{"id":18208,"date":"2018-08-08T23:51:07","date_gmt":"2018-08-09T03:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/?p=18208"},"modified":"2018-08-09T13:29:56","modified_gmt":"2018-08-09T17:29:56","slug":"br-my-sister-eileen-1955","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/?p=18208","title":{"rendered":"BR: My Sister Eileen (1955)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Film<\/strong>: Excellent<\/p>\n

Transfer<\/strong>: Excellent<\/p>\n

Extras<\/strong>: Good<\/p>\n

Label:\u00a0<\/strong> Twilight Time<\/p>\n

Region:<\/strong>\u00a0All<\/p>\n

Released:<\/strong>\u00a0 June 19, 2018<\/p>\n

Genre:<\/strong>\u00a0 Musical \/ Comedy<\/p>\n

Synopsis:<\/strong>\u00a0Two sisters venture from Cleveland, Ohio, to the Big Apple in search of careers in the arts, settling into a less than ideal basement pad in Greenwich Village.<\/p>\n

Special Features:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>Isolated Mono Music Track (with some Dialogue & Sound Effects) \/ Theatrical Trailer \/ 8-page colour booklet with liner notes by film historian Julie Kirgo \/ Limited to 3000 copies \/ Available exclusively from Screen Archives Entertainment<\/a> and www.twilighttimemovies.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Review:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Richard Quine\u2019s remake of Columbia\u2019s 1942 film adds to the colourful yet convoluted history of Ruth McKenney\u2019s short stories which were turned into a 1940 play by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov, followed by the 1942 film version penned by the playwrights, and superseded by a separate 1953 stage musical based on McKenney\u2019s material (rebranded Wonderful Town<\/strong>) which featured music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and had actress Rosalind Russell reprising her Oscar-nominated film role in both the \u201953 stage version and<\/em> the 1958 CBS teleplay.<\/p>\n

The stage musical\u2019s success proved too irresistible for Columbia to ignore, but in lieu of costly music rights, the studio commissioned new<\/em> songs by Jules Styne and Leo Robin, and dance numbers by Bob Fosse, who also played the role of Frank Lippincott originated by Quine in both the 1940 stage and<\/em> 1942 film versions.<\/p>\n

Got that?<\/em><\/p>\n

With colour and CinemaScope, the 1955 version retains most of the same characters from the original film with some unique modifications. Gone is the setting of WWII and the need to economize, as are opening scenes in which sisters Ruth (Betty Garrett) and Eileen (Janet Leigh) make it clear to their father and grandmother that they need to leave Cleveland, Ohio, for the Big Apple and seek careers as writer and actress, respectively.<\/p>\n

In the \u201955 film, Eileen seems to have earned greater screen time, and while writers Quine and a young Blake Edwards exploit Leigh\u2019s obvious sexuality, in both film versions of Fields & Chodorov\u2019s story, the central plot follows Ruth\u2019s goal to become an independent working woman. She still needs to break into the male-dominated world of publishing and its sexist tsars, but Ruth remains convinced her talent just has to save herself and Eileen from a dank, dark basement apartment that rumbles whenever the workmen blast deeper for a new subway line.<\/p>\n

Both films feature sex-hungry men, and it\u2019s worth noting how Ruth\u2019s publisher Bob Baker is upgraded from 1942\u2019s chattering, suave, but generally restrained cad to, well, a total creep<\/em>. Jack Lemmon\u2019s innate goofiness softens the edges a bit, but Bob\u2019s no gentleman, trying to get Ruth hammered in his beautiful mid-century bachelor pad so he can take full advantage of her by the fireplace. Ruth still feels she\u2019s an old maid \u2013 a constant source of gags and self-deprecating ribbing \u2013 but Bob \u201855 is very direct in being attracted to her, a hunger that\u2019s left almost to the very end in the \u201842 version and the \u201958 teleplay.<\/p>\n

Where Eileen \u201842 is eyed, groped, manhandled, and chased by men, director Quine allowed costumer designer Jean Louis to maximize Janet Leigh\u2019s figure and flowing blonde hair, and any groping is translated into song & dance routines, both inside the small but CinemaScope-friendly apartment and wider exterior locations.<\/p>\n

