The Jayne Mansfield Collection [discussion thread] (1 Viewer)

[AlanP]

Any guesses why Mansfield's star rose and crashed so fast ? She could have done any of Monroe's films. She could definitely have done "Some Like It Hot", "Let's Make Love" or completed the "Somethings Got To Give". I felt she was great in each of the films mentioned previously. Just wondered why her career took off then an abrupt halt ???

 

[Matt Hough]

I like Jayne, but I don't think she had Marilyn's vulnerability. She was tougher and less sensitive than Marilyn, so she might have played the roles but the results would have been very different. I know she toured in summer stock for several years as Loreli Lee in the stage version of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I would love to have seen what she did with that part.

 

[AlanP]

I like Jayne, but I don't think she had Marilyn's vulnerability. She was tougher and less sensitive than Marilyn, so she might have played the roles but the results would have been very different. I know she toured in summer stock for several years as Loreli Lee in the stage version of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I would love to have seen what she did with that part.

WOW, that would have been great to see her interpretation of Loreli ! that would have been a great show to see........ I don't think Jayne's potential was ever tapped to its fullest extent.

 

[Robin9]

Any guesses why Mansfield's star rose and crashed so fast ?

My guess is that it was a blend of three factors. The first was her films were not especially profitable and some actually lost money; the second was Fox suddenly finding themselves going broke very quickly and dumping as many contractees as possible; and the third was that Jayne had antagonised many people by her insatiable hunger for publicity and her unscrupulous gate-crashing of other stars' events. (Her appearance at Hollywood's welcoming dinner for Sophia Loren is well documented)

When the bubble burst, she didn't have many friends willing to help her career get re-started.

 

[Osato]

Just ordered Single Room Furnished. Blind buy.

 

[Emcee]

Just ordered Single Room Furnished. Blind buy.

Single Room Furnished was Jayne's last released film -- although it was released after her death. It was filmed in 1966 when she was still marred to Matt Cimber, who directed the project. It's a decent enough movie, especially considering it takes Jayne away from the "dumb blonde" persona for a bit.

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[Osato]

Single Room Furnished was Jayne's last released film -- although it was released after her death. It was filmed in 1966 when she was still marred to Matt Cimber, who directed the project. It's a decent enough movie, especially considering it takes Jayne away from the "dumb blonde" persona for a bit.

View attachment 137621 ​

I just picked this One up!

 

[Emcee]

Mansfield's Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? co-star Tony Randall gave an interview once detailing their time working together on the film version of the story in 1957. According to Randall, Mansfield had issues with the scene showing her character, film siren Rita Marlowe, in the bathtub. Mansfield wanted director Frank Tashlin to lower the bubbles in the bathtub, fearing the public would think she was flat-chested.

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[Emcee]

I like this poster:

 

[Emcee]

Kiss Them for Me had been a mildly successful Broadway play. When 20th Century-Fox took to make a film adaptation of the story in 1957, Jayne jumped at the offer to co-star with Cary Grant. Many close to Mansfield apparently tried to talk her out of the decision, but she wouldn't change her mind.

Mansfield was naturally excited about appearing in a film with someone of Cary Grant's stature, who had been a star since the early 1930s. Fox gave Mansfield equal billing with Grant in all advertisements and the film's opening credits. In the film itself, however, Mansfield is little more than comedic relief, as Grant's character prefers a sleek, demure redhead, played by fashion model Suzy Parker in her screen debut.

When released, Kiss Them for Me was shredded by the critics, who dismissed it as "vapid" and "ill-advised". It didn't fare any better at the box office either, and was one of Fox's biggest flops of 1957. According to most biographies, the studio was willing to forgive Grant for the failure by placing the film's dismal returns on Mansfield.

Kiss Them for Me is generally regarded as the turning point of Jayne's career as a top star at Fox. From there on out, the studio sent her overseas, where she was loaned out to one cheap shlocky film after another until her contract dissolved in 1962.

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[Osato]

Kiss Them for Me had been a mildly successful Broadway play. When 20th Century-Fox took to make a film adaptation of the story in 1957, Jayne jumped at the offer to co-star with Cary Grant. Many close to Mansfield apparently tried to talk her out of the decision, but she wouldn't change her mind.

