Amanda Penrose (Ann Sheridan) believes Kay is playing right into the wants of Crystal, whose main goal is not to be happily married to Steven, but to get what such a marriage can bring to her in material wealth and comfort. Amanda does not believe Steven loves Crystal and that he still really does love Kay. And Kay does proceed with the divorce despite believing theirs was a happy and loving marriage before she learned of the indiscretion, and despite ...

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Plot Keywords:

chorus line | stage show | reno nevada | remake | based on play | 

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Taglines:

FAST, FRANK, FUNNY! (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Remake of the non-musical movie The Women (1939) starring Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, and Rosalind Russell. Crawford actually commented on this remake by saying, "It's ridiculous. Norma and I might not ever have been bosom buddies, but we towered compared to those pygmies in the remake."

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Goofs

When Kay shakes her hands in the air when she says, "I've had a whole year to grow claws, Lexie! Jungle Red!", she's wearing clear nail polish. In the next scene, at the nightclub, she has on red nail polish.

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Quotes

Title Card: Manhattan Island... A body of land consisting of four million square males - completely surrounded by women.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits: Manhattan Island ... A body of land consisting of four million square males-completely surrounded by women.

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Connections

Version of Producers' Showcase: The Women (1955)

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Soundtracks

Young Man With a Horn
(uncredited)
Music by George Stoll
Lyrics by Ralph Freed
Performed and Danced by June Allyson, with horn solo by Harry James

User Reviews

Claws Growing in Jungle Red again

My main problem with this musical remake version of The Women is that it was not just confined to The Opposite Sex. When Clare Booth Luce wrote her original work with only female roles it was not just as a gimmick. She wanted her viewers to use their imaginations especially in the roles of the husbands as to what these men were like and whether The Women should let them go or fight for them.

That is now lost with the men being flesh and blood now. Leslie Nielsen in the role of Steven Hilliard (formerly Haines) is in an impossible job and he comes off as insipid. One wonders whether June Allyson wants him back for himself or just to reassemble the American family for the sake of her daughter Sandy Descher.

Jeff Richards can't compare to the imaginary Buck Winston we have in our minds from the first version. In fact he's more Joe Buck than Buck Winston.

Joan Collins in her salad years is just getting into those femme fatal roles she took out a patent on. Of course she's no Joan Crawford, but who is. And Dolores Gray carries right on from where Rosalind Russell left of as Sylvia Fowler.

No great songs from writers Nicholas Brodzsky and Sammy Cahn are in this score.

It's not a bad film, but in comparison to the original this is like a summer stock production.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 April 1957 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

The Opposite Sex

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$2,834,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Perspecta Stereo (as Perspecta Sound) 4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1