The Opposite Sex

The Opposite Sex (1956)

Genres - Musical, Romance, Music  |   Sub-Genres - Satire  |   Release Date - Oct 26, 1956 (USA - Unknown)  |   Run Time - 115 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Review by Craig Butler

Ideally, a musical version of The Women, one of the funniest movies of Hollywood's Golden Age, would be created with the wit, style and imagination the source material deserves. The Opposite Sex falls significantly short in all of these areas, but if it's a disappointing and flawed adaptation, it's still good fun on its own terms. The mistakes are fairly obvious, such as adding men to the cast, a move that robs the film of its unique flavor. The problem is compounded by a mediocre score with poor and unimaginative lyrics; moreover, the writers often choose the wrong moments to musicalize. And the Fay and Michael Kanin screenplay is simply not as witty and well observed as that of The Women. Fortunately, Sex has some notable women to help make up for the deficiencies. Top among these is Dolores Gray, in one of the rare roles that lets her show just what she was capable of. She's a delectable steamroller in her scenes and a powerhouse when singing. June Allyson is fine but a bit weak as Kay, but Joan Collins is appropriately kittenish as her rival, and there's solid support from Agnes Moorehead, Ann Miller and Charlotte Greenwood. As an added plus, there's Helen Rose's scrumptious costumes to keep the eye entertained. Sex may be a missed opportunity, but those not familiar with the original will find much to enjoy.