Howard Keel (L) and Kathryn Grayson duke it out off stage. Image: RareFilm
What is your opinion of the Shakespearean play, The Taming of the Shrew?
Do you see it as satire, poking fun at the roles of men and women? Or do you think it’s barely-disguised misogyny?
We ask because we’ve just seen Kiss Me, Kate (1953), a musical comedy adapted from the Broadway play based on the Bard’s work, with music by Cole Porter.
We (yours truly) are no Shakespearean scholar, although we have read some intriguing online debates about The Taming of the Shrew.
The film version is a play-within-a-movie that riffs on Shakespeare’s play-within-a-play structure. It’s the story of a mean-tempered, man-hating woman (played in the movie by Kathryn Grayson) who ends up marrying Howard Keel, a man determined to “tame” her.
The irony, of course, is that Keel’s onstage character is as unruly as Grayson’s, but he’s bigger and stronger, so he’ll end up the Winner. (This is the kind of relationship we’re dealing with here.)
But is the offstage Keel as dominant as he believes?
In a somewhat clever twist, Grayson’s Broadway-actress is recently divorced from Keel, a Broadway actor/producer; nevertheless, the two agree to star in a production of The Taming of the Shrew. Grayson and Keel bicker and quarrel off stage, but their chemistry is undeniable.
Much to Keel’s chagrin, however, the production relies on Grayson’s presence. When he pushes her too far, she Quits.
Not only that, the beleaguered Keel must also try to outmaneuver gangsters who hold the production hostage until a gambling debt is paid.
Grayson as the man-hating Katherina. Image: IMDb
The two main characters, in the film and the play, are based on real-life Broadway actors, Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontaine, the legendary husband-and-wife acting duo.
According to Britannica, Lunt and Fontaine appeared in more than two dozen productions together between the early 1920s and the 1950s. They were famously successful in Noel Coward and George Bernard Shaw comedies, and they developed a pattern of rapport that had not been seen on stage before.
The Lunts …. perfected the use of overlapping dialogue … although both actors were speaking at the same time, the audience would not miss a word spoken by either. Great skill was required in order to bring off this effect successfully… [P]erhaps most difficult of all, they made the effect sound perfectly natural.¹
Get this: While they were appearing in the 1935 Broadway production of The Taming of the Shrew, Lunt and Fontaine were embroiled in personal differences. According to Wikipedia, a future Broadway producer observed these dynamics and, in the late 1940s, he asked playwrights Bella and Samuel Spewack to write about it, resulting what would be their most successful collaboration.
Incidentally, the Lunt-Fontaine relationship was the subject of another Broadway play, Design for Living, written by Noel Coward, and adapted to the big screen in 1933.
The movie incorporates a real theatre audience. Image: hdencode.org
The Hollywood version of Kiss Me, Kate looks and feels like a time capsule from the 1950s, which is not an entirely bad thing. It uses gorgeous 1950s’ eye-popping colour in the lavish costumes and set designs. It was also filmed in 3D.
There are other visual treats, too. For example, there’s a real theatre audience, giving the film an authentic thespian-ish environment. Additionally, director George Sidney uses a more-or-less static camera when the story is focused on the play, and playful, fluid angles when the action moves off stage.
And there are dance numbers featuring the fabulous Ann Miller, who nearly walks away with the film.
Ann Miller and her dancing admirers. Image: Pinterest
Kiss Me, Kate, the stage play, opened on Broadway in 1948, ran for over 1,000 performances, and was awarded a Tony in 1949 for Best Musical. It also ran in London’s West End, and has seen numerous revivals, with another opening this month in London.
Kiss Me, Kate, the 1953 movie, could be easily dismissed as a Relic. But it’s actually a film about many things: about dance and music; the magic of live performance; and a centuries-old comedy.
Is the movie satire, though? Or does Hollywood take the message a little too literally?
Kiss Me, Kate starring Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller. Directed by George Sidney. Written by Dorothy Kingsley. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1953, Technicolor, 109 mins.
