Customer Reviews

Girl Can't Help It [VHS]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Our story is about music, not the music of long ago, but the music that expresses the refinement, culture, and the polite grace of the present day."

Tom Ewell introduces this highly entertaining and warm-hearted story with the above narration before being interrupted by a blast of Little Richard singing the title song. He plays Tom Miller, a has-been talent agent who has six weeks to turn a blonde... Jerri--real name Georgianna--Jordan, (Jayne Mansfield) into a star. Edmond O'Brien ("Fats" Marty Murdock), a perfect cariacature of a tough, fat, aggressive, cigar-smoking ex-con, wants Miller to make her a star so he can marry her, a somebody. But the Fates of the cinematic plot set things in motion, all towards a happy ending, fortunately. After all, this is a comedy.

Jayne Mansfield is a sheer delight as Georgianna, and for her to be so stunning blonde bombshell with a size 44 who wants to be a housewife is a dream come true for males. She is the dream for the men in the 1950's and maybe that perfect woman who would be appreciated by men even today. The Keirsey analysis would classify Georgianna as a Provider Guardian, an expressive, friendly, loyal, traditional, and organized person, someone who gives home-cooked meals and the hugs that heal. I would sure love to have her as a mother. Tom Miller would probably be a Crafter Artisan, which is a perfect match according to Keirsey. As the song "Ready Teddy" says, "she's got a lot of what they call the most."

Frank Tashlin's sight gags involving the men's reaction to Jerri are hilarious. When she sways by the ice man, the block of ice he's lifting from the truck instantly melts into a puddle down the truck bed. And probably the one with the most innuendo, is of a milkman holding a bottle of milk, which bursts open, causing the milk to gush out of the bottle. Then there's Jerri holding Miller's two full bottles of milk against her, symbolizing potential motherhood.

The music here is a nostalgic time capsule of music that came following the heels of Bill Haley and the Comets and is a mixture of the old with the new. With songs performed by the Little Richard, Abbey Lincoln, Julie London, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, the Treniers, Fats Domino, and the Platters, what a treat! Trivia note: Abbey Lincoln appears to be wearing the same orange dress or a lookalike of the one worn by Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Great dialogue bits: Miller: "Six weeks? Rome wasn't built in a day." Murdock: "She [Jerri] ain't Rome. What we're talking about is already built." Tom [to paperboy]: "She's just a girl, Barry. Just a girl." Barry: "If she's a girl, then I don't know what my sister is." Too true, Barry!

There's also bits of dialogue that still holds relevance today. Murdock tells Mousey, "Money meant something in the old day before taxes." And how about music? Murdock makes Miller and Jerri listen to Eddie Cochran sing, to which Miller tells Jerri what Murdock had in mind. He tells Jerri and as predicted, Murdock tells Miller, "Okay, so Jerri can't sing. Well, that guy ain't got a trained voice either, and he's one of the top paid record stars in the country. Why? Because he has a new sound." This statement on music is SO SO relevant today. Remind you of anyone you hear on the radio or see on MTV? Yep, I thought so.

The Girl Can't Help It embodies the music, culture, and ttitudes of a time long-gone. I wonder what a modern day version of this movie would be like, and thinking back to the introductory narration, wouldn't it be interesting to analyze this fifty years later, the same way I've done with this movie?

This movie is a great, make that GREAT, musical-comedy!
It's a live-action cartoon (because Frank Tashilin, director of so many of Warner's "Looney Toones") directed it & it's a satire of the music industry.

It's also a great chance to see some early legends of rock n' roll, including Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, The Platters, Fats Domino, Little Richard, along with some other minor rockers including Eddie Fontaine, The Three Chuckles, as well as pop singer Julie London & jazz great Abbey Lincoln. Anyone who wishes to hear REAL rock 'n roll music from the '50's (NOT nostalgia musicals like "Grease") as well as to see these rockers in the prime of their youth as they were meant to be seen (not as old men past their musical prime like on those well-meaning, if misguided PBS specials), well...this movie is for you! (I missed out on the '50's, having been a teenager during the '80's, so this film is a fun, "educational" piece of Americana for me!)

If you like comedy, "The Girl Can't Help It" delivers. It's not only a good pop-culture satire, but it's risque' sex-humor manages laughs without outright vulgarity. (Today's comedy writers could learn from this 46 year-old gem.)

