Gorgeous Kim Novak steals the show
I saw this film only because I'm a Kim Novak fan, and didn't expect much (not being a Sinatra fan), but found myself surprisingly moved. Already, even at this early stage in her career, Novak had all of the qualities that make her, for me and for many of her fans, the most magnetic actress ever. The vulnerability, the insecurity, coupled with the dazzling beauty -- a trembling, fragile spirit, yet in a sensually curvaceous body. Utterly irresistible. I believed every single moment with her in this movie, every single scene.
The film played up the Novak/Hayworth contrast extremely well. I was surprised that a contemporary Hollywood film could capitalize on the bad girl/good girl duality so effectively. The contrast between the love song and the strip song -- another fine and symbolic touch. Novak was perfectly cast in this role, which seems almost to have been written specifically for her.