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    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1950s
    Movies - 1950s Movies - G Music on Film & TV 2 Mins Read

    Girl Can’t Help It, The (1957)

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    This rock ‘n’ roll comedy starring Tom Ewell and the pneumatic Jayne Mansfield is witty, stylish, clever and (by today’s standards) extraordinarily sexist.

    Tom Miller (Ewell), a small-time theatrical agent, is given the task of turning glamorous Jerri Jordan (Mansfield in her first film) into a top rock ‘n’ roll personality.

    The problem is that Jerri doesn’t want to be a star, Tom is falling for her and her boyfriend, Fats Murdock (Edmond O’Brien) happens to be an ex-gangster.

    Jerri marries her agent and Fats makes it as a star with a #1 hit entitled Rocking Around The Rockpile – although Murdock suggests a number of alternate titles such as No Lights On The Christmas Tree, Mother – They’re Using The Electric Chair Tonight and I’ll Get No Good Behavior Baby, If I Keep Thinking Of You.

    The film features more than a dozen major music acts, including Little Richard (who wrote the title song), Eddie Cochran (singing Twenty Flight Rock), Fats Domino (Blue Monday), and Gene Vincent singing Be Bop a Lula.

    But director Frank Tashlin’s viewpoint is pure acid, and only balladeer Julie London is filmed without cynicism.

    The use of CinemaScope is exemplary, and the movie is a perfect 1950s piece.

    But the question still remains, how did Mr Average himself, Tom Ewell, get to co-star with such bombshells as Marilyn Monroe, Sheree North and Jayne Mansfield?

    girlcanthelpit5

    Tom Miller
    Tom Ewell
    Jerri Jordan
    Jayne Mansfield
    Marty ‘Fats’ Murdock
    Edmond O’Brien
    Mousie
    Henry Jones
    Wheeler
    John Emery
    Hilda
    Juanita Moore
    Julie London
    Julie London
    Fats Domino
    Fats Domino
    The Platters
    The Platters
    Eddie Cochran
    Eddie Cochran
    Little Richard
    Little Richard
    Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps
    Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps
    The Treniers
    The Treniers
    The Chuckles
    The Chuckles

    Director
    Frank Tashlin

    Video

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