Silk Stockings (1957) - 4 - Satin and Silk (Janis Paige)

Silk Stockings (1957) - 4 - Satin and Silk (Janis Paige)

Silk Stockings is a 1957 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film adaptation, filmed in CinemaScope, of the 1955 stage musical of the same name, which itself was an adaptation of the film Ninotchka (1939). Silk Stockings was directed by Rouben Mamoulian, produced by Arthur Freed, and starred Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. The supporting cast includes Janis Paige, Peter Lorre, Jules Munshin, and George Tobias repeating his Broadway role. It was choreographed by Eugene Loring and Hermes Pan.

It received Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Film and Best Actress (Charisse) in the Comedy/Musical category.
The score was embellished with the new song "The Ritz Roll and Rock", a parody of then-emerging rock and roll. The number ends with Astaire symbolically smashing his top hat, considered one of his trademarks, signaling his retirement from movie musicals, which he announced following the film's release.

[pauldorobialski]

Some time ago I was able to get this song sequence from a 35mm print that was being junked.

[hanschristianbrando]

If she hadn't disappeared after the "Josephine" number, Janis Paige might have stolen this movie. At least she outlived everyone else, and (at this writing) is still with us.

[janpawel]

Since my trips have been extensive everywhere,
I've become a much wiser gal,
For I've noticed that expensive underwear,
Can improve a gal's morale.

It is strange how lovely lingerie,
Can affect a gal's false modesty,
If she's wearing silk and satin,
Satin and silk.

Though she knows that boys are evil imps,
Yet she yearns to give those boys a glimpse,
If she's wearing silk and satin,
Satin and silk...

[esmeephillips]

Paige and Charisse do a lot of stripping in this supposedly classy musical. Charisse couldn't act and Cole Porter was tired: this song sounds like a computer program fed with better numbers from 'Kiss Me, Kate' wrote it. The film laid a mammoth egg and pretty well buried the MGM musical.

The embarrassed guy is Wim Sonnenfeld, a Dutchman playing a Soviet composer. He is the Macguffin of this rather tired Cold War update of 'Ninotchka'.