And what words can bring justice to the incredibly gorgeous Jayne Mansfield? "Va-va-va-voom!"

I saw this film while I was in high school and I have never forgotten it. Jayne Mansfield was beautiful and it's a shame she couldn't get past being a typical Monroe copy cat because she wasn't. She was smart, funny, and made any woman want to be like her at that time. Her presence was dynamic and Tom Ewell was hilarious as her counter-part in the film. It is by far the best film she made and what a joy to watch so many young talented rock'n'roll singers like Little Richard that exploded onto the screen with his awesome voice. If you like the 50's music and you like Jayne Mansfield then this is the film you should start with.

"Our story is about music, not the music of long ago, but the music that expresses the refinement, culture, and the polite grace of the present day."

Tom Ewell introduces this highly entertaining and warm-hearted story with the above narration before being interrupted by a blast of Little Richard singing the title song. He plays Tom Miller, a has-been talent agent who has six weeks to turn a blonde sexpot Jerri Jordan, real name Georgianna Jordan, (Jayne Mansfield) into a star. Edmond O'Brien ("Fats" Marty Murdock), a perfect cariacature of a tough, fat, aggressive, cigar-smoking ex-con and wants Miller to make her a star so he can marry her. After all, he wants to marry a somebody. But the Fates of the cinematic plot set things in motion, all towards a happy ending, fortunately. After all, this is a comedy.

Jayne Mansfield is a sheer delight as Georgianna, and for her to be so stunning blonde bombshell with a size 44 who wants to be a housewife is a dream come true for males. She is the dream for the men in the 1950's and maybe that perfect woman who would be appreciated by men even today. The Keirsey analysis would classify Georgianna as a Provider Guardian, an expressive, friendly, loyal, traditional, and organized person. I would sure love to have her as a mother. Tom Miller would probably be a Crafter Artisan, which is a perfect match according to Keirsey. As the song "Ready Teddy" says, "she's got a lot of what they call the most."

Frank Tashlin's sight gags involving the men's reaction to Jerri are hilarious. When she sways by the ice man, the block of ice he's lifting from the truck instantly melts into a puddle down the truck bed. And probably the one with the most sexual innuendo, is of a milkman holding a bottle of milk, which bursts open, causing the milk to gush out of the bottle. Then there's Jerri holding Miller's two full bottles of milk against her, symbols of motherhood if anything else.

The music here is a nostalgic time capsule of music that came following the heels of Bill Haley and the Comets and is a mixture of the old with the new. With songs performed by the Little Richard, Abbey Lincoln, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, the Treniers, Fats Domino, and the Platters, what a treat! Trivia note: Abbey Lincoln appears to be wearing the same orange dress or a lookalike of the one worn by Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Great dialogue bits: Miller: "Six weeks? Rome wasn't built in a day." Murdock: "She [Jerri] ain't Rome. What we're talking about is already built." Tom [to paperboy]: "She's just a girl, Barry. Just a girl." Barry: "If she's a girl, then I don't know what my sister is." Too true, Barry!

There's also bits of dialogue that still holds relevance today. Murdock tells Mousey, "Money meant something in the old day before taxes." And how about music? Murdock makes Miller and Jerri listen to Eddie Cochran sing, to which Miller tells Jerri what Murdock had in mind. He tells Jerri and as predicted, Murdock tells Miller, "Okay, so Jerri can't sing. Well, that guy ain't got a trained voice either, and he's one of the top paid record stars in the country. Why? Because he has a new sound." This statement on music is SO SO relevant today. Remind you of anyone you hear on the radio or see on MTV? Yep, I thought so.

Mansfield and Henry Jones, who is Murdock's timid associate Mousey, came out in another Tashlin vehicle, the even more successful and better Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter.

The Girl Can't Help It embodies the music, culture, and attitudes of a time long-gone. I wonder what a modern day version of this movie would be like, and thinking back to the introductory narration, wouldn't it be interesting to analyze this fifty years later, the same way I've done with this movie?

