Kiss Me, Kate (1958 TV Movie)
8/10
An amazing surprise!
2 December 2003
I didn't know that this existed but I was surfing through the channels last night and this appeared (near the beginning). (The listings gave the cast of the 1953 film.) The kinescope is not in great shape but I did immediately recognize Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison who were absolutely authoritative in the parts that they originated on the Broadway stage. I also liked Bill Hayes as Bill Calhoun-Lucentio even though I missed the dancing of Harold Lang.

(Updated 2018) It should be pointed out that Patricia Morison died only this year at the age of 103!!!

I thought Klugman and Lembeck were fine as the educated thugs though not as good as Wynn and Whitmore were in the film. I was less enthused about Julie Wilson as Lois-Bianca.

I got a big kick out of "Tom, Dick and Harry" even if it was better done in the film by Ann Miller (Cole was really incorrigible!!) and the backstage settings were satisfactory. But it's clear that Keel and Grayson were outshone in this version by the two original leads. (I saw the original production as a child.)

Ed
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