Designing Woman

Starring:Gregory Peck, Lauren Bacall, Dolores Gray, Sam Levene, Tom Helmore, Mickey Shaughnessy, Jesse White, Chuck Connors, Edward Platt, Alvy Moore, Carol Veazie, Jack Cole, Ruth Clifford, Donald Kerr, Richard Deacon, Nora Marlowe, Jackie Blanchard, Jeanne Dante, Harry Wilson, Ann Morriss
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Studio: Turner Home Ent
Product Type: DVD

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Anyone who thinks that Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus is a cutting-edge idea will be surprised by Designing Woman, a 1957 comedy starring Gregory Peck as a sports writer who falls madly in love with fashion designer Lauren Bacall. The twofold plot springs from a combination of Bacall's jealous efforts to learn the identity of Peck's previous lover and Peck's reckless exposé of a gangster who rigs boxing matches--but the movie's real enjoyment comes from its depiction of the athletic and arts worlds, each spun as a reflection of the male and female mind, respectively. While Peck and Bacall aren't noted for their comic chops, they acquit themselves respectably; Bacall has the more flamboyant role, but Peck draws low-key humor from his character's smug and blinkered perceptions. Designing Woman is directed by Vincente Minnelli (who also directed Meet Me in St. Louis, An American in Paris, and Gigi), so it's not surprising that the movie flares most to life during a few musical sequences--sneaked into the plot because Bacall has been commissioned to design a Broadway show, whose star just happens to be Peck's former paramour--culminating in a back-alley fight staged as a brawling ballet. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Gary Cooper.......2006-11-10

Gary Cooper is one of my favorites. I like all his movies

Great service.......2005-09-20

Received item quickly and as promised. Received e-mail when it shipped which I really like. Would definitely use again.

Watch it for Dolores Gray & Jack Cole!.......2002-09-17

This movie might have been tangier with Hepburn & Tracy, but it has some nice moments. Minelli was a stylish director & it shows here. But the real treat for those of us who remember the great 50s musicals of Hollywood & Broadway was the presence of Dolores Gray and Jack Cole, sadly quite limited here. Ms. Gray in this film and in It's Always Fair Weather & Kismet could blow the roof off with her magnificent voice and presence. Jack Cole was one of the great dancers and choreographers of that era - a major influence on many choreographers who followed. This film is a special gem for preserving some fine examples of work by these two great performers.

The Original Sex and the City.......2002-06-29

In this film, Lauren Bacall hilariously portrays the quintessential high-society, high-fashion New Yorker. While on a trip to Beverly Hills, she meets and spontaneously marries the wonderful Gregory Peck - an unassuming sports writer who has no idea exactly what he's married into. Upon their return to New York, Peck's character discovers he's married the darling of New York society as his wife is a renowned designer (think Edith Head or Helen Rose). What ensues is hilarious encounters between her society coterie and his down-home group of blue-collar writers, setting up perfectly for the witty repartee between Bacall and Peck that defines the movie. The film culminates in a fashion show-boxing rumble, once again intersecting the seemingly divergent lives of Bacall and Peck.

"Designing Woman" is a wonderful movie that gives ample opportunity for the magnificent Gregory Peck to show off his comedic skills, however subtly. I saw this film after "Roman Holiday" and it cemented my image of Peck as a dashing and charming leading man who brings out the comedic best in his leading ladies. The chemistry between Bacall and Peck is evident throughout the movie and is a testament to the adage "Opposites do attract."

This is a complete, well-told story with a solid set of supporting characters. This movie is for all those people looking for that rare superb romantic comedy. The delightful depiction of New York society makes us nostalgic for the days before the Hilton sisters.

Tremendously funny.......2002-05-17

I love Gregory Peck. I love him as the serious, morally righteous attorney, the dashing naval captain, you name it. So, really, I should have known that he could pull off a comedic role as well. No one, I don't think, could have known how well he'd pull it off.

From his first hilarious hangover to the last "cross-eyed" fight scene, Peck is enchanting. He's completely believable in his role as a sports writer caught up in a new world of dresses and strange choreographers intruding on his poker night. And perhaps it's because he's not known as a comedic actor that he's all the more funny.

Description

This 6-DVD set includes Rebel Without a Cause, North by Northwest, Singin' in the Rain, The Bad and the Beautiful, Designing Woman, and Ben-Hur.

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