I enjoy Shirley MaClain's dancing much more than her acting. I find her girl next door routine annoying, she was good in the Apartment, but otherwise she always seems a bit forced and irritating. Too bad they couldn't get Marilyn.
I generally love Shirley MacLaine, but I can't say this was one of her better roles or films. This feels a bit like a half-hearted effort overall, but I think the rest of the cast seems out of place as well. I'm not big on musicals, but I can generally tell when they work, and this seemed to fall a bit short of the mark. 6/10 stars from me.
shareI am not a Shirley McClain fan. She plays every role the same. Baby-voiced, shrill, and annoying. Her dancing in Can-Can was terrible, in my estimation.
shareI am not a Shirley McClain fan. She plays every role the same. Baby-voiced, shrill, and annoying. Her dancing in Can-Can was terrible, in my estimation.
Shirley MacLaine seemed wrong for this part. The role needed someone with a bit of maturity about her to match the worldly-wiseness of the character. The film was far too long as well.
shareNever thought she was a good actress. Her shrill voice was not right for this film and Irma LaDeuce (?). In the apartment she was toned down and thus her best effort.
shareShe teamed up well with Jack Lemon in 'The Apartment.' But it didn't work when they paired the two again. She was toned down for the apartment as you say. She really needed that exuberance of hers reined in to get the best from her. I liked the songs in 'Sweet Charity.' But two and half hours is nearly twice as much as I am prepared to give a film attention-wise.
shareIn the stage play there were two characters that they condensed into one as Shirley played. I also found Shirley's voice very shrill and screamy.
shareMacLaine's performance in CAN-CAN reminds me of Lina "I Ain't People!" Lamont in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN.
That's not a compliment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBiEbZH0RF8
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Agreed. She's irritatingly shrill in this picture and not for a second does one believe she's a French lass.
shareI read her Hollywood memoir and she said that, as the sole female member of the Rat Pack, it didn't make her feel particularly attractive that none of the male members ever hit on her. And she said, regarding her affair with Robert Mitchum, that she always had to initiate their lovemaking. And, I'm sorry, but I'm not surprised. Even slim and young and dancing in Can-Can, she just wasn't sexy.
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