Cole Porter had not had a smash hit on Broadway since the beginning of World War II when this took the New York stage by storm in late 1948. Rather than just take Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shew" and turn that directly into a musical, he made it about the backstage goings on of the pre-Broadway tryout of a new musical based upon the Bard's most famous comedy. Rodgers and Hart had earlier scored by musicalizing Shakespeare with "The Comedy of Errors" as "The Boys From Syracuse", which was about mistaken identity, but "Taming of the Shew" and its musical version take on another more serious topic: the battle of the sexes! Faithfully adapted to the screen with only a few of the songs taken out, "Kiss Me Kate" for its premiere engagement added 3-D into the mix, a novelty at the time, and one that had mixed results. I saw this in 3-D at the old Vagabond Theater in Los Angeles many years ago, after having seen it many times in 2-D. The result was still the same, only a bit more thrilling because I got to see all those streamers, vases and dancers flying out into the audience.
Lilli Vanessi is the slightly temperamental ex-wife of Fred Graham and agrees to be directed by and co-star opposite her ex in this vehicle. She isn't one of those oh-so-picky divas who complains about everything, but it is very apparent that she hasn't lost her feelings for him, even if she is insulting him at every chance she gets. He makes her furious by openly flirting with co-star Lois Lane (no relation to Superman's girlfriend), the show's ingénue who has apparently only said no to men when she didn't understand the question. Lois is actually in love with Bill Calhoun, the show's juvenile leading man, faithful to him in her fashion, but ultimately, from that moment on, she won't be taking any more sable from that actor named Gable.
Lilli misbelieves flowers Fred got for Lois were for her and when she finds out, fury strikes (as does Lilli) and after reminding her that they are doing "Taming of the Shrew" (not "He Who Gets Slapped"), Fred brings in two comic gangsters to keep her from walking out on the show. The gangsters fall in love with the Bard, Lilli ends up with a sore rump and in typical Broadway fashion, everything ends up "Wunderbar!".
Unlike other show within the show musicals, the plot is actually thickening rather than stopping, like a musical "Noises Off!". That makes for excellent theater and certainly a wonderful movie. I can't think of a more brilliant cast for MGM's production than Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson as Fred and Lilli, and Tommy Rall and Ann Miller as Bill and Lois. Grayson really gets to show off her comic talents here, being allowed to be both sweet and feisty, while Miller's perkiness is unforgettably show-stopping. When Miller, performing "Too Darn Hot", begins to remove her jewelry, Grayson humorously catches it and passes it nonchalantly onto Keel. Later, Grayson turns "I Hate Men!" into a delightfully bitchy song that reveals how much she actually loves them. The joy of the divorced couple dancing around their dressing room in "Wunderbar!" is another delight.
Among the dancing admirers of Miller in the on-stage musical numbers are Bobby Van and Bob Fosse, as well as Carol Haney who later went onto great success in "The Pajama Game". Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore turn "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" into a duet of great laughs ("Kick Her Right in the Coreulanus!") that on stage is the show's 11:00 number. Ron Randell plays a very fictional "Cole Porter" for the audition sequence. Some deem this addition to the movie a mistake; To me, it is just unnceccessary. But everything else is practically perfect.
This show has not dated at all; I have seen several revivals of it (most notably the 1999 Broadway production that was a lavish gem) and is one of few musical comedy's that has totally stood the test of time. It has also been done for TV several times, two productions of which have been released to home video. All are delightful in every way, shape, and form.
Lilli Vanessi is the slightly temperamental ex-wife of Fred Graham and agrees to be directed by and co-star opposite her ex in this vehicle. She isn't one of those oh-so-picky divas who complains about everything, but it is very apparent that she hasn't lost her feelings for him, even if she is insulting him at every chance she gets. He makes her furious by openly flirting with co-star Lois Lane (no relation to Superman's girlfriend), the show's ingénue who has apparently only said no to men when she didn't understand the question. Lois is actually in love with Bill Calhoun, the show's juvenile leading man, faithful to him in her fashion, but ultimately, from that moment on, she won't be taking any more sable from that actor named Gable.
Lilli misbelieves flowers Fred got for Lois were for her and when she finds out, fury strikes (as does Lilli) and after reminding her that they are doing "Taming of the Shrew" (not "He Who Gets Slapped"), Fred brings in two comic gangsters to keep her from walking out on the show. The gangsters fall in love with the Bard, Lilli ends up with a sore rump and in typical Broadway fashion, everything ends up "Wunderbar!".
Unlike other show within the show musicals, the plot is actually thickening rather than stopping, like a musical "Noises Off!". That makes for excellent theater and certainly a wonderful movie. I can't think of a more brilliant cast for MGM's production than Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson as Fred and Lilli, and Tommy Rall and Ann Miller as Bill and Lois. Grayson really gets to show off her comic talents here, being allowed to be both sweet and feisty, while Miller's perkiness is unforgettably show-stopping. When Miller, performing "Too Darn Hot", begins to remove her jewelry, Grayson humorously catches it and passes it nonchalantly onto Keel. Later, Grayson turns "I Hate Men!" into a delightfully bitchy song that reveals how much she actually loves them. The joy of the divorced couple dancing around their dressing room in "Wunderbar!" is another delight.
Among the dancing admirers of Miller in the on-stage musical numbers are Bobby Van and Bob Fosse, as well as Carol Haney who later went onto great success in "The Pajama Game". Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore turn "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" into a duet of great laughs ("Kick Her Right in the Coreulanus!") that on stage is the show's 11:00 number. Ron Randell plays a very fictional "Cole Porter" for the audition sequence. Some deem this addition to the movie a mistake; To me, it is just unnceccessary. But everything else is practically perfect.
This show has not dated at all; I have seen several revivals of it (most notably the 1999 Broadway production that was a lavish gem) and is one of few musical comedy's that has totally stood the test of time. It has also been done for TV several times, two productions of which have been released to home video. All are delightful in every way, shape, and form.