The Harvey Girls vs. Kiss Me Kate

1 comments

0 comments

My two favorite George Sidney-directed musicals (don't know why the INTERMINABLE Anchors Aweigh is top ranked on this site). I did zone out during a few parts of The Harvey Girls but I loved all the strong female characters, and Garland, Lansbury, O'Brien and Charisse were fantastic—though I didn't recognize Cyd at all! But Kiss Me Kate is that rare thing, a truly excellent screen adaptation of a stage musical, providing career-best roles for Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson, Ann Miller, and Tommy Rall. The first scene in Fred's apartment isn't great as a piece of writing (though it does feature two fantastic musical numbers), but I don't think the original stage opening would have worked either, and everything from then on is perfect. The history-making Bob Fosse/Carol Haney dance break is merely the cherry on top.