A gangster hires a down-and-out press agent to make his airheaded girlfriend a singing star.A gangster hires a down-and-out press agent to make his airheaded girlfriend a singing star.A gangster hires a down-and-out press agent to make his airheaded girlfriend a singing star.
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination
Little Richard and His Band
- Themselves
- (as Little Richard and his Band)
Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps
- Themselves
- (as Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps)
- Director
- Writers
- Frank Tashlin
- Herbert Baker
- Garson Kanin(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to Paul McCartney, he and John Lennon were underage when the film was released, and sneaked into the theater by wearing fake mustaches to make themselves look older. The movie is one of their earlier musical influences. (This charming story, though much-circulated, is almost certainly untrue. The film did not carry an 'X' certificate, which would have prohibited it to anyone under the age of 16, and, in any case, Lennon was well past that age by the time the film opened in Britain).
- GoofsIn Toby Miller's commentary in the 2006 DVD release of "The Girl Can't Help It", he erroneously says that Little Richard is singing "The Girl Can't Help It" in his appearance with his band in the nightclub scene. Little Richard is in fact singing his hit titled "Ready Teddy" in that scene.
...and follows it up with a shortened version of the title track.
- Quotes
Tom Miller: You don't want a career?
Jerri Jordan: I just want to be a wife. Have kids. But everyone figures me for a sexpot! No one thinks I'm equipped for motherhood!
- Alternate versionsA black and white print of the film has also been shown on television.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The South Bank Show: Little Richard (1985)
Featured review
come for the music, but the comedy is good too
The Girl Can't Help It will be forever stuck in the 1950s, but that's the way it has to be. The film opens with a character pushing aside with his hands, magically it would appear, the sides of the frame to open from 1:33 to 2:35 aspect ratio (or, in layman's terms, box to rectangle). From there it goes into a musical comedy shot in Cinemascope and color the way Fox productions had it at the time, with Jayne Mansfield as the busty blonde that practically everyone turns their heads to see, with exasperated Tom Ewell just slightly more confident than in the Seven Year Itch. But what sets it apart in the period is that it's one of the first Hollywood pictures to feature honest-to-goodness rock and roll music. Eddie Cochran, Little Richard, Fats Domino, and uh Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps! They're all here, belting away tunes to dance to, and opening up at least some of the doors for other rock and roll movies (not least of which Elvis, who would've fit in here).
And sure, the plot is silly, but it's a funny one, and it's led on by a full-blown ham in Edmund O'Brien's gangster Murdock. Seeing him in scenes is worth the price of admission, maybe even as much as for Mansfield and her 'assets'. He yells his way through some scenes, and then takes it down just a slighter notch for others, but it works to create the comic tension necessary. It's a "star-maker" fable where the hot number Georgia (or "Jerri" depending on the moment) is propped up by Murdock to become a star, but the agent, played by Ewell, falls for her instead. Does Jerri even have talent? All she can do is a weird horn call in the song "Rock around the Rock Pile", an ode to the Big House. It all leads up to one of those showstopper numbers in front a crowd of hungry kids- hungry to dance no matter how ridiculous it might be.
This is such a feel-good movie, and I say that with also noting it's not exactly "great art". You can go and watch on your own, but it's also fun with someone else who digs a good 50's escapist flick that takes itself only seriously enough to be substantial. This means, basically, you'll enjoy the songs, have some laughs (sometimes, perhaps, unintentionally), and can soak up the Fox studios atmosphere. Dated? In a way, but it's record of a time and place is second to the entertainment value. 7.5/10
And sure, the plot is silly, but it's a funny one, and it's led on by a full-blown ham in Edmund O'Brien's gangster Murdock. Seeing him in scenes is worth the price of admission, maybe even as much as for Mansfield and her 'assets'. He yells his way through some scenes, and then takes it down just a slighter notch for others, but it works to create the comic tension necessary. It's a "star-maker" fable where the hot number Georgia (or "Jerri" depending on the moment) is propped up by Murdock to become a star, but the agent, played by Ewell, falls for her instead. Does Jerri even have talent? All she can do is a weird horn call in the song "Rock around the Rock Pile", an ode to the Big House. It all leads up to one of those showstopper numbers in front a crowd of hungry kids- hungry to dance no matter how ridiculous it might be.
This is such a feel-good movie, and I say that with also noting it's not exactly "great art". You can go and watch on your own, but it's also fun with someone else who digs a good 50's escapist flick that takes itself only seriously enough to be substantial. This means, basically, you'll enjoy the songs, have some laughs (sometimes, perhaps, unintentionally), and can soak up the Fox studios atmosphere. Dated? In a way, but it's record of a time and place is second to the entertainment value. 7.5/10
- Quinoa1984
- Jul 11, 2009
- Permalink
- How long is The Girl Can't Help It?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Do Re Mi
- Filming locations
- Westward Beach - Westward Beach Road, Malibu, California, USA(Jerri and Tom picnic on the beach)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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By what name was The Girl Can't Help It (1956) officially released in India in English?
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