The Imaginarium of Arthur S
Directing the attention of all Shadowplayers in the area to THIS PIG’S ALLEY, a new film blog by Arthur S, whose comments here have long been greatly appreciated and a big part of what makes running this place fun. Now I can return the compliment by reading and responding to Arthur’s own pieces, starting with a terrific appreciation of Frank Tashlin’s rock ‘n’ roll satire / tale of romantic redemption, THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT.
October 15, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Ah David…you shouldn’t have…but thanks!!!
October 15, 2009 at 5:38 pm
No problem at all! Have a feeling I’ll be spending a lot of time over there.
October 15, 2009 at 11:14 pm
That film is a favorite of mine, I like it better than ROCK HUNTER. Looking forward to reading the piece.
October 16, 2009 at 12:22 am
I think Rock has more laughs, and hangs together remarkably well, but Girl has unusual tonal shifts and emotions expressed outwith the satirical framework, which seems unique in Tashlin, or at least it’s uniquely successful in this film.
October 16, 2009 at 11:30 am
Am I the only person who actually prefers Jayne Mansfied to Marilyn Monroe?
October 16, 2009 at 11:49 am
Chalk and cheese, despite the obvious imitation. So I don’t feel the need to pick a favourite. Marilyn was a construction, but she had a naturalistic side in Bus Stop and The Misfits and a few moments elsewhere. Not so Mansfield, who basically comes on like the balloon at the end of City of Women.
October 16, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Yes, except Jayne Mansfield was allegedly a highly intelligent woman (genius IQ or thereabout) acting out a conscious parody of a ‘dumb blonde’. I’m not sure you can make similar claims for poor dear Marilyn.
Of course, Marilyn was an infinitely more talented actress – but intelligence and acting talent are very different things. Some might even say the two are mutually exclusive!
October 16, 2009 at 7:05 pm
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I’m not sure you can make similar claims for poor dear Marilyn.
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Poor dear Marilyn was very read(ULYSSES was her favourite) and she was quite intelligent. Unfortunately, she was immensely insecure as Bogdanovich’s profile on her in WHO THE HELL’S IN IT(which excerpts large amounts of a recent interview he did with Arthur Miller for a German newspaper).
I like Jayne Mansfield in THE GIRL… and I feel bad for her early death but she didn’t appear in as many great films as Marilyn did and that’s a fact.
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(genius IQ or thereabout)
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IQs are immensely unreliable tests for genuine talent and genius and are holdovers of pop psychology. It doesn’t really mean anything.
October 16, 2009 at 9:05 pm
I watched Hillbillys in Las Vegas in few nights ago with both Jayne Mansfield AND Mamie Van Doren..Jayne played almost a Wax Figure of herself ,while Mamie seemed very natural in every day hippie chick wear..totally unrecognisable as some 50s blond movie bombshell..Kind of a fun film ,even if you don’t like Country music..
October 16, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Las Vegas Hillbillys!..that is..I know y’all were concerned! :op
October 16, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Well, Jayne was always a caricature of a caricature, that was her schtick. Rather alarmingly, she would be the same in interviews.
Tony Randall reports her trying to clear away the bubbles in her bath scene in Rock Hunter to expose more cleavage, while Tashlin laboured to keep her covered to appease the censor. “But Frank, people will think I’m flat-chested!”
October 16, 2009 at 10:43 pm
By the way, latest post at THIS PIG’S ALLEY is Up…
http://thispigsalley.blogspot.com/2009/10/t-v-and-frank-tashlin.html