This film takes you back to a time you have lived in before or wished you had. The groups and performers in this film are simply outstanding * Little Richard is at his all time best !! He may have never looked any better than when he was in this film * Of course Jane Mansfield is perfect for the role. She was quite the presence throughout and captures your heart with her warm down home character that only wants to settle down and have a home. If your nostalgic though - This is the film for you - The soundtrack is a real 5 star production !! Highly recommend you view this and draw your own opinion. It isnt really a dramatic masterpiece but it is like A Hard Days Night was for it's capture of time - for the Fab four - This film allows a similar feeling of nostalgia in that sense - A place in history when the performers are on - Thank you *****

Reportedly, Jayne Mansfield's measurements were 40-18-35. Tell that to anyone, and they won't believe it because that sounds so unreal. Well, after seeing Jayne in that red dress, they'll believe!

Jayne is simply wonderful. Her known off-screen spirit and likeability (the stories told about her are great! When she starred in the broadway version of "Rock Hunter", she would remain into the wee hours of the night until every fan's autograph was signed; when tour busses approached her home, she would run out and great them!) really shine through in the movie.

As great as Jayne is in this movie, it's really too bad that her entire career was that of a caricature of Marilyn Monroe. Caricatures never gain the appeal and stardom of the original. And, when one looks at the early home videos of the young Jayne with her natural dark hair, she looks like a cross between Ava Gardner and Sophia Loren! One can't help but wonder how far she would have gone if she had simply been herself, and not one of many Marilyn wannabees.

What the previous reviewers have failed to mention, is how wonderfully hysterical Jane Mansfield is in this film, not to mention Edmond O'Brien's tough guy gangster. The music is truly outstanding as well, and its a rare opportunity to see the creators of Rock and Roll in Technicolor.

Ignore the glitz, Jayne Mansfield like Marilyn Monroe beneath the hype is a great actress. Fun to watch. And The Girl Can't Help It is one of the best rock 'n roll movies of the fifties. I first saw this film fifty years ago and then just the other night. My wife and I loved it. Buyer's tip. It is much much cheaper to buy the collection set that has this film, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, and The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw. It is over priced to buy it as a single.

If you dig 50's rock you'll love this movie. Jayne Mansfield's figure is too weird to belive but she's a dish. PLUS, in one movie, you get Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps, Eddie Cochran, Little Richard, and more. Bop cats, bop!

Many comedies purport to have lots of laughs; but The Girl Can't Help It is truly hilarious. Sure, there are innuendos about women's anatomy that a few stuffed shirts still won't like today; but I thought it was all very well done. The action moves along at a great pace; the casting is excellent; and the acting is very convincing. Moreover, the numerous musical numbers are all first rate; and this impresses me greatly.

The action begins with Marty "Fats" Murdock wants to marry his beautiful but allegedly dumb blonde girlfriend Jerri Jordan (Jayne Mansfield). There's just one fly in the ointment, though--Marty's luck hasn't been so good since he was jailed for income tax evasion and more; and he wants to finally marry a "somebody" to bolster his own image again. Marty hires down and out agent Tom Miller (Tom Ewell) to sell Jerri to the nightclub bosses and give her singing lessons to make her a true chanteuse.

Naturally, Jerri can't exactly sing to save her life--but the men certainly do notice her for her fabulous figure. Tom Miller tries everything to get Jerri to cut a record with a real recording company--and when she finally does you'll laugh at how she does it!

Things worsen for all when "Fats" Murdock becomes rightly suspicious that his girlfriend Jerri has fallen for Tom Miller--who was only supposed to be her agent and nothing more. "Fats" tries to have Jerri and Tom's phone call tapped by his sidekick Mousie (Henry Jones) but that too has its own unexpected results.

Although the acting is wonderful, the musical numbers in particular really impressed me in this motion picture. You get Ray Anthony And His Orchestra, Little Richard, Julie London, Fats Domino, The Platters--and more! The music is wonderful and I loved every number.

The DVD itself comes with the Biography Channel's episode on the life of Jayne Mansfield; I learned an awful lot about Jayne from this fine bonus and I recommend you watch it.

Overall, The Girl Can't Help It is a superior comedy from Fox Studios that really has it all--laughs, action, a fairly good sized plot for all the music that it has, and, of course--the music that it has! I highly recommend this for people who enjoy classic comedies and fans of Jayne Mansfield and the musicians in this picture should get this one! It is also available in the DVD set entitled The Jayne Mansfield Collection.