Summary
Slick lawyer Thomas Farrell has made a career of defending mobsters in trials. It's not until he meets a lovely showgirl at a mob party that he realizes that there's more to life than winning trials. Farrell tries to quit the racket, but mob boss Rico Angelo threatens to hurt the showgirl if Farrell leaves him.
Cast
Robert Taylor
Tommy Farrell
Cyd Charisse
Vicki Gaye
Lee J. Cobb
Rico Angelo
John Ireland
Louis Canetto
Kent Smith
Jeffrey Stewart
Claire Kelly
Genevieve Farrell
Corey Allen
Cookie La Motte
Lewis Charles
Danny Rimett
David Opatoshu
Lou Forbes
Kem Dibbs
Joey Vulner
Patrick McVey
Detective O'Malley
Barbara Lang
Ginger D'Amour
Myrna Hansen
Joy Hampton
Betty Utey
Cindy Consuelo
Leon Alton
Police Officer (uncredited)
Hy Anzell
Man in Hall (uncredited)
Herb Armstrong
Intern (uncredited)
Walter Bacon
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Steve Benton
Actor in Show (uncredited)
Margaret Bert
Wardrobe Woman (uncredited)
Herman Boden
Speciality Dancer (uncredited)
Peter Bourne
Cab Driver (uncredited)
Marshall Bradford
District Attorney (uncredited)
Bob Calder
Speciality Dancer (uncredited)
Pat Cawley
Farrell's Secretary (voice) (uncredited)
Barrie Chase
Showgirl (uncredited)
Dick Cherney
Porter (uncredited)
Jack R. Clinton
Party Guest (uncredited)
Gene Coogan
Juror (uncredited)
Russell Custer
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
John Damler
Detective (uncredited)
Jack Dodds
Speciality Dancer (uncredited)
Burt Douglas
P.A. (voice) (uncredited)
Michael Dugan
Jenks (uncredited)
Charles Fogel
Party Guest (uncredited)
John Franco
Hood (uncredited)
David Garcia
Newsman (uncredited)
Jack Gargan
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Ed Haskett
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Tom Hernández
Sketch Artist (uncredited)
Harry Hines
Newsman (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes
Juror (uncredited)
Jimmie Horan
Juror (uncredited)
Michael Jeffers
Apple Vendor (uncredited)
Paul Keast
Judge Davers (uncredited)
Donald Kerr
Backstage Card Player (uncredited)
Jack Lambert
Nick (uncredited)
Rusty Lane
Judge John A. Davis (uncredited)
Herbert Lytton
Judge Alfino (uncredited)
Thomas Martin
Prospective Juror (uncredited)
Philo McCullough
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Sam McDaniel
Jesse (uncredited)
Harry Tom McKenna
Politician (uncredited)
David McMahon
Jail Guard (uncredited)
Harold Miller
Party Guest (uncredited)
Hans Moebus
Juror (uncredited)
Charles Morton
Juror (uncredited)
Forbes Murray
Party Guest at Rico's (uncredited)
Maggie O'Byrne
Woman (uncredited)
Sanita Pelkey
Showgirl (uncredited)
Charles Perry
Party Guest (uncredited)
Albert Petit
Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Carmen Phillips
Rico's Secretary (uncredited)
Michael Pierce
Henchman (uncredited)
José Portugal
Club Patron (uncredited)
Paul Power
Party Guest (uncredited)
Dolores Reed
Woman (uncredited)
Edwin Rochelle
Mobster (uncredited)
Benny Rubin
Mr. Field (uncredited)
Georges Saurel
Hood (uncredited)
Aaron Saxon
Frankie Gasto (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Jerry Schumacher
Newsboy (uncredited)
Vito Scotti
Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Floyd Simmons
Assistant Prosecutor (uncredited)
Ralph Smiley
Venice Hotel Proprietor (uncredited)
J. Lewis Smith
Juror (uncredited)
Sydney Smith
Judge Bookwell (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan
Cashier (uncredited)
Hal Taggart
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Vaughn Taylor
Dr. Caderman (uncredited)
Carl Thayler
Henchman (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey
Restaurant Customer (uncredited)
Herb Vigran
Bailiff / Radio Newscaster (voice) (uncredited)
Erich von Stroheim Jr.
Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Geraldine Wall
Day Matron (uncredited)
Sandra Warner
Showgirl (uncredited)
Guy Way
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Marc Wilder
Speciality Dancer (uncredited)
Robert B. Williams
Jail Guard (uncredited)
Crew
Director
Nicholas Ray
Lyricist
Sammy Cahn
Screenplay
George Wells
Story
Leo Katcher
Reviews
John Chard
July 21, 2019
7
I know a girl a girl called Party, Party Girl.
Crippled Lawyer Thomas Farrell (Robert Taylor) has made a career defending crooks in trials, so much so he's now the front line defender for the Chicago mob. But into his life comes dancer Vicki Gayle (Cyd Charisse), who as he starts to fall in love with her, makes him see that his life is worth so much more than that. However, mob king Rico Angelo (Lee J. Cobb) is keen to retain Farrell's services, at any price it seems.
There's no getting away from it, Party Girl (a euphemism for a prostitute) features a very standard formulaic plot. It's also a very misleading title in that it doesn't scream out this is a crime picture. Directed by Nicholas Ray for MGM (his last for one of the big hitting studios), it's adapted by George Wells from a story by Leo Katcher. Supporting the three principal actors are John Ireland & Kent Smith. Robert J. Bronner (Jailhouse Rock) provides photography and the film is a CinemaScope/Metrocolor production.
Set as it is in prohibition Chicago, it allows Ray to rise above the simple formula and blend his knack for visual touches with interesting characterisations. If we really are going to cement this in the film noir genre? Then it's more down to the director than anything in the story. Yes there's themes such as alienation, vulnerability and the core essence potential for tragi-love-born out of two characters stuck in differing forms of prostitution. But the script is so weak it needed Ray to put an almost surreal sheen over it. There's exotic dancing featuring prominently, some what a given with the weak Charisse starring (in fairness to her it's one hell of a cliché riddled role), but again Ray crafts in such a way it doesn't let the film feel too sprightly. Which is something that this lush production is in danger of being at times. Yet line those dance numbers alongside scenes such as a portrait of Jean Harlow being shot to pieces, or of Charisse being questioned by a policeman's Silhouette - and you get an oddity. And a very enjoyable one at that.
This was Taylor's last contract film for MGM, and fittingly it's one of his very best performances. Again one tends to think this is probably down to Ray's coaxing, but regardless, Taylor plays Farrell with vulnerable elegance and a steely eyed determination that carries Charisse along with him. Thus the romance is believable, and yes, engaging. Cobb does another in his long line of larger than life characters. Chewing the scenery as much as his Rico character chews on his cigars. While Ireland is a by the numbers thug for hire and Kent Smith a talking prop. There's a fleeting performance from Corey Allen as baby faced psychopath Cookie La Motte, a character that the film could have definitely done with more of. Here's the main problem with Party Girl, it's just not edgy or dangerous enough. Which in a film involving gangsters, murders and crooked court cases, is an issue is it not? But thanks to Ray and Taylor the film overcomes the many flaws to wind up being a very enjoyable crime-love story based picture. Film noir though? Well that's debatable really. But lets not get into that... 7/10
Media
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$1,758,000.00
Revenue:
$2,380,000.00
