Main Cast: June Allyson, Joan Collins, Dolores Gray, Jeff Richards, Ann Sheridan, Ann Miller, Leslie Nielsen, Harry James, Dick Shawn, Jim Backus
Release Year: 1956
Country: US
Run Time: 115 minutes
Plot
The Opposite Sex is an opulent musical remake of Clare Booth Luce's The Women (1939). June Allyson stars in the old Norma Shearer role, playing the virtuous wife who loses her husband to scheming Joan Collins (as the Joan Crawford character). At first agreeing to a divorce, June decides to win hubby back by utilizing the same crafty feminine wiles that Joan had employed to lead him astray. Doloress Gray plays the counterpart to Rosalind Russell's vitriolic gossip. The original The Women boasted an all-female cast: the remake includes several male characters, played by the likes of MGM contractees Leslie Nielsen and Jeff Richards. Dick Shawn, Jim Backus and Harry James are also on hand, billed as "special guest stars." The satirical bite of The Women has been softened in The Opposite Sex, but musical fans should have a good time. Sammy Cahn, Nicholas Brodszky, Ralph Freed and George Stoll were among the songwriters; Collins, Allyson and Jeff Richards perform musical numbers in the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Ideally, a musical version of The Women, one of the funniest movies of Hollywood's Golden Age, would be created with the wit, style and imagination the source material deserves. The Opposite Sex falls significantly short in all of these areas, but if it's a disappointing and flawed adaptation, it's still good fun on its own terms. The mistakes are fairly obvious, such as adding men to the cast, a move that robs the film of its unique flavor. The problem is compounded by a mediocre score with poor and unimaginative lyrics; moreover, the writers often choose the wrong moments to musicalize. And the Fay and Michael Kanin screenplay is simply not as witty and well observed as that of The Women. Fortunately, Sex has some notable women to help make up for the deficiencies. Top among these is Dolores Gray, in one of the rare roles that lets her show just what she was capable of. She's a delectable steamroller in her scenes and a powerhouse when singing. June Allyson is fine but a bit weak as Kay, but Joan Collins is appropriately kittenish as her rival, and there's solid support from Agnes Moorehead, Ann Miller and Charlotte Greenwood. As an added plus, there's Helen Rose's scrumptious costumes to keep the eye entertained. Sex may be a missed opportunity, but those not familiar with the original will find much to enjoy. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Agnes Moorehead - Countess Lavaliere; Charlotte Greenwood - Lucy; Joan Blondell - Edith Potter; Sam Levene - Mike Pearl; Bill Goodwin - Howard Fowler; Alice Pearce - Olga; Barbara Jo Allen - Dolly; Sandy Descher - Debbie Hilliard; Carolyn Jones - Pat; Jerry Antes - Leading Male Dancer; Alan Marshal - Ted; Jonathan Hole - Phelps Potter; Art Mooney - Himself; Jean Andren - Gossip; Barrie Chase; Donald Dillaway - Box Office Man; Jo Gilbert - Woman Attendant; Marjorie Hellen - Leg model; Bob Hopkins - Drunk in 21 Club; Celia Lovsky - Lutsi; Vivian Marshall - Girl; Juanita Moore - Maid; Ann Morriss - Receptionist; Gordon Richards - Butler; Marc Wilder - Dancer; Dean Jones - Assistant Stage Manager; Gail Bonney; Kay English - Aristocratic Woman; Janet Lake - Girl on Train
Credit
Daniel B. Cathcart - Art Director, Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Robert Sidney - Choreography, Helen Rose - Costume Designer, David Miller - Director, John McSweeney, Jr. - Editor, Nicholas Brodszky - Composer (Music Score), Sammy Cahn - Composer (Music Score), Ralph Freed - Composer (Music Score), George Stoll - Composer (Music Score), Albert Sendrey - Musical Direction/Supervision, Skip Martin - Musical Direction/Supervision, William J. Tuttle - Makeup, Robert J. Bronner - Cinematographer, Joe Pasternak - Producer, Henry W. Grace - Set Designer, Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer, Arnold A. Gillespie - Special Effects, Warren Newcombe - Special Effects, Michael Kanin - Screenwriter, Fay Kanin - Screenwriter, Clare Boothe - Play Author
The story concerns Kay Hilliard (played by June Allyson), a former nightclub singer who discovers her husband Steve (played by Leslie Nielsen) is having an affair with showgirl Crystal Allen (played by Joan Collins). Kay is the last to find out among her circle of gossiping girlfriends. Kay travels to Reno to divorce from Steve who then marries Crystal, but when Kay finds out that Crystal isn't true to Steve she starts fighting to win her ex-husband back.
Unlike its predecessor, the cast includes male actors to play husbands and boyfriends, whose characters were only referred to in the previous film and stage versions. This alters the structure and tone of the base storyline significantly.
Originally, MGM studio head Dore Schary envisioned Esther Williams in June Allyson's role. According to her 2000 autobiography, The Million Dollar Mermaid, she objected to Schary's casting suggestion, resulting in her suspension from the studio. Shortly after, on agent Lew Wasserman's advice, she left Metro after fourteen years.
