The Opposite Sex (1956)

SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

This remake of M-G-M's classic "The Women" (1939) is a beautifully produced, glossy Technicolor musical. Fans of the classic original non-musical film will be disappointed. Joan Collins is one of the best things about it, as Crystal Allen, perfectly cast as the vixen "other woman". It is also an opportunity to see a young and handsome Leslie Nielsen, who later found unexpected popularity as a comic actor, beginning with "Airplane" (1980). I've heard about this film for decades and only wanted to see it out of curiosity. I finally found it on YouTube, and my curiosity is satisfied. I much prefer the original "The Women".This was produced in 1956, when musicals were falling out of favor with the general public. I would classify this as more of a "semi-musical", as most of the songs are in the context of the characters seeing a performance in a stage show.

As entertaining as this is (and remarkably well cast although a few talents are greatly wasted), when you compare this to the original screen version of "The Women", you just have to ask yourself "why?". There's a bit of irony in this though which makes it more a curiosity piece considering some of the casting, particularly two Mrs. Dick Powell's, the former (Joan Blondell) and the current (June Allyson), sharing a few scenes as social acquaintances yet not the best of friends. Allyson has taken over the Mary Haines role and now she is a former nightclub singer who gave it all up to marry Leslie Nielsen ("Shirley, you can't be serious!") and raise their daughter. He is bored and takes up with Joan Collins' Crystal Allen (Ironic considering her rivalry with Krystal on "Dynasty"), a showgirl who is roommates with the future Morticia Adams and briefly Mrs. Aaron Spelling (Carolyn Jones) and performs with her in a musical revue that gives the pregnant Blondell morning sickness after eating a huge banana split and having to view the tacky production number "Trees de Banana".If that isn't enough, there's future "Depends" commercial star Allyson singing a song called "Cling to Me" in a horrid looking pants suit (of course complete with "Peter Pan Collar"). At least she gets to reprise "The Young Man With a Horn" as she had in 1944's "Two Girls and a Sailor", once again accompanied by Harry James on his trumpet. Dick Shawn joins Collins, Jones and Jim Backus in the tacky title song in which Backus gets to be amusing giving us his Thurston Howell/Mr. Magoo laugh. Dolores Gray, singing the title song over the opening credits, takes on the Rosalind Russell role, and is the one who ends up marrying Buck Winston rather than the countess, played here straight by Agnes Moorehead. Ann Miller as chorus girl Miriam Aarons has no musical number whatsoever, ending her MGM contract on a sour note, yet at least gets a great catfight with Gray. By this time, the MGM musical was a "hit" ("High Society") or "miss" (this), resulting to remaking their old masterpieces either for the big screen or T.V. ("The Thin Man"), and with many of their contract players on their way out the door (this was long after Louis B. Mayer had left, although he was attempting a take-over around the time this came out), and it is sad to realize that their golden era wasn't quite over but yet never the same as it had been under the old master. A few more musicals and some biblical epics and film versions of Broadway plays would keep MGM a major player, but with T.V. keeping viewers away, it was obvious that they would never recapture the former glory.

THE OPPOSITE SEX is a product of the 50's. And it's quite grand. Why so many people dismiss this movie is a mystery to me. No, it's not SINGIN IN THE RAIN; AN AMERICN IN Paris; THE BANDWAGON etc...but it IS entertaining. In fact, it's not really a musical comedy. It's more of comedy with music as no one starts singing or dancing in the middle of a scene. All the musical numbers are in "performance" mode. I think this is more of a realistic aspect than the original THE WOMEN that this film is based and up-dated upon. Who ever heard of a film with no men. In THE WOMEN, the entire cast, including a bartender, a driver etc...are all played by women. Quite odd. Anyway, this loose remake is lot's of fun. Nice color, wide screen and a good cast. JUNE ALLYSON is just fine in her role as is JOAN COLLINS. The real stand outs are AGNES MOOREHEAD (isn't she always?), DOLORES GRAY and ANN SHERIDAN. Just wish SHERIDAN had more to do. Enjoy this for what it's worth. Just a good, fun time, not to be taken very seriously. The fact that LESLIE NEILSEN marries the JOAN COLLINS character is the most implausible aspect of the entire film. He already knows what a B---H she is and he still loves his wife...so the marriage doesn't make sense. But of course if they didn't marry there would be no Act 111. Nice that this movie is now available on DVD thru Warner Archives or by rental from CLASSIC FLIX. See another great film of it's time and era as well...MEET ME IN LAS VEGAS.

No need to compare this stand-alone with the original. MGM's wardrobe department must have worked overtime. The ladies-- and there are many-- get to model all the high fashion of 1956, and some outfits are real doozies. But then this is a tell-all musical remake about sophisticated Manhattan show people from influential author Luce who certainly should know. You may need a scorecard, however, to keep up with the rotating relationships among the high class types. I expect the film sets feminist teeth on edge now with its depiction of women as either maliciously catty (Gray & Collins) or catty as a defensive measure (Allyson, Blondell, & Sheridan). And that's when they're not chasing after men on whom it appears they're emotionally dependent. I imagine that if the movie were made today, key changes would be made.That's not to say this Technicolor candy box isn't entertaining. It is at least campy fun, although the musical numbers are mostly forgettable. Instead, it's the characters that are irresistible, particularly Gray as the queen of acid gossip; Collins as the ruthless husband stealer; and Richards as the dude ranch stud. It's also a well-honed supporting cast, down to a blondined henchwoman Carolyn Jones. Unfortunately, it's also a rather dour June Allyson, a long way from her usual verve and sparkle. But the high-point may well be the biggest no-holds-barred brawl between two women (Miller and Gray) that I've seen. Stand aside John Wayne and the rest of the macho brawlers because this one is worthy of the best smoke-filled bar room. I don't know if stunt doubles filled in, but somebody deserved a fat paycheck. Anyway, if you don't mind seeing women behaving badly 1950's style, this well-upholstered confection deserves a look-see.