Distributor:
Umbrella Entertainment Certificate: M15+ | 91 minutes Available to buy Director:Frank Tashlin Extras: Yes
ANYONE
IN IT WE KNOW? Jayne Mansfield, Tom Ewell
WHAT’S
IT ABOUT THEN?
Back
in the mid 1950’s Hollywood
seemingly realised that rock n
roll was going to last for more
than 24 hours and here was a
huge audience for movies tapping
into rock n roll culture,
easily
the best movie to emerge from that period is The Girl Can’t Help It,
now released on DVD by Umbrella, shot in gorgeous widescreen
technicolour (probably just to make sure all of Jayne Mansfield’s
attributes managed to get on screen) the plot is hoky (Mansfield plays
the ultimate dumb blonde gangsters moll who wants to be a star, Tom
Ewell, who also partnered with Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch, is
the agent ordered to transform her into one) but it’s the supporting
cast of up and coming soon to be rock n roll legends that makes it
essential, everyone from Gene Vincent, Little Richard, Eddie Cochran,
Fats Domino and The Platters all pop up and its all the more noteworthy
considering black acts still were not being properly accepted on the
music charts.
The
movie itself is also pretty funny, Jayne Mansfield is happy to play up
to her image and not take things too seriously, yes she is a caricature
but at least she knows she is, for anyone interested in the early days
of rock n roll The Girl Can’t Help It is essential, its also great fun
in its own right.
ANY
SPECIAL FEATURES?
Main
extra is a chat with cult film director John Waters on his love for The
Girl Can’t Help It, there are also trailers for other Umbrella
product.
