The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown

A popular movie star is kidnapped,and everyone thinks,it's a publicity gag for her new picture "The Kidnapped Bride" - it isn't,but nobody cares,because everybody thinks it is! The diva falls in love with one of her kidnappers - that was clear