Customer Reviews

The Birds and The Bees (1956)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very under-rated comedy. George Gobel is always compelling to watch--he didn't make a lot of films---Mitzi Gaynor was always sort of a B-movie type actress also although she was a terrific dancer and very good-looking----a Virginia Mayo type---but together in this remake of the Fonda-Stanwyk 1941 comedy "The Lady Eve"----they make a terrific comedy team. This is an absorbing film and is very worthy of an upgrade to DVD.

For fans of Preston Sturges' 'The Lady Eve' (1941) this unnecessary but nearly-as-amusing 1956 remake provides an interesting look at the sharp-witted screwball original (four-plus stars) through the decidedly less sophisticated technicolor lens of a 1950s romantic musical-comedy. In fact, though one can hardly compare the screen presence of leading man George Gobel with that of Henry Fonda (ditto for Ms. Gaynor and Ms. Stanwyck in their respective roles, with David Niven a fine proxy for the great Charles Coburn), the replacement cast delivers laughs on a par-- in quantity if not always quality-- with their iconic counterparts. For those not familiar with TLE, 'The Birds and the Bees' remains a light and enjoyable 90 minutes filled with good performances, which I hope will be sufficient inspiration for them to check out its classic predecessor. Three-plus stars.

This one is my favorite Mitzi Gaynor flicks and I much prefer it over the better known South Pacific. Little is ever mentioned about this underrated movie which is a remake of The Lady Eve. Mitzi Gaynor was at her best in musicals and comedies, and this film showcases both her impressive dancing and singing skills in abundance. George Gobel couldn't begin to keep up with his gorgeous co-star's dancing, but he's perfect as the bumbling, wealthy nerd being pursued by Mitzi's gold digger with a heart of gold character. David Niven as Mitzi's con man father is perfect in this film, just as he was in Happy Go Lovely, another highly underrated comedy in which he starred with the almost as beautiful Vera-Ellen who could easily have played Mitzi Gaynor's near twin sister on the big screen and could dance as well, if not even better. Niven would star again with Mitzi in Happy Anniversary. Another great musical comedy is Les Girls with Gene Kelly which featured lots of dancing including several numbers with Mitzi. Many people have never heard of The Birds and The Bees, but give this old movie a try and you will like it. I only wish it was available on DVD.