The 1955 Broadway musical "Silk Stockings" is one of the few hit stage shows that has not (as of yet) had a major New York revival, even at the City Center Encores. One of the reasons is probably its dated communist propaganda spoofing, something as gone with the wind as the south of Tara and Rhett and Scarlett. But we have this movie version of the musical, and if we don't get the original cast (Don Ameche, Hildegard Kneff and Gretchen Wyler) we do get more than acceptable substitutes (Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse and Janis Paige) instead. After their pairing in "The Band Wagon" in 1953, it seems inevitable that the team of Astaire and Charisse would be re-teamed, something that other than Fred & Ginger for 10 films had happened with Rita Hayworth for 2 films. When "Silk Stockings" was adapted for the screen, only Cyd Charisse of MGM's musical stars seemed capable of playing that part, even if her acting was nowhere near the quality of Garbo's.
"Silk Stockings" is of course a musical version of the 1939 romantic comedy "Ninotchka", and was the final Broadway musical of Cole Porter, the genius behind "Anything Goes", "Kiss Me Kate" and "Can-Can". An original Broadway cast album reveals a charming, if not remarkably sung musical score, with pleasant romantic tunes such as "All of You" and "Paris Loves Lovers" added to the snappy comic songs "Stereophonic Sound", "Too Bad" and the show-stopping "Siberia", which is up there with "Kiss Me Kate's" "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" as a classic song for the comic supporting players. Then, there's the big dance number, "Red Blues", which in itself isn't anything outstanding, but an excuse for the chorus to get out there and do all sorts of high kicks and traditional Russian dance moves. (The lyrics basically continue to repeat themselves over and over, as if a skipping record, but getting wilder and wilder. With Cyd Charisse dancing, it ends up the hot spot of the film.)
The story of American film director Steve Canfield in Paris to film his latest epic has a Russian composer defecting, sending in Russian agent Ninotchka to bring him home. She finds she loves the capitalistic society and the lights of Paris, and even more so, the charming American man who tells her that they were fated to be mated. But her duty calls her back, and the lovers part so Canfield utilizes the Russian defectors sent prior to Ninotchka to bring her back for the final fade out. Among those men is a comical Peter Lorre who sings and dances for the first and only time, or as some may say, screeches and shakes a leg. Sultry Janis Paige takes on an Ann Miller type role as the American movie star Peggy Dayton and steals every scene she is in. Paige ironically didn't get to repeat her Broadway role in "The Pajama Game" the same year, but when you're dancing with Fred Astaire, why quibble? (Ironically, she would co-star with her replacement, Doris Day, in "Please Don't Eat the Daisies", whom she had ironically appeared with in Day's first film, "Romance on the High Seas").
Porter wrote a new song for the movie, "The Ritz Roll and Rock", a spoof of the rock music of the time, combining it with Astaire's traditional white tie and tails. The song is not a classic, but with Astaire's charm and the MGM glamor treatment, it ends up a lot of fun. When Paige and Astaire get together to honor the new trend of glorious Technicolor, breathtaking cinemascope and stereophonic sound, you will grin from ear to ear with the cleverness of the parody of advances in Hollywood movie making. This will never beat the charm of the original movie, but there is a lot of fun to be had in it, and Astaire and Charisse have more chemistry than some of the much younger women he had been co-starring with in some previous recent movies.
"Silk Stockings" is of course a musical version of the 1939 romantic comedy "Ninotchka", and was the final Broadway musical of Cole Porter, the genius behind "Anything Goes", "Kiss Me Kate" and "Can-Can". An original Broadway cast album reveals a charming, if not remarkably sung musical score, with pleasant romantic tunes such as "All of You" and "Paris Loves Lovers" added to the snappy comic songs "Stereophonic Sound", "Too Bad" and the show-stopping "Siberia", which is up there with "Kiss Me Kate's" "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" as a classic song for the comic supporting players. Then, there's the big dance number, "Red Blues", which in itself isn't anything outstanding, but an excuse for the chorus to get out there and do all sorts of high kicks and traditional Russian dance moves. (The lyrics basically continue to repeat themselves over and over, as if a skipping record, but getting wilder and wilder. With Cyd Charisse dancing, it ends up the hot spot of the film.)
The story of American film director Steve Canfield in Paris to film his latest epic has a Russian composer defecting, sending in Russian agent Ninotchka to bring him home. She finds she loves the capitalistic society and the lights of Paris, and even more so, the charming American man who tells her that they were fated to be mated. But her duty calls her back, and the lovers part so Canfield utilizes the Russian defectors sent prior to Ninotchka to bring her back for the final fade out. Among those men is a comical Peter Lorre who sings and dances for the first and only time, or as some may say, screeches and shakes a leg. Sultry Janis Paige takes on an Ann Miller type role as the American movie star Peggy Dayton and steals every scene she is in. Paige ironically didn't get to repeat her Broadway role in "The Pajama Game" the same year, but when you're dancing with Fred Astaire, why quibble? (Ironically, she would co-star with her replacement, Doris Day, in "Please Don't Eat the Daisies", whom she had ironically appeared with in Day's first film, "Romance on the High Seas").
Porter wrote a new song for the movie, "The Ritz Roll and Rock", a spoof of the rock music of the time, combining it with Astaire's traditional white tie and tails. The song is not a classic, but with Astaire's charm and the MGM glamor treatment, it ends up a lot of fun. When Paige and Astaire get together to honor the new trend of glorious Technicolor, breathtaking cinemascope and stereophonic sound, you will grin from ear to ear with the cleverness of the parody of advances in Hollywood movie making. This will never beat the charm of the original movie, but there is a lot of fun to be had in it, and Astaire and Charisse have more chemistry than some of the much younger women he had been co-starring with in some previous recent movies.