THE GIRL MOST LIKELY

US, 1957, 98 minutes, Colour.
Jane Powell, Cliff Robertson, Keith Andes, Tommy Noonan.
Directed by Mitchell Leisen.

The Girl Most Likely is a musical remake of Garson Kanin's comedy Tom, Dick and Harry of the forties. It features a bright and breezy Jane Powell at the end of her cinema career. Cliff Robertson at the beginning of his is the male star. This is conventional musical comedy fluff of the fifties.

1. The appeal of this film, musical, comedy, domestic comedy?

2. The film as apiece of Americana of the fifties? The values underlying the plot and the attitudes, the styles of behaviour, love, dating, rich, poor, customs, family, etc? How have things changed?

3. The contribution of the colour, California background, the songs and their comment on the themes, the choreography and the satire within the dancing?

4. The importance of the background of the girls, their work, their thinking about the future, their plans for marriage, the emphasis on wealth, their ideas about love and happiness? How interestingly were these themes presented? How well developed?

5. How attractive a girl was Dodie? Typical American girl, her place in her family, her relating to her parents and sister, watching the TV, getting ready to go out, etc? Her work and her gossiping to her friend? Her decision to fall into the harbour to attract the wealthy man? The irony of its backfiring, and its effect on her? her relationship with Buzz and her engagement to him, her second thoughts? Her fascination with Pete for example the pink cloud? The attraction of Neil and his wealth, the effect of Mexico? What did she really want? Did she know?

6. The picture of the men of the fifties, their eligibility, romantic image? What did each of them want? How did they treat Dodie? What did they represent for example, Buzz and big business? Ambition and subjugating everything to this? The irony of the song and dance of going to the top? Pets and ordinariness and living in the present? The foretelling of nine children? Noel and the wealthy playboy, romance, money meaning nothing? An idle life?

7. The contrast between Dodie's friend and herself? Her relationship with him? The satire in their romance? The episode at Tijuana and the dancing?

8. The presentation of the choices, Dodie’s mistakes the awareness of the truth, the appropriate happy ending?

9. Comment on the visual presentation of the dances, their choreography, their positioning within the film? What did they contribute?

10. How enjoyable is this kind of American domestic comedy?