disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

The Criterion Voyages (Spine #1120): THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT -- A Seminal Moment in Music and Film History

4/20/2022

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
One of the great things about the Criterion Collection is that they re-release films that aren’t as widely available. Their new high-definition transfer of The Girl Can’t Help It, a genre-defining jukebox musical from 1956, is a welcome addition to the collection that will help prevent this seminal movie from fading into obscurity.

In the film, a gangster hires a down-and-out press agent to turn his girlfriend into a singing star, but issues arise when they realize she isn’t as talented as they had thought. It’s a movie that plays a lot of delicate balancing acts — wholesome yet edgy, progressive but familiar — but it’s a wonderful comedy that went underappreciated at the time and has this second chance to be discovered.
​
The film stars Tom Ewell, who was in some of the most acclaimed comedies of the era (such as The Seven Year Itch and Adam’s Rib), and Jayne Mansfield, who Hollywood tried their best to make their next Marilyn Monroe. Upon release, Ewell and Mansfield were criticized for their lack of chemistry in the movie compared to its contemporary comedies, but it works given that this isn’t like the charming screwball comedies that came decades before it.

Yes, the plot of the film is absurd and ridiculous, but it is also edgy and satirical in an almost mean-spirited way. It’s reminiscent of The Producers, even though this movie predates Mel Brooks’s musical comedy by over a decade. It’s ahead of its time in terms of the plot and tone, but it was also very progressive as a jukebox musical.
Picture
Ewell opens the film with a monologue that breaks the fourth wall and brings the audience into this “story of music” in “lifelike color by DeLuxe” (which looks absolutely gorgeous in this transfer, by the way). It’s a gimmick that we can look back at today and observe with amused admiration, but was likely a hoot back in the day.

The movie features several rock and roll performances throughout, making it a celebration of some of the most iconic music stars of all time. Cameo performances by Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, and Fats Domino, among others, give the film an undeniable and infectious energy and would come to make it one of the most influential movies in all of music history.

The bonus content that has been released as part of this Criterion Collection edition is fantastic, including new essays, interviews, and commentaries on the film. The insert is also great, with an essay by Rachel Syme and excerpts from director Frank Tashlin’s book How to Create Cartoons, offering a glimpse into the mind of its creator.

The Girl Can’t Help It is an important moment in music and film history, and is an important addition to the library of any cinephile. The Criterion Collection has outdone themselves with this wonderful transfer and release of a movie that is dying to be rediscovered.

The Criterion Collection edition of The Girl Can’t Help It is now available.
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    The Snake Hole

    Retrospectives, opinion pieces, awards commentary, personal essays, and any other type of article that isn't a traditional review or interview.

    Archives

    May 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    December 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019

    Categories

    All
    Adam Donato
    Camden Ferrell
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Sandy Robinson
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Staff
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About