Gene Kelly in The Pirate?- Page 2
Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Roscoe
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#25Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 6/26/13 at 3:57pm
"(THE PIRATE) was just way to high brow for the average audience(...)"
Good God -- I'm just at a loss to see how THE PIRATE is highbrow. An audience that finds THE PIRATE too highbrow is one that is still awaiting the development of opposable thumbs.
#26Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 6/26/13 at 4:09pm
Hi Roscoe..
According to most biographies, the audience of the 1940's (Outside of NYC - and possibly inside NYC) had no idea what to make of "The Pirate" in it's inital theatrical run...
Now, it simply may have been because they wanted Judy and Gene to play what they would normally play (plucky show folk) and that was part of their reaction..
That said: If they remade "The Pirate" today and released it starring Emma Stone and Channing Tatum and shot it scene for scene like the original...
It would lay like ton of bricks in an audience primed on "Man Of Steel".
Roscoe
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#27Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 6/26/13 at 4:12pmHey, Anth -- I think those biographies are working overtime to make THE PIRATE seem more important and/or interesting than it really is. By calling it "highbrow" or "difficult" they can avoid calling it "badly written and directed crap."
#28Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 6/26/13 at 4:20pm
I don't see how this is highbrow in any way.
It's just a musical.
It might not do well because audiences today are picky about their movie musicals and this one is rather old-fashioned, but it certainly isn't difficult.
It's rather laughable that anyone has tagged it as "difficult" or "highbrow"
Roscoe
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#29Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 6/26/13 at 4:22pmMusicals can certainly be highbrow, but there's just no way that that silly little trifle THE PIRATE is at the same level as SWEENEY TODD or PENNIES FROM HEAVEN.
#30Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 6/26/13 at 4:34pm
I understand...but in 1948 - this one was an oddity. Of course today - well - it is what it is but back then it came off as, yes, a bit too self important, stylized and sophisticated and that dreaded word, artsy.....
It didn't make money..
Think of it this way:
Garland follows "The Pirate" with "Easter Parade" and it becomes the biggest hit of the year for MGM..a film that's not self-important, stylized or very sophisticated...and sure as hell not artsy..
Kelly follows this with "Take me out to the Ball Game"....big hit...not artsy...
so, while today we see it for what it is - back then, they just thought it was too, well, high brow..
It was based on a Lunt/Fontane vehichle...
The average American in 1948 didn't want to know from Lunt/Fontane...
Roscoe
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#31Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 6/26/13 at 4:58pm
Still not seeing anything about THE PIRATE as "artsy" or "difficult." A lot of Revisionist History, like MGM flacks trying to polish a turd. Blame the audiences for not getting it.
#32Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 6/26/13 at 5:03pm
Roscoe - you see no difference between "The Pirate" and 'Easter Parade" or "A Date with Judy"....
I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of "The Pirate" so I'm the lost person to want to polish it..lololol
#33Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 6/27/13 at 1:41amI remember the filming of this movie being touched upon in "Me & My Shadows". According to that Judy (Judy Davis) had hidden pills amoung the beads in the blue dress. They scattered all over the room when Vincent (Hugh Laurie) tore her dress. I also recall a throw away line that seemed to suggest Gene and Vincent were doing some playing on the side.
Roscoe
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#34Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 6/27/13 at 9:43amOK -- can someone please explain to me exactly what about THE PIRATE is "highbrow" or "artsy" or "sophisticated"? I just don't see it. It just comes off to me like yet another piece of over-produced MGM schlock.
Liza's Headband
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/28/13
#35Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 6/27/13 at 9:53amEh. I'm with Roscoe. From an unbiased first-time viewer, who is a regular watcher of these films, I simply did not pick up that "sophistication"
#36Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 11/26/13 at 3:35pm
Bump!
Let's continue our discussion of Kelly's Glutes here in this unsullied place.
#37Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 11/26/13 at 3:36pmHOW DID I MISS A WHOLE "THE PIRATE" THREAD???
Liza's Headband
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/28/13
#38Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 11/26/13 at 3:37pm
Even in his final film, XANADU, he was a sexy sexy man.
Liza's Headband
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/28/13
#41Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 11/26/13 at 3:41pm
"HOW DID I MISS A WHOLE "THE PIRATE" THREAD???"
Fear no more, Reg. Time to enjoy!
#42Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 11/26/13 at 3:42pmWow, you can really see his scar (which I love) in that photo.
#43Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 11/26/13 at 3:45pm
That's one helluva sexy scar!
Was SUMMERS STOCK the film in which he does the dance with the broom on the stage and tears the newspaper in four pieces with his feet? I forget.
He was dreamy in ANCHORS AWEIGH.
and the only time I hated Natalie Wood on film is when she repeatedly kissed him in MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR.
Liza's Headband
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/28/13
#45Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 11/26/13 at 4:14pmHe looked pretty swell in a snug sailor uniform, too!
nasty_khakis
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/15/07
#46Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 11/26/13 at 4:22pmAccording to Gene- “I’d love to ascribe that scar to some great dramatic event, but actually I fell off my tricycle when I was a sprout of five."
#47Gene Kelly in The Pirate?
Posted: 11/26/13 at 5:42pm
How did he get the scar? Do we know?
Sorry. I got a little rambunctious one night...
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