Quatre filles ravissantes

An fine example of the sort of film that isn't made anymore. Studio engineered vehicle to spotlight a crop of its newest and most promising contract players.

The men are more or less disposable and none had careers of much distinction, though John Gavin had a good run of leads in the late 50's/early 60's. Too bad he was such a mechanical actor he certainly had the looks of a leading man.

Likewise none of the ladies ever made it to major stardom but all reached some level of renown in their native countries and all four are incredibly beautiful. The lone American, Julie Adams in particular had a very successful 60 year long career as a respected performer. Martinelli had a brief Hollywood run and a decent career in Italy as did Koch once she returned to Germany. Even the ill-fated but exquisite Gia Scala had some memorable roles before her personal problems ruined her career and life.

Here they all get their moment to shine in a story that was probably old hat in silents, the plucky actresses who have to compete for a crack at the big time. It's lush, plush and pretty empty with some outdated 50's sensibilities but if you like films made with exceptional care with that old studio sheen this is one worthy checking out.

Put this bland Universal-International trifle on and get to work on those dust bunnies. "Four Girls in Town" has absolutely nothing you haven't seen (or heard) before, but it is an amusing time capsule with four beautiful B-movie starlets and a handful of 50s Hollywood hunks, among them Grant Williams ("The Incredible Shrinking Man" and the underrated George Nader.

Nader, a truly spectacular physical specimen (yes there is a welcome beach scene) is actually quite good here, playing the director of the would-be movie stars' screen tests. He has an appealing laid-back manner and manages to convincingly recite some truly banal dialogue (as does everyone here).

There are movies meant to be background noise. And as nicely made as this is, "Four Girls in Town" will likely be remembered as the perfect movie to put on from YouTube if you want a spotless kitchen in just under two hours.

When the movie begins, the studio is trying to sign a temperamental actress for an upcoming Biblical epic. However, her demands are so excessive, the studio decides instead to use a publicity stunt to cast the lead actress. They'll have a contest where women from around the world will be brought to Hollywood for screentests to find the perfect Esther in the epic.

Four unknown actresses are chosen...an Italian, an Austrian, a French woman and an American. THe story consists of their efforts to secure the roles and focuses mostly on how studios operate (or want the public to think they operate) and offers a lot of interesting stories.

The acting is generally very good, though I do think Elsa Martinelli was a poor choice in the film because her accent was too heavy. I am glad I had captions though audiences of 1957 must have struggled with her. The story is clever...with dramatic, humorous and romantic potions throughout. Overall a most enjoyable film...one which is better than I expected.

This Hollywood drama begins with a world-wide search for an actress to play the title role in an upcoming epic "The Story of Esther", since Manning Studios is having issues with their temperamental star Rita Holloway (Helene Stanton). Four are finally chosen: an Austrian (Marianne Cook (Koch)), an Italian (Elsa Martinelli), a Frenchwoman (Gia Scala) and an American (Julie Adams), all brunette beauties. There's some fascinating backstage, back-lot sequences, all shot on the Universal-International sets. Some of the women find love after some trials and tribulations. The men include George Nader, John Gavin, Sydney Chaplin, Grant Williams, Maurice Marsac. There's also an unexpected denouement at the end. The story receives tremendous boost by being photographed in color and Cinemascope (although I haven't seen it in widescreen). The day and night beach scenes are striking, the music by Alex North is fascinating, costumes by Rosemary Odell beautiful. The supporting cast is filled with familiar faces, all excellent, with Mabel Albertson in particular a standout as Adams' pushy stage mother.

From its animated opening credits to the presence of such icons as George Nader and Julie Adams, this is one of those movies which could only have come out of the 1950s. It's glossy, it's superficial, it's utterly unconvincing in its depiction of behind-the-cameras Hollywood, and yet it has the sort of entertaining, audience-pleasing quality which a number of current movies seem to have lost. Of the four women who come to Hollywood via a talent search, each gets involved in a subplot which is neatly tied up before the final fade-out. Gia Scala gets lost in the shuffle but the other three women come across well, especially Elsa Martinelli who dominates every scene she's in with a slightly over-the-top performance. She and Julie Adams and Marianne Cook all have swimsuit scenes but Gia Scala does not.

George Nader also has a swimsuit scene but the other two "hunks" whom Universal was grooming for stardom -- John Gavin and Grant Williams -- do not.

Very little is actually shown of the film-making process and what is depicted is almost laughably unconvincing. Hollywood has always had a problem in filming "Hollywood" and this curio from the 1950s is no exception.