Kiss Me Kate
by George Sidney, James H. Smith
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DVD details
Actor: Ann Miller, Bobby Van, Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson, Keenan WynnDirector: George Sidney, James H. Smith
Brand: GRAYSON,KATHRYN
Producer: Jack Cummings
Producer: James A. FitzPatrick
Writer: Bella Spewack
Writer: Dorothy Kingsley
Writer: Sam Spewack
Writer: William Shakespeare
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 110 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-04-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Reviews of Kiss Me Kate
DVD Review: Men in tights.
Summary: 3 Stars
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).DVD Review: Wonderful Show; Does Not Translate Well to DVD.
Summary: 3 Stars
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.
DVD Review: It Baffles Me!
Summary: 2 Stars
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.DVD Review: Kiss Me Kate
Summary: 5 Stars
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. DVD Review: A Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Description of Kiss Me Kate
Fred and Lilly are a divorced pair of actors who are brought together by Cole Porter who has written a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Of course, the couple seem to act a great deal like the characters they play. A fight on the opening night threatens the production, as well as two thugs who have the mistaken idea that Fred owes their boss money and insist on staying next to him all night.Cole Porter, Shakespeare, and 3-D: Not the usual recipe for an MGM musical, but hey--it works. Although it runs hot and cold, this 1953 take on Porter's delightful Broadway smash lets a chewy cast gorge on some terrific songs and show-biz in-jokes. Think of the plot as His Girl Friday in greasepaint: vain star Howard Keel wants to lure ex-wife Kathryn Grayson back to the boards with a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. The movie's weakness is too much Shakespeare, not enough backstage backbiting (and why are two of the best numbers, "So in Love" and Ann Miller's zippy "Too Darn Hot," confined to a prologue?). Then there's the tendency to throw things at the camera--3-D, what hath you wrought? The candy-store color design is great fun, and Tommy Rall and future dance titan Bob Fosse are turned loose for some sensational leaps. Now that's "Wunderbar." --Robert Horton
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