Men in tights.
Added 11/10/2009
A heavily-edited and re-written version of Cole Porter's classic musical, MGM's 3-D extravaganza of 'Kiss Me Kate' manages to hold up, despite its heavy doses of Elizabethan English. The score remains superb, even after being given the mid-50's MGM treatment of over-arrangments and sanitized lyrics, and Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson chew their scenes with appropriate zest and give their musical numbers top-notch treatment, while Ann Miller is perky and limber as ever, dancing up a storm with a young Tommy Rall. Overall an unfaithful adaptation of Porter's masterpiece, but an entertaining piece of fluff in its own right. The DVD transfer is vivid and grain-free, presented in full-frame (standard).
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Wonderful Show; Does Not Translate Well to DVD.
Added 9/17/2009
It is difficult to rate this DVD, because the play is solid--full of one-line zingers and genuine laughs; the music is top-drawer Porter; the acting, singing, dancing are splendid; the costumes and settings are gorgeous, and the film is well-worth watching. Something about it doesn't quite work, however, on DVD.
I was lucky enough as a kid to see this film in 3D. "Kiss Me, Kate" literally jumped off the giant screen; it was truly spectacular--especially the dance numbers, which were staged upon a modernist forced-perspective De Chirico-like set, with Bob Fosse and Carole Haney, who went on to "Pajama Game" in 1954, leaping and twirling their way to fame. Also memorable were Katherine Grayson's "I hate men!" and Howard Keel's "I come to wive it wealthily in Padua!" And Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore, the stage-struck hoods, stole the show as they brushed up their Shakespeare and hoofed their way off stage and out of the lives of the characters whom, through a set of mistaken circumstances, they had come to apply their brass knuckles.
Like Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew," which is a play within a play, "Kiss Me Kate" is played onstage before a large "audience." When one saw the film on a large screen in 3-D, one overlooked details, such as the utter lack of reaction by the on-screen audience. Without the excitement of a real audience reacting at the special effects, the play becomes static, and one notices the silence where laughs from the on-screen "audience" would be natural.
The extras are interesting, with comments about the production by Ann Miller, Katherine Grayson, and Howard Keel. They also give you a glimpse of some of the 3D effects (allowing you to fill in the blanks with your imagination. There is also a rather tedious Fitzpatrick travelogue on Manhatten, which is nevertheless of historical interest since it was shot in grainy color before the UN was built in New York City.
With all its faults, including the grainy color transfer, "Kiss Me Kate" should be in your library, as it demonstrates the excellence to which the old Hollywood musicals could strive, and will likely never achieve again.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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It Baffles Me!
Added 3/30/2009
It completely baffles me why they refuse to releas this (and other movie like it) in their original 3-D format. The only good excuse would be there is no existing 3-D print, and even then, we have the technology to replicate what they did in 1953! It makes no sense at all. They'd probably make more money if they did release this movie in 3-D (the only musical in film history to be shot in that format, I might add). I really like this movie but, I will stick to watching it on Turner Classic Movies until they come out with the original format.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Kiss Me Kate
Added 3/18/2009
This is a wonderful, typical musical of the fifties. The music harmony between Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson is beautiful to hear. One of the highlights is the comedy skit with the late James Whitmore. Definitely a movie to round out your fifties musical experience.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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A Classic
Added 3/12/2009
If you love the music of Cole Porter, this is a film to add to your collection. It is vibrant due to the 3-D filming effect. Besides Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson, it features a very young Bob Fosse.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Men in tights.
Added 11/10/2009
A heavily-edited and re-written version of Cole Porter's classic musical, MGM's 3-D extravaganza of 'Kiss Me Kate' manages to hold up, despite its heavy doses of Elizabethan English. The score remains superb, even after being given the mid-50's MGM treatment of over-arrangments and sanitized lyrics, and Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson chew their scenes with appropriate zest and give their musical numbers top-notch treatment, while Ann Miller is perky and limber as ever, dancing up a storm with a young Tommy Rall. Overall an unfaithful adaptation of Porter's masterpiece, but an entertaining piece of fluff in its own right. The DVD transfer is vivid and grain-free, presented in full-frame (standard).
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Wonderful Show; Does Not Translate Well to DVD.
Added 9/17/2009
It is difficult to rate this DVD, because the play is solid--full of one-line zingers and genuine laughs; the music is top-drawer Porter; the acting, singing, dancing are splendid; the costumes and settings are gorgeous, and the film is well-worth watching. Something about it doesn't quite work, however, on DVD.
I was lucky enough as a kid to see this film in 3D. "Kiss Me, Kate" literally jumped off the giant screen; it was truly spectacular--especially the dance numbers, which were staged upon a modernist forced-perspective De Chirico-like set, with Bob Fosse and Carole Haney, who went on to "Pajama Game" in 1954, leaping and twirling their way to fame. Also memorable were Katherine Grayson's "I hate men!" and Howard Keel's "I come to wive it wealthily in Padua!" And Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore, the stage-struck hoods, stole the show as they brushed up their Shakespeare and hoofed their way off stage and out of the lives of the characters whom, through a set of mistaken circumstances, they had come to apply their brass knuckles.
Like Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew," which is a play within a play, "Kiss Me Kate" is played onstage before a large "audience." When one saw the film on a large screen in 3-D, one overlooked details, such as the utter lack of reaction by the on-screen audience. Without the excitement of a real audience reacting at the special effects, the play becomes static, and one notices the silence where laughs from the on-screen "audience" would be natural.
The extras are interesting, with comments about the production by Ann Miller, Katherine Grayson, and Howard Keel. They also give you a glimpse of some of the 3D effects (allowing you to fill in the blanks with your imagination. There is also a rather tedious Fitzpatrick travelogue on Manhatten, which is nevertheless of historical interest since it was shot in grainy color before the UN was built in New York City.
With all its faults, including the grainy color transfer, "Kiss Me Kate" should be in your library, as it demonstrates the excellence to which the old Hollywood musicals could strive, and will likely never achieve again.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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It Baffles Me!
Added 3/30/2009
It completely baffles me why they refuse to releas this (and other movie like it) in their original 3-D format. The only good excuse would be there is no existing 3-D print, and even then, we have the technology to replicate what they did in 1953! It makes no sense at all. They'd probably make more money if they did release this movie in 3-D (the only musical in film history to be shot in that format, I might add). I really like this movie but, I will stick to watching it on Turner Classic Movies until they come out with the original format.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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