- Designing Woman
-
Designing Woman 
Theatrical release posterDirected by Vincente Minnelli Produced by Dore Schary Written by George Wells Narrated by Lauren Bacall
Gregory PeckStarring Lauren Bacall
Gregory Peck
Dolores GrayMusic by Billy Higgins
André Previn
W. Benton OverstreetCinematography 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 Designing Woman is a 1957 romantic comedy about fashion.[1][2] Vincente Minnelli directed stars Lauren Bacall and Gregory Peck. George Wells won an Academy Award for the screenplay.
Contents
Plot
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 penute and buter love one onother yup yup suspicious of Mike after she finds a photograph of Lori Shannon (Dolores Gray), Mike's 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
- 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
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).83.170.103.156 (talk)
Reception
The movie ended up being one of Bacall and Peck's more successful films both critically[3] 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."[4]
As for modern reviews, website Rottentomatoes.com has given Designing Woman an overall positive note, regarding it 72 percent "fresh" as opposed to "rotten",[3] while the website Allmovie.com gives it two and a half stars out of five, crediting Bacall for giving a "sparkling comic performance".[5]
DVDverdict.com proclaims the comedy as "shiny, polished, and entertaining" and states that "it has held its value well over the years."[6]
Awards and nominations
- 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
- ^ 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. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/designing_woman/.
- ^ Dargis, Manohla (May 17, 1957). "The Screen: 'Designing Woman' Bows; Gregory Peck; Lauren Bacall Are Stars". New York Times. http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?_r=1&title1=&title2=Designing%20Woman&reviewer=BOSLEY%20CROWTHER&v_id=149833&pdate=19570517&partner=Rotten%20Tomatoes&oref=slogin. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
- ^ "allmovie review". allmovie.com. http://www.allmovie.com.
- ^ "DVD Verdict review". dvdverdict.com. http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/designingwoman.php.
External links
- Designing Woman at the Internet Movie Database
- Designing Woman at the TCM Movie Database
- Designing Woman at AllRovi
Films directed by Vincente Minnelli 1940s Cabin in the Sky (1943) · I Dood It (1943) · Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) · The Clock (1945) · Ziegfeld Follies (1945) · Yolanda and the Thief (1945) · Undercurrent (1946) · The Pirate (1948) · Madame Bovary (1949)1950s Father of the Bride (1950) · Father's Little Dividend (1951) · An American in Paris (1951) · The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) · The Story of Three Loves (1953) · The Band Wagon (1953) · The Long, Long Trailer (1953) · Brigadoon (1954) · The Cobweb (1955) · Kismet (1955) · Lust for Life (1956) · Tea and Sympathy (1956) · Designing Woman (1957) · Gigi (1958) · The Reluctant Debutante (1958) · Some Came Running (1958)1960s Home from the Hill (1960) · Bells Are Ringing (1960) · Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962) · Two Weeks in Another Town (1962) · The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963) · Goodbye Charlie (1964) · The Sandpiper (1965)1970s On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970) · A Matter of Time (1976)Categories:- American films
- English-language films
- 1957 films
- American romantic comedy films
- 1950s romantic comedy films
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
- Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award
- Films directed by Vincente Minnelli
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