I saw the 1992 revival of "Guys and Dolls" on Broadway when Nathan Lane and Faith Prince were playing the roles of Nathan Detroit and Miss Adelaide. That show was so colorful, vibrant and pulsing with energy, that it made Joseph L. Mankiewicz's screen version pale greatly in comparison.
Mankiewicz replaces Damon Runyon's cartoon world of stylized sets and goofy gangsters with what passed for realism in the 1950s. Much of the original musical's score is gone (even the well-known "A Bushel and a Peck"), in some cases replaced by forgettable tunes written expressly for the film. The stunt casting of Marlon Brando in the role of Sky Masterson works better than you might expect; Brando displays a humorous and charming side to his personality that he hadn't yet shown on screen. Frank Sinatra is too smooth and collected for the addled Nathan Detroit; Jean Simmons is bland as missionary worker Sarah Brown. Vivian Blaine nails the role of Adelaide -- every ditzy blonde role since owes at least a trifle to her performance.
The film never comes alive. You would think Mankiewicz would be a perfect choice for directing screen adaptations of stage material; his films always felt more like plays anyway, and his strength lay in directing actors through long passages of witty dialogue. But he's not up to the task of directing a musical -- the numbers just sit on the screen; there's no snap to them.
A worthy effort, but one that doesn't meet its potential.
Grade: B-
Mankiewicz replaces Damon Runyon's cartoon world of stylized sets and goofy gangsters with what passed for realism in the 1950s. Much of the original musical's score is gone (even the well-known "A Bushel and a Peck"), in some cases replaced by forgettable tunes written expressly for the film. The stunt casting of Marlon Brando in the role of Sky Masterson works better than you might expect; Brando displays a humorous and charming side to his personality that he hadn't yet shown on screen. Frank Sinatra is too smooth and collected for the addled Nathan Detroit; Jean Simmons is bland as missionary worker Sarah Brown. Vivian Blaine nails the role of Adelaide -- every ditzy blonde role since owes at least a trifle to her performance.
The film never comes alive. You would think Mankiewicz would be a perfect choice for directing screen adaptations of stage material; his films always felt more like plays anyway, and his strength lay in directing actors through long passages of witty dialogue. But he's not up to the task of directing a musical -- the numbers just sit on the screen; there's no snap to them.
A worthy effort, but one that doesn't meet its potential.
Grade: B-