Review of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957) by Joan S — 29 Jan 2007

This was a way better movie than I was expecting. Jayne Mansfield's character is a moron, but she's clearly intended to be one. It has nothing to do with the actress--or at least, it doesn't [i]necessarily[/i] have anything to do with the actress. I can't say for sure. (According to one of the bios at IMDB, it didn't; she allegedly had an IQ of 163!) The squeak got annoying, though.

Her once-husband Mickey Hargitay is in this, too, as "Bobo the Jungle Man." Also appearing (all uncredited!) are Groucho Marx, Barbara Eden, and Majel Barrett. Mostly, though, it's Tony Randall and Jayne Mansfield playing games.

I like the self-parody of the movie. Tony Randall is delightfully confused, especially given that he plays himself for bits here and there throughout the movie. I like the interlude "for television viewers." I mean, we're talking 1957, here. Half the cast did or ended up doing television, including Tony Randall himself, who'd done fifteen episodes of [i]Mister Peepers[/i]. Still, these were the days where TV was the biggest threat to the motion picture industry imaginable.

Right now, it's DVDs. And frankly, yeah, easily 90% of the movies I've reviewed in here, I've seen at home one way or another. Part of that is that I don't get out much, of course. Also, you'll note, a lot of the movies I watch are at least ten years old. They're ones I haven't gotten around to in one way or another.

The other thing is . . . going to the movies isn't as fun anymore, and only part of that is because I miss going with Graham. (Part of it is also the two bus rides I have to take to [i]get[/i] to the theatre!) I'm tired of the commercials. I'm tired of how [i]bad[/i] a lot of the new movies are. [i]Eragon[/i], as I think I made very clear, sucked, and it was hugely hyped for fantasy buffs.

Yeah, there are movies that I miss in theatres that I'd see had I money and transportation. Heck, I can name three or more that are out right now. (Well, it is just before Oscars.) But I watch movie ads, or [i]Roeper and Whoever's Guest Starring This Week[/i], and I think, "Who in Gods' names would pay money to see that?" Heck, most of the time, I wouldn't bother getting them out of the library.

But I liked this movie. Even though I'm morally certain Mae West did a slow burn over it. It's still better than most of hers.