Sources
¹Wikipedia. (Retrieved June 13, 2024.) Alfred Lunt. •According to IMDb, costume designer Helen Rose added a wooden board to Grayson’s costume for the scene where Keel’s character spanks Grayson onstage.
and the movie was in 3D. You still see some objects being thrown at the screen.
it’s got a terrific Cole Porter score – So in Love, Brush up your Shakespeare, wunderbar, Were thine that special Face. perfect cast too. new stage version in London just now.
Oh, right! I forgot to talk about tge 3D aspect, which would’ve been a lot of fun on the big screen. And yup, a new revival starts in London. It opens today, I think?
Very interesting article. I didn’t know about any of it. I’ll add this: It’s incredible to me that Shakespeare remains so popular. There are many productions of his plays worldwide every single day, despite the fact that he died 400 years ago.
Musicals are usually a tricky genre for me, but I love this one immensely, especially for the Shakespeare connection. The banter between Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson is top notch and it’s no surprise MGM teamed them up a couple of times. Fred and Lilli really did parallel Petruchio and Katherine in nearly every respect on stage and off, and this blends seamlessly into the story. Anne Miller, Keanan Wynn, James Whitmore, and Tommy Rall offer fine support as fellow cast and unexpected accomplices in the whole affair trying to sort it all out. Actually, I was surprised at Keel’s humility when Fred comes clean to Lilli when she has her bag in hand, ready to head off to Texas, very unheard of in those days. Misogyny and Sexism can be interpreted in some of Shakespeare’s work, but I’m not completely sure they actually mirrored Shakespeare’s own opinions, even though he R-U-N-N-O-F-T’d on his own wife and kids to become a playwright. Plus, the bulk of his work came out during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I who was a pretty shrewd woman and wouldn’t have taken kindly to such views. And of course, the Bard was dependent to a certain degree on her patronage.
Thanks for your comments. As you pointed out, there are some amazing aspects to this film, including the cast and music. However, there are a couple of things that make me uncomfortable. Even so, everything about it is so well done.
You also make an excellent point about Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth I.
Fellow blogger Movie Fan Man suggested I watch this movie and after a year, I finally decided to see it. I really do enjoy Kiss Me, Kate for what it is. A product of its time that holds up on an entertainment level. The banter is still pretty funny and the music is top notch. In fact, “It’s Too Darn Hot!”
I’ve heard some of the songs from this show, but have never seen the film. I am a huge Shakespeare buff though. Currently rereading all the plays for the second year in a row. Taming of the Shrew has never been a favorite (the gender relations are very iffy even for the period and besides, I lean more towards the tragedies and histories than the comedies). People have interpreted the play in a more satirical light, with Kate only pretending to be tamed (I think the 1929 one with Mary Pickford as Kate does that, if memory serves), but what Shakespeare actually intended is a mystery.
At any rate, the movie sounds interesting. I already know it’s got some great, catchy songs!
It really is a celebration of music, dance, and colour. Plus there are some great lines, and I love how they incorporated a theatre audience in some scenes.
PS – I admire you for reading and re-reading Shakespeare’s works. There are quite a few I haven’t read, so I might take a page out of your book, so to speak, and go through ’em all.
I LOVE these vibrant colours and I remember watching this years ago before I knew Howard Keel from his Dallas days. Thanks for helping me make this connection Ruth, always remember the Moonlighting take on this story. But now I want to see Howard again. Thanks xx
I don’t think Shakespeare was particularly misogynist, just more of a mirror for his times. In fact, a lot of his female characters are very strong, and as ruthless as some of the men. What I’ve always like about Shrew is that deep down, it’s about two people who couldn’t have found love with literally anyone else–that whole “there’s someone for everyone” theme. People might say, “But she could have just stayed single!” but in Shakespeare’s time, that wasn’t an option. I’ve always enjoyed the different versions of this, so thanks for providing more info!
Excellent points – thank you. I hadn’t considered the “someone for everyone angle”, and you’re right. These two would never have found love with anyone else. Brilliant.