Mansfield was naturally excited about appearing in a film with someone of Cary Grant's stature, who had been a star since the early 1930s. Fox gave Mansfield equal billing with Grant in all advertisements and the film's opening credits. In the film itself, however, Mansfield is little more than comedic relief, as Grant's character prefers a sleek, demure redhead, played by fashion model Suzy Parker in her screen debut.

When released, Kiss Them for Me was shredded by the critics, who dismissed it as "vapid" and "ill-advised". It didn't fare any better at the box office either, and was one of Fox's biggest flops of 1957. According to most biographies, the studio was willing to forgive Grant for the failure by placing the film's dismal returns on Mansfield.

Kiss Them for Me is generally regarded as the turning point of Jayne's career as a top star at Fox. From there on out, the studio sent her overseas, where she was loaned out to one cheap shlocky film after another until her contract dissolved in 1962.

View attachment 161965 ​

I blind bought it a few months back. I really wanted to like it based on the cast and story but it was not good. I’m not sure if I’ll ever revisit it.

 

[Matt Hough]

It just goes to show that even the biggest of stars had box-office bombs on their resumés.

 

[marcco00]

there are sooo many second-tier stars like these ladies-- like Arlene Dahl, 40's star Carole Landis, 30's star Toby Wing, etc....... that the studios gave up on and did not even try to promote to the A list after a certain point. would love to have been a fly on the wall listening to the studio big wigs talking back then. i don't have many accounts on what long term executive decisions were made for a particular actor and why.

i did see a David Niven interview on youtube where he said there were about a dozen or so bankable stars in hollywood who could carry a picture, and everyone else were just working actors used as needed, so that was good behind the scenes talk there.

and Bette Davis said it is the audiences coming to see your pictures that make you a star....... true, i agree, and it also seems that the greater the onscreen charisma, the bigger the star is.

 

[marcco00]

another good one---KATHARINE HEPBURN ending one of her book tour interviews saying in hindsight she would have liked to have worked in a more private profession, it was demeaning to have to 'sell yourself' in order to work as an actor, and she knew 'damn well' the minute you are no longer 'delicious' Hollywood will drop you (that interview was with Clive James).

 

[Emcee]

Arlene Dahl, 40's star Carole Landis

Arlene Dahl and Carole Landis were both beautiful women and I've seen them each in movies that I enjoyed. But their careers were full of a lot of junk, too.

Toby Wing

I've never heard of her before. I'm going to do some digging.

 

[Robin9]

Arlene Dahl and Carole Landis were both beautiful women and I've seen them each in movies that I enjoyed. But their careers were full of a lot of junk, too.

I've never heard of her before. I'm going to do some digging.

From her publicity photos, I can tell you she was a good-looking blonde! I've seen numerous stills of Toby Wing but I don't think I've ever seen one of her films, which is why I've never uploaded her photo into the Blondes thread.

 

[Jack P]

Mansfield was naturally excited about appearing in a film with someone of Cary Grant's stature, who had been a star since the early 1930s. Fox gave Mansfield equal billing with Grant in all advertisements and the film's opening credits. In the film itself, however, Mansfield is little more than comedic relief, as Grant's character prefers a sleek, demure redhead, played by fashion model Suzy Parker in her screen debut.

I think the failure of "Kiss Them For Me" has to also be blamed partly on the foolish decision of Fox to try and make Suzy Parker a leading lady right from the outset. People forget that Suzy was the very first to be regarded as a "supermodel" and while she had potential I think she was rushed to the big time too fast as Grant's leading lady and had too much pressure put on her. They should have started her out smaller and given her more time to develop into bigger parts. She just seemed too much in over her head in this film, though she did fine in a smaller but critical part in "Ten North Frederick" (didn't think she did good in "Best Of Everything").

 

[Matt Hough]

(didn't think she did good in "Best Of Everything").

I agree. She and Robert Evans are definitely the weak links in The Best of Everything.

 

[marcco00]

Toby Wing

 

[Osato]

I think the failure of "Kiss Them For Me" has to also be blamed partly on the foolish decision of Fox to try and make Suzy Parker a leading lady right from the outset. People forget that Suzy was the very first to be regarded as a "supermodel" and while she had potential I think she was rushed to the big time too fast as Grant's leading lady and had too much pressure put on her. They should have started her out smaller and given her more time to develop into bigger parts. She just seemed too much in over her head in this film, though she did fine in a smaller but critical part in "Ten North Frederick" (didn't think she did good in "Best Of Everything").

Agreed. Make Jayne the star.