All the key scenes & vital dialogue from the \u201842 film are retained, but the quest for Eileen’s heart and panties by drugstore cafe manager Lippincott (Bob Fosse) and reporter Chick (Tommy Rall) is expanded\u00a0in a few new scenes at the drug store.<\/p>\n

Fosse\u2019s boyish looks suit Lippincott, and Rall\u2019s wide grin make his version of Chick a real crocodile, and the pair\u2019s alley duel outside of a burlesque studio is an incredible work of spiraling acrobatics, timing, and lithe movements. The quartet\u2019s number in a park gazebo is equally lively, and Leigh shows off her own dancing skills spinning and whirring while Fosse articulates some smooth, slow-motion gestures.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The new songs by Styne and Robin are perfectly fine, but it is strange no official soundtrack album was ever released of the numbers nor underscore. (Twilight Time\u2019s Blu-ray sports an isolated mono music track comprised of songs \u2013 some just instrumental backing – and George Duning\u2019s underscore, with a few cues taken from the music & effects track.)<\/p>\n

Perhaps Columbia felt the shadow of the Comden \/ Green \/ Bernstein material was so stark, it seemed pointless to compete; there\u2019s also a sense that the film was made to cash-in on the stage musical\u2019s success, and for the studio to reassert its rights of the film stories for a future remake, if not an update for subsequent audiences\u2026 which ultimately materialized in a short-lived TV series in 1960. (More on that one later.)<\/p>\n

Sony\u2019s HD transfer is gorgeous and flatters Charles Lawton Jr.\u2019s beautiful colours and compositions, including the dark dramatic shadows which accentuate the absurdness of the basement apartment where street lights beam through the barred window, and Leigh\u2019s figure is neat arranged for the 2.35:1 ratio. Lawton\u2019s other striking work includes many classic Columbia westerns (3:10 to Yuma<\/strong>, Cowboy<\/strong>, Comanche Station<\/strong>), and a pair of Rita Hayworth classics (The Lady from Shanghai<\/strong>, and the 3D musical hybrid Miss Sadie Thompson<\/a><\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Other notable changes to the original film characters include making greedy landlord Appopolous (played by broad, gravel-voices, and grandiose Kurt Kasznar) less of a creep and more of benevolent but still-obnoxious father figure. His painting hobby is still present, but his art receives less screen time. Upstairs neighbour and beefcake \u2018Wreck\u2019 Loomis is still the same, but it\u2019s neat to see young Dick York playing the broad character in place of more straight dramatic work in Inherit the Wind<\/a><\/strong> (1960), and prior to the hit TV series Bewitched<\/strong> (1964-1969).<\/p>\n

Perhaps the biggest challenge in pulling off a successful remake is the casting of Ruth. Although Betty Garrett didn\u2019t earn any Oscar nods, she gives a fine rendition of the story\u2019s star character, adding her own deft delivery of lines, reactions, and physical maneuvering through dance and physical comedy. It\u2019s a great performance that should\u2019ve led to a steady career \u2013 Garrett had already appeared in the 1949 classics Neptune\u2019s Daughter<\/strong> and On the Town – <\/strong>but the actress and husband \/ actor Larry Parks were blacklisted after HUAC. Her last feature before a 50 year gap would be The Shadow on the Window<\/strong> (1957) for Columbia, but she had memorable & regular roles in TV\u2019s All in the Family<\/strong> (1973-1975) and Laverne & Shirley<\/strong> (1976-1981).<\/p>\n

As a director, Richard Quine had a real winning streak with The Solid Gold Cadillac <\/strong>(1956), Bell Book and Candle<\/a><\/strong> (1958), The World of Suzie Wong<\/strong> (1960) and other light comedies plus the odd drama at Columbia, but the next decade would see him working in episodic TV until The Prisoner of Zenda<\/strong> (1979), and directing part of the disastrous The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu<\/strong> (1980), his last film before committing suicide in 1989.<\/p>\n

If the stage musical managed to eclipse Columbia\u2019s remake, its stars and choreographer have ensured the film\u2019s standing as a worthy update of the original play. (The story of two women seeking careers in the big city is timeless, and could be updated with some clever gender reversals and pokes at contemporary corporate culture.) Julie Kirgo\u2019s essay traces the characters\u2019 journey from McKenney\u2019s semi-autobiographical short stories in The New Yorker to book form in 1938, the original play directed by George S. Kaufman, the 1942 film and 1946 radio show, and adds some backstory to the young & talented cast. (See the review of the 1942 film<\/a> for further details on that film + radio show.)<\/p>\n