Silver Screenings 
and the movie was in 3D. You still see some objects being thrown at the screen.
it’s got a terrific Cole Porter score – So in Love, Brush up your Shakespeare, wunderbar, Were thine that special Face. perfect cast too. new stage version in London just now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, right! I forgot to talk about tge 3D aspect, which would’ve been a lot of fun on the big screen. And yup, a new revival starts in London. It opens today, I think?
LikeLike
Very interesting article. I didn’t know about any of it. I’ll add this: It’s incredible to me that Shakespeare remains so popular. There are many productions of his plays worldwide every single day, despite the fact that he died 400 years ago.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ain’t it the truth! He’s still a popular and influential tour de force, isn’t he?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Musicals are usually a tricky genre for me, but I love this one immensely, especially for the Shakespeare connection. The banter between Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson is top notch and it’s no surprise MGM teamed them up a couple of times. Fred and Lilli really did parallel Petruchio and Katherine in nearly every respect on stage and off, and this blends seamlessly into the story. Anne Miller, Keanan Wynn, James Whitmore, and Tommy Rall offer fine support as fellow cast and unexpected accomplices in the whole affair trying to sort it all out. Actually, I was surprised at Keel’s humility when Fred comes clean to Lilli when she has her bag in hand, ready to head off to Texas, very unheard of in those days. Misogyny and Sexism can be interpreted in some of Shakespeare’s work, but I’m not completely sure they actually mirrored Shakespeare’s own opinions, even though he R-U-N-N-O-F-T’d on his own wife and kids to become a playwright. Plus, the bulk of his work came out during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I who was a pretty shrewd woman and wouldn’t have taken kindly to such views. And of course, the Bard was dependent to a certain degree on her patronage.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for your comments. As you pointed out, there are some amazing aspects to this film, including the cast and music. However, there are a couple of things that make me uncomfortable. Even so, everything about it is so well done.
You also make an excellent point about Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth I.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fellow blogger Movie Fan Man suggested I watch this movie and after a year, I finally decided to see it. I really do enjoy Kiss Me, Kate for what it is. A product of its time that holds up on an entertainment level. The banter is still pretty funny and the music is top notch. In fact, “It’s Too Darn Hot!”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! It is “Too Darn Hot”, isn’t it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve heard some of the songs from this show, but have never seen the film. I am a huge Shakespeare buff though. Currently rereading all the plays for the second year in a row. Taming of the Shrew has never been a favorite (the gender relations are very iffy even for the period and besides, I lean more towards the tragedies and histories than the comedies). People have interpreted the play in a more satirical light, with Kate only pretending to be tamed (I think the 1929 one with Mary Pickford as Kate does that, if memory serves), but what Shakespeare actually intended is a mystery.
At any rate, the movie sounds interesting. I already know it’s got some great, catchy songs!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It really is a celebration of music, dance, and colour. Plus there are some great lines, and I love how they incorporated a theatre audience in some scenes.
PS – I admire you for reading and re-reading Shakespeare’s works. There are quite a few I haven’t read, so I might take a page out of your book, so to speak, and go through ’em all.
LikeLike
I LOVE these vibrant colours and I remember watching this years ago before I knew Howard Keel from his Dallas days. Thanks for helping me make this connection Ruth, always remember the Moonlighting take on this story. But now I want to see Howard again. Thanks xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Howard is his superb self in this film. He looks particularly dashing in his Petruchio stage makeup.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t think Shakespeare was particularly misogynist, just more of a mirror for his times. In fact, a lot of his female characters are very strong, and as ruthless as some of the men. What I’ve always like about Shrew is that deep down, it’s about two people who couldn’t have found love with literally anyone else–that whole “there’s someone for everyone” theme. People might say, “But she could have just stayed single!” but in Shakespeare’s time, that wasn’t an option. I’ve always enjoyed the different versions of this, so thanks for providing more info!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent points – thank you. I hadn’t considered the “someone for everyone angle”, and you’re right. These two would never have found love with anyone else. Brilliant.
LikeLiked by 1 person