Divorced theater actors Fred (Howard Keel) and Lilli (Kathryn Grayson) team up again to play a musical version of Shakespeare's the Taming of the Shrew, igniting a full range of emotions between the two. The situation is not helped by Fred's flirtation with another actress, Lois (Ann Miller), and finally Lilli quits in mid play. In the meantime, Lois's boyfriend Bill (Tommy Rall) runs up a debt with gangsters, but signs Fred's name. Things grow more complicated when the gangsters (played by James Whitmore and Keenan Wynn) arrive to collect the money, and refuse to let Lilli leave. All the while, the play within a play is on-going as well, adding a further dimension to plot.It may sound complicated, but the beauty of Dorothy Kingsley's screenplay (which was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award) is how well it flows, weaving all the subplots in and out, and finally tying them together. Keel and Grayson are excellently matched, with both having superb singing voices. Miller, as always, steals the spotlight with her vivacity and dancing skill--helped, of course, by Hermes Pan's excellent choreography. Costumes and sets are cheerful and colorful and look great all around. The star of the show, however, is Cole Porter: his clever lyrics and lovely music are the groundwork that the builds this fine film.What I dislike about this movie is that it highlights the Taming of the Shrew (a horrible play) in a positive, even idolizing, light. The modern part of the plot follows the Taming some, showing male dominance and female subservience as the expected outcome between a man and a woman. I realize the movie is only showing the societal norm for the 1950s, and as such can enjoy the rest of the film without being affected.The bottom line is that Kiss Me Kate is a fun, lively movie, with a few flaws, but still good enough for a universal recommendation.

I've always thought this was a great musical and saw it in 3D over 30 years ago. In 2D it was great--in 3D it's a wonder. Now that it is available on DVD in 3D it is a must. I bought my 3D TV 5 years ago hoping they would release this film in 3D. It here and it's great-- probably the best movie ever made in 3D. The depth of 3D is amazing, the film frame just disappears in the 1:75 DVD release (there is no picture loss in widescreen), and the print that is used is flawless-- even better than the 2D version that accompanies it. Fabulous stereo sound that sounds like it was recorded yesterday. A brilliant musical with great performances in a adaptation that is even better than the stage show. Trivia--Kathryn Grayson's red wig in the Kate sequences looks exactly like the wig worn by Eleanor Parker in "Scaramouche" from earlier in 1953.

Cole Porter had not had a smash hit on Broadway since the beginning of World War II when this took the New York stage by storm in late 1948. Rather than just take Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shew" and turn that directly into a musical, he made it about the backstage goings on of the pre-Broadway tryout of a new musical based upon the Bard's most famous comedy. Rodgers and Hart had earlier scored by musicalizing Shakespeare with "The Comedy of Errors" as "The Boys From Syracuse", which was about mistaken identity, but "Taming of the Shew" and its musical version take on another more serious topic: the battle of the sexes! Faithfully adapted to the screen with only a few of the songs taken out, "Kiss Me Kate" for its premiere engagement added 3-D into the mix, a novelty at the time, and one that had mixed results. I saw this in 3-D at the old Vagabond Theater in Los Angeles many years ago, after having seen it many times in 2-D. The result was still the same, only a bit more thrilling because I got to see all those streamers, vases and dancers flying out into the audience.Lilli Vanessi is the slightly temperamental ex-wife of Fred Graham and agrees to be directed by and co-star opposite her ex in this vehicle. She isn't one of those oh-so-picky divas who complains about everything, but it is very apparent that she hasn't lost her feelings for him, even if she is insulting him at every chance she gets. He makes her furious by openly flirting with co-star Lois Lane (no relation to Superman's girlfriend), the show's ingénue who has apparently only said no to men when she didn't understand the question. Lois is actually in love with Bill Calhoun, the show's juvenile leading man, faithful to him in her fashion, but ultimately, from that moment on, she won't be taking any more sable from that actor named Gable.Lilli misbelieves flowers Fred got for Lois were for her and when she finds out, fury strikes (as does Lilli) and after reminding her that they are doing "Taming of the Shrew" (not "He Who Gets Slapped"), Fred brings in two comic gangsters to keep her from walking out on the show. The gangsters fall in love with the Bard, Lilli ends up with a sore rump and in typical Broadway fashion, everything ends up "Wunderbar!".Unlike other show within the show musicals, the plot is actually thickening rather than stopping, like a musical "Noises Off!". That makes for excellent theater and certainly a wonderful movie. I can't think of a more brilliant cast for MGM's production than Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson as Fred and Lilli, and Tommy Rall and Ann Miller as Bill and Lois. Grayson really gets to show off her comic talents here, being allowed to be both sweet and feisty, while Miller's perkiness is unforgettably show-stopping. When Miller, performing "Too Darn Hot", begins to remove her jewelry, Grayson humorously catches it and passes it nonchalantly onto Keel. Later, Grayson turns "I Hate Men!" into a delightfully bitchy song that reveals how much she actually loves them. The joy of the divorced couple dancing around their dressing room in "Wunderbar!" is another delight.Among the dancing admirers of Miller in the on-stage musical numbers are Bobby Van and Bob Fosse, as well as Carol Haney who later went onto great success in "The Pajama Game". Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore turn "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" into a duet of great laughs ("Kick Her Right in the Coreulanus!") that on stage is the show's 11:00 number. Ron Randell plays a very fictional "Cole Porter" for the audition sequence. Some deem this addition to the movie a mistake; To me, it is just unnceccessary. But everything else is practically perfect.This show has not dated at all; I have seen several revivals of it (most notably the 1999 Broadway production that was a lavish gem) and is one of few musical comedy's that has totally stood the test of time. It has also been done for TV several times, two productions of which have been released to home video. All are delightful in every way, shape, and form.