Neither TT\u2019s Blu nor Sony\u2019s DVD of the 1942 film feature a commentary track that sorts out the eccentric history of the stage, film and separate musical versions derived from McKenney\u2019s stories, and adding to the\u00a0complex history is Russell\u2019s return to the role on live TV.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The 1958 Teleplay<\/strong><\/p>\n

Perhaps the reason a spinoff soundtrack album never followed was due to the pre-existing love among fans for Wonderful Town <\/strong>and its Tony Award-winning music. Styne & Robins\u2019 \u201955 songs are longer and better designed to showcase the film\u2019s dance numbers, whereas the Bernstein-Comden-Green songs are sometimes musical vignettes, kept tight to keep the story moving and support the innovative dance numbers.<\/p>\n

The two musical interpretations are very distinct animals, and although the surviving \u201858 kinescope of the CBS broadcast is reportedly missing some material \u2013 there\u2019s a jump around (55:40) between Bob\u2019s solo and Eileen and Chick cleaning up in the apartment after dinner – it shows some of the sharp story editing that prunes & reorders character appearances, and radically changes the events leading up to the finale where Bob states his love for Ruth.<\/p>\n

Rosalind Russell was the only original stage cast member to return for the teleplay, and although it\u2019s a role she owns top-down, in each film & stage incarnation, Ruth is more or less a late-ish twentysomething \/ mid-thirtysomething struggling writer, so to soften the transition of Russell\u2019s reprise 16 years after the first feature film, many of the actors are a little older as well. The passage of time hasn\u2019t dimmed Russell\u2019s energy, though, as she proves she\u2019s perfectly skilled at physical comedy in the classic \u201cConga!\u201d sequences.<\/p>\n

Like the \u201955 film adaptation, the girls\u2019 father & grandmother have been deleted, but landlord Appopolous appears only at the beginning & end; more unusually, he woos<\/em> The Wreck\u2019s future mother-in-law (Dark Shadows<\/strong>\u2019 Isabella Hoopes), adding to the teleplay’s sugary finale where love affects more than the two sisters. The mother-in-law\u2019s appearance is delayed towards the denouement, and Bob\u2019s appearance at the police station is designed to stir up a little jealousy between Ruth and her pretty younger sister, who also has eyes on the suave editor.<\/p>\n

In the finale of both films, everything is resolved at the apartment, but perhaps to open up the musical, everything wraps up at the Village Vortex, a jazzy bohemian club where Eileen is set to make her singing & acting debut. Instead of Bob \u201942 handing Ruth a paycheque for the sale of her story which enables the girls to keep their apartment, two strokes of luck enable them to stay put in NYC: Eileen\u2019s gig at the Vortex, and Chick giving Ruth an official press pass for more reportage.<\/p>\n

As in the \u201942 film, the former tenant \/ fortune teller has one (shorter) scene, but unlike both films, Lippincott\u2019s presence is slowly reduced, and he\u2019s pushed to the margins because that character lacks Chick\u2019s connections, which ultimately help Ruth. Chick\u2019s also less of a creep and redeems himself by giving Ruth a career break instead of fake leads.<\/p>\n

Chick also gets one great<\/em> scene at the Vortex: when he tries to cross the dance floor to reach a table, he becomes entangled in the slow, acrobatic motions of the hip dancers. The wordless \u201cBallet at the Village Vortex\u201d is one of the musical\u2019s standout numbers where characters come close to plastic cartoon characters, a link aided by the striking backdrops where realistic scale and geometry are replaced with fanciful exaggerations evoking a Maurice Noble<\/a> sketch.<\/p>\n

Alongside prolific TV director Mel Ferber, Herbert Ross earned his first credit, co-directing and most likely handling sequences where the dancers filled scenes. Ross\u2019 contributions are the most energetic moments in the teleplay, and he shows no fear in placing the camera inches from action, with dancers whipping past the lens to immerse TV audiences into the drama.<\/p>\n

