GIVE A GIRL A BREAK

Give a Girl a Break
MGM, 1953, Color, 82 minutes, ***½
Released December, 1953

Kasznar, Champion and Fosse are putting on a Broadway show and they need a leading lady. But each of them has eyes for a different woman, and each wants his favorite to get the part. The only thing to do is hold an audition. Fun film with a fun cast. Highlights include "Nothing Is Impossible," sung and danced by Kasznar, Fosse and Champion; "In Our United State," sung and danced by Fosse and Reynolds; and "It Happens Every Time," sung by Gower and danced by Marge and Gower.

Produced by: Jack Cummings
Directed by: Stanley Donen
Assistant Director: Marvin Stuart
Screen Play by: Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich
Story by: Vera Caspary
Music by: Burton Lane
Lyrics by: Ira Gershwin
Musical Direction: André Previn and Saul Chaplin
Musical Numbers Staged by: Stanley Donen and Gower Champion
Art Directors: Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis, Arthur Krams
Women's Costumes Designed by: Helen Rose
Men's Costumes Designed by: Herschel McCoy
Hair Styles: Sydney Guilaroff
Make-Up Created by: William Tuttle
Recording Supervisor: Douglas Shearer
Director of Photography: William C. Mellor
Special Effects: Warren Newcombe, Irving G. Ries
Color by Technicolor
Technicolor Color Consultants: Henri Jaffa, Robert Brower
Film Editor: Adrienne Fazan

Cast: Marge Champion [Madelyn Corlane], Gower Champion [Ted Sturgis], Debbie Reynolds [Suzy Doolittle], Helen Wood [Joanna Moss], Bob Fosse [Bob Dowdy], Kurt Kasznar [Leo Belney], Richard Anderson [Burton Bradshaw], William Ching [Anson Pritchett], Lurene Tuttle [Mrs. Doolittle], Larry Keating [Felix Jordan], Donna Martell [Janet Hallson]

Musical Program: [0:06] Give a Girl a Break (sung by Debbie Reynolds, Marge Champion, Helen Wood and Chorus, danced by Debbie, Marge and Helen); [0:18] Nothing Is Impossible (sung and danced by Kurt Kasznar, Bob Fosse and Gower Champion); [0:34] In Our United State (sung and danced by Debbie Reynolds and Bob Fosse); [0:41] Challenge Dance (danced by Marge and Gower Champion); [0:48] Suzy's audition (danced by Debbie Reynolds); Joanna's audition (danced by Helen Wood); Madelyn's audition (danced by Marge Champion); [0:53] Give a Girl a Break (sung by Debbie Reynolds, Marge Champion, Helen Wood and Ensemble; danced by Debbie, Marge and Helen); In Our United State (instrumental version danced by Debbie Reynolds and Bob Fosse); [0:57] unidentified instrumental (danced by Helen Wood and Kurt Kasznar); [1:00] It Happens Every Time (sung by Gower Champion, danced by Marge and Gower Champion); [1:16] Applause, Applause (sung and danced by Debbie Reynolds and Gower Champion with Chorus)