My title is a quote from Keenan Wynn in this show, meant to convey the fact that this film features a mixed farcical and straight musical treatment of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew", in which recently divorced stage actors Fred(Howard Keel) and Lilli(Kathryn Grayson) incongruously agree to costar in this play, as Petruchio and Katherine, respectively. This film is strongly based on the hit play of the same name, although featuring a different set of main actors. Unfortunately, since their divorce, the two lead characters have developed romantic relationships with others, which they sometimes use as weapons in their on again-off again renewed love-hate relationship. Lilli soon meets her romantic rival in flirtatious Lois(Ann Miller), who will play her more amiable younger sister, Bianca. Actually, Lois is just using Fred to gain her part in the show. Her real beau Bill(Tommy Rall) is her main song/dance partner in several routines in the film. Bill ran up a large gambling debt and signed Fred's name to it, which gets Fred in trouble with the gangsters who run this gambling operation. Two goons(Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore) are sent to collect from him, but he cleverly convinces them to help dissuade Lilli from her latest threat to leave the show to marry her Texas cattle baron fiancé, giving them comical roles in the play.Incongruous events absolve Fred from the gambling debt, while the apparently fled Lilli unexpectedly reappears for her part in the show.This is a nearly perfectly balanced musical romantic comedy: balanced between pure singing and song/dance, and between comedy and straight drama. The burly very tall Keel brings an imposing physical and blustering oral Shakespearean presence, along with his untrained resonant baritone voice. Grayson, as Marilyn Monroe-like blond Lilli or red-haired play Kathryn, makes abundant use of her famous pout, along with her beauty and controversial operatic singing style, to match Keel's charisma. The supporting cast is superb, beginning with the charismatic Ann Miller. As usual, she is cast as the provocative light-hearted 'other woman' or specialty dancer, but gets more screen time than usual in this, her favorite role. Like many others, I don't understand why MGM never cast her as the leading lady, as she was obviously beautiful, could sing as well as dance up a storm,and had great romantic comedic talent. In addition to her impressive solo "Too Darn Hot", in skimpy red outfit, she led 4 song/dance numbers partnered with Tommy Rall, and sometimes additional dancers. The legendary Hermes Pan was chief choreographer. However, the talented dancer and future choreographer Bob Fosse was allowed to choreograph his novel dance sequence with Carol Haney, as part of the "From This Moment On" song/dance number.We are also fortunate that this was perhaps Cole Porter's single best collection of new songs. In contrast to Miller and Rall,Keel and Grayson got only one song/dance duet, to the joyous waltz "Wunderbar". But this was sufficient to rekindle their romantic attraction which, along with roses from Keel, cause Grayson, as Lilli, to warble "So In Love". Later, as part of the play, Grayson sings and acts an especially venomous rendition of "I Hate Men". Keel gets 3 solos during the play. In "I've Come to Wive it Wealthy in Paduas", he crows about the exorbitant dowry he plans to extract from Kathryn's father to get rid of his troublesome daughter. Then, he serenades the unimpressed Kathryn with "Were Thine That Special Face", while she discovers that his roses were mistakenly delivered to her rather than Lois.Finally, he laments on the negative aspects of his deal with the devil, in "Where is the Life That Late I Led".....Not connected with the stage show, another highlight is Wynn and Whitmore's comical song/dance to "Brush Up Your Shakespeare", in which they incorporate well known Shakespearian lines from various plays.Favorite comedic bit is when Fred, to keep Lois from spilling the beans to the two goons about who really signed the gambling debt IOU, initiates a long passionate kiss and squeeze with her, as Bill and Lilli arrive, not understanding what is in his mind.As with most musicals of this era, there are various incongruous or contrived aspects to the plot that are essential to keep the story rolling. And, as with many other musicals, we can sense that the apparent happy ending is probably but a high point in a continuing rocky road in the central romantic relationship between two fickle people or two people with unsolvable conflict problems. So it was in the previous pairing of Keel and Grayson in "Showboat". It would be insightful to understand why Kathryn hated men so and was such a scold at a still young age, and why exactly Fred and Lilli divorced.