The nighttime \u201cSwing!\u201d number in the street set is a real treat, as Russell leads a frenetic troupe and the studio editor cuts on explosive hand gestures; and in the opening \u201cChristopher Street\u201d sequence, the camera glides along the large set as personnel shift from active movements to cartoon friezes, including a kissing couple.<\/p>\n

Like the films, the \u201cConga!\u201d sequence is a major highlight, but it\u2019s not held entirely at the apartment. The bulk of the number takes place at the dock, and Russell shows she\u2019s fully fit to be tossed, yanked, twirled, and flopped around like a rag doll, still singing and hitting all her performance marks. The sailors eventually arrive at the girls\u2019 place, but it\u2019s a short coda before the prison scene with Eileen.<\/p>\n

Awkwardness is front & centre in the \u201cConversation Piece\u201d number where the spaghetti & meatball dinner is upgraded to a sitting & drinking session in the complex\u2019s shared courtyard. Bernstein\u2019s mocking brass punctuate the silence that follows each character\u2019s embarrassing attempt at jovial & witty observations, and it\u2019s probably the key scene where Lippincott loses his stature as Eileen\u2019s worthy suitor.<\/p>\n

Several gags from the original \u201942 script are retained (notably Ruth holding up the sample of roughage-friendly cereal \u201cNature\u2019s Broom\u201d). The cast is uniformly strong, and although Jacquelyn McKeever doesn\u2019t have Janet Leigh\u2019s smoldering qualities, the sharpness and range of her voice are memorable. McKeever\u2019s filmed appearances are very small \u2013 her only other credits are appearances on Look Up and Live<\/strong> (1954), Omnibus<\/strong> (1959), and Bronco<\/strong> (1959) \u2013 as were Sidney Chaplin\u2019s, whose deep voice and striking looks were better welcomed by stage productions.<\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s perhaps too handsome for Bob, but his version is also the least creepy: Bob \u201942 is chatty and annoying but shows interest whenever there\u2019s a beautiful woman; Bob \u201955 has eyes only<\/em> on Ruth, and is clearly a womanizer, entering a chi-chi club with his secretary (sultry Adele August) wrapped up like a slick print model in a deep red dress; Bob \u201958 has better manners, and as revised by the writers, he becomes a contrived wedge between the sisters until Eileen makes him realize his heart is glued to the elder sister, so he returns to the club and professes his love to Ruth.<\/p>\n

The popular 1953 musical migrated to London in 1955, TV in 1958, and was formally revived in 2003, but as for the 1958 kinescope, it\u2019s reportedly the only filmed record of Russell in her third most famous role after His Girl Friday<\/strong>‘s Hildy and Mame Dennis in Auntie Mame<\/a><\/strong> (also 1958). Even in its slightly incomplete form, at 105 mins. Wonderful<\/strong> Town<\/strong> should be given a special disc release with extras that use the musical to trace the popularity of the characters and core story through plays, musicals, and movies instead of the current copy-of-a-copy on YouTube. There\u2019s barely any detail, and although original ads of sponsor Westclox have been excised, the original wipes that followed ad breaks are intact. [Note: the full teleplay has since been pulled, leaving just excerpts of the musical numbers.]<\/p>\n

Herbert Ross would produce musical and composer-themed episodes of The Bell Telephone Hour <\/strong>between 1964-1966 before returning to directing and make his auspicious feature film debut with Goodbye, Mr. Chips<\/strong> (1969). His other classics include The Sunshine Boys<\/strong> (1975), The Seven-per-Cent Solution <\/strong>(1976), Footloose<\/strong> (1984), and Steel Magnolias<\/a><\/strong> (1989).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Finally, the 1960 TV series<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maybe Columbia had their sights on a TV spinoff after it was clear the most exploitable aspect of McKenney\u2019s property was the original story, hence the single season show<\/a> produced by the studio\u2019s small screen Screen Gems division for CBS.<\/p>\n

Apparently the brainchild of writer-producer-director and comedian Dick Wesson, the revamped storyline focused on the sisters trying to eke out careers after moving to NYC, and although unavailable on home video, the lone sampler on YouTube<\/a> (\u201cThe Photography Mix-Up\u201d) reveals some major changes to McKenney\u2019s group of characters.<\/p>\n

