Designing Woman
| Designing Woman | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Vincente Minnelli |
| Produced by | Dore Schary |
| Written by | George Wells |
| Narrated by | Lauren Bacall Gregory Peck |
| Starring | Lauren Bacall Gregory Peck Dolores Gray |
| Music by | Billy Higgins André Previn W. Benton Overstreet |
| Cinematography | John Alton |
| Editing by | Adrienne Fazan |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | May 16, 1957 |
| Running time | 118 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2.25 million (US)[1] |
Designing Woman is a 1957 romantic comedy about fashion.[2][3] Vincente Minnelli directed stars Lauren Bacall and Gregory Peck. George Wells won an Academy Award for the screenplay.
Contents |
Plot [edit]
While on vacation, sports reporter Mike Hagen (Gregory Peck) meets fashion designer Marilla Brown (Lauren Bacall). The two instantly bond and quickly get married, only to realize they have little in common.
Mike is a sports fan and poker enthusiast with working-class friends. Marilla designs clothes for a wide array of artistic personalities. Their friends clash memorably one Wednesday night when his Poker Club and her Drama Society both convene at Marilla's apartment.
Marilla becomes suspicious of Mike after she finds a photograph of Lori Shannon (Dolores Gray), Mike's former girlfriend. Mike tries to hide his former relationship, but fails miserably. Complicating matters even further is Mike's continuing series of exposés of the activities of crooked boxing promoter Martin Daylor (Edward Platt). Mike's life is in danger, but he hides that from his wife too. What results is a series of misunderstandings and mishaps.
Cast [edit]
- Gregory Peck as Mike Hagen
- Lauren Bacall as Marilla Brown Hagen
- Dolores Gray as Lori Shannon
- Sam Levene as Ned Hammerstein, Mike's editor
- Tom Helmore as Zachary Wilde, Marilla's former boyfriend
- Mickey Shaughnessy as Maxie Stultz, a punch-drunk ex-boxer friend of Mike's
- Jesse White as Charlie Arneg
- Edward Platt as Martin J. Daylor
- Chuck Connors as Johnnie 'O', one of Daylor's henchmen
- Richard Deacon as Larry Musso (uncredited)
- Dean Jones as Assistant Stage Manager in Boston (uncredited)
- Sid Melton as Miltie, Henchman (uncredited)
One of the supporting actors was the famed choreographer Jack Cole.
Background [edit]
The original concept for the film reportedly came from Helen Rose, who designed dozens of gowns and dresses for Bacall for Designing Woman. She gives an interview / screen test in the DVD's special features.
Lauren Bacall was dealing with husband Humphrey Bogart's eventually-fatal illness during the shooting. According to her autobiography, she took the role (which was originally intended for Grace Kelly) in order to avoid her home situation, but in interviews she has stated that this film is among her favorites. Bogart died January 14, 1957, four months before the film's release.
Both James Stewart and Cary Grant turned down the role that went to Peck (Grant citing the heavy drinking of the character as the main reason).
Reception [edit]
The movie ended up being one of both Bacall and Peck's more successful films both critically[4] and commercially, with Bosley Crowther of the New York Times comparing the leading couple with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy and proclaiming, "(the film) obviously endeavors to generate the same kind of verve and general sardonic humor as flowed from that older comedy team. It does, too — at least, in certain stretches."[5]
As for modern reviews, website Rottentomatoes.com has given Designing Woman an overall positive note, regarding it 72 percent "fresh" as opposed to "rotten",[4] while the website Allmovie.com gives it two and a half stars out of five, crediting Bacall for giving a "sparkling comic performance".[6]
DVDverdict.com proclaims the comedy as "shiny, polished, and entertaining" and states that "it has held its value well over the years."[7]
Awards and nominations [edit]
- Academy Award for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen (George Wells) - won
- Laurel Award for Top Female Comedy Performance (Lauren Bacall) - 3rd place
- Laurel Award for Top Comedy - fifth place
- Writers Guild of America's WGA Award for Best Written American Comedy - nominated
Notes [edit]
- ^ "Top Grosses of 1957", Variety, 8 January 1958: 30
- ^ Variety film review; March 13, 1957, page 6.
- ^ Harrison's Reports film review; March 16, 1957, page 43.
- ^ a b "Rotten Tomatoes reviews". rottentomatoes.com.
- ^ Dargis, Manohla (May 17, 1957). "The Screen: 'Designing Woman' Bows; Gregory Peck; Lauren Bacall Are Stars". New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
- ^ "allmovie review". allmovie.com.
- ^ "DVD Verdict review". dvdverdict.com.
External links [edit]
- Designing Woman at the Internet Movie Database
- Designing Woman at the TCM Movie Database
- Designing Woman at AllRovi
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