Goodness... so this is a long time coming. Classic Movie Mondays are back!! Yippie. :P
So, I saw the stage musical on July 5th, and by the end of that week saw the movie. Want to know what keeps circling my brain? The stage musical. It was so good!
That aside, for now, Guys and Dolls is a movie musical starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, and Vivian Blaine, based on the 1950's Broadway musical. Essentially the musical is about gambling, New York, betting on horses, just making bets, period, and more gambling while battling love and romance, naturally.
With the movie I loved Frank Sinatra's song, because he's got a sexy voice, but just about everything else I loved in the stage musical so much more.
The movie song, "Pet Me Poppa," was written for the movie, and dang it has issues. So problematic. Women dressed like cats singing about being "petted." Doesn't take much imagination.
Now I'm basing my comparisons with the Hale Center Theater Sandy version, so I don't know how much is scripted vs director interpretation, and how that matches with other theater performances. But, for instance, two of the characters go to Havana, and the movie version took it so seriously, whereas the stage version I saw played up the comic timing with really great choreography. It was just so much more enjoyable.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy the movie, it was a nice watch, but if I had a choice I'd head over hills choose seeing the stage musical again over the movie.
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