Ruth (Elaine Stritch) and Eileen (Shirley Bonne) are living in the slightly less dank and deep basement apartment managed by Apppopolous (Leon Belasco), but gone is soda jerk Lippincott and <\/em>Mad Hatter editor Bob. The \u201cPhotography\u201d episode introduces Chick, now a sleazy middle-aged reporter played by Jack Weston (!) taking peep shots of Eileen as she\u2019s sun tanning on her building\u2019s roof for an upcoming Hawaiian photo shoot audition.<\/p>\n

Chick takes the shots to the editor of adult magazine Bonne Vivant, and a \u201cglamour\u201d photographer is scheduled to drop by the Sherwood\u2019s pad, the address identified because Chick used his zoom lens to read Ruth\u2019s name on the typewriter Eileen was using to write the family. Chick also thinks Eileen is Ruth when she dons a brunette wig, hence the episode\u2019s Great Mix-Up.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Ruth is shown working as a secretary and sandwich girl at a short story publication, and although she aspires to get her work in print, she\u2019s part of the \u2018prison\u2019 that houses similarly older women who\u2019ve given up on the dream of rich careers, including \u2018mentor\u2019 Bertha, played by comedienne Rose Marie, who\u2019d immediately find success a year later on The Dick Van Dyke Show<\/strong> (1961-1966).<\/p>\n

The laughtrack-augmented jokes are tired, the direction flat and dull, with camera angles placed straight-on or in corners in what looks like a very low budget production with just a handful of sets; even the Sherwoods\u2019 apartment is barely decorated with the furniture and nick-nacks seen in the films. Appopolous is an even bigger creep, entering their home when he feels like it, and the girls seem more than tolerant of his invasive behaviour and shifts from cheery career supporter to cold heart, ready to turf them within 24 hours.<\/p>\n

Without a quality overhaul, it\u2019s unsurprising the series was cancelled after 27 episodes, which may have been a blessing since series regulars were limited to creep Chick, creep Appopolous, publisher Mr. Beaumont (veteran character actor Raymond Bailey), and new character Marty Scott (veteran comedian Stubby Kaye).<\/p>\n

Tom Reese (Shadows<\/strong>,Vanishing Point<\/strong>) played The Wreck\u2019s one-time appearance in presumably the pilot episode \u201cYou Should See My Sister,\u201d penned by McKenney herself, and Canadian Anne Helm played Eileen in what\u2019s presumed to be the pilot before Bonne took over the role. Other one-episode appearances included future game show host Bert Convey, John Banner (Hogan\u2019s Heroes<\/strong>), and Wesson himself in the presumed pilot, who drew from his years on The Bob Cummings Show<\/strong> and brought in Bonne and Marie.<\/p>\n

Wesson later wrote episodes for Petticoat Junction<\/strong> (1963-1964) and The Beverly Hillbillies<\/strong> (1968-1971), Bonne achieved some pop culture immortality in the classic 1966 Star Trek<\/strong> episode \u201cShore Leave,\u201d and Stritch enjoyed a long career in stage, TV and film, including Woody Allen\u2019s September<\/a><\/strong> (1987) and Small Time Crooks <\/strong>(2000).<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a9 2018 Mark R. Hasan<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

External References:<\/strong>
\nEditor’s Blog<\/a> — IMDB<\/a> \u00a0— \u00a0Soundtrack Album<\/a> —\u00a0Composer Filmography<\/a>
\n\u00a0<\/span>
\nVendor Search Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amazon Canada<\/a>\"\"\"\" \"\" —\u00a0<\/span> Amazon USA<\/a>\"\"\"\" \"\" —\u00a0<\/span> Amazon UK<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With colour and CinemaScope, the 1955 version of Ruth McKenney’s tales retains most of the same characters from the original film, with some unique modifications. Gone is the setting of WWII and the need to economize, as are opening scenes in which sisters Ruth (Betty Garrett) and Eileen (Janet Leigh) make it clear…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18213,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[18],"tags":[5772,5771,5774,224,5773,5781,3480,5417,951,1817,4590,5783,5780,5776,5775,5779,5770,5768,1297,1118,5784,5767,5782,5778,5777,5769],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/MySisterEileen1955_BR.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8nuyW-4JG","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18208"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18208"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18237,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18208\/revisions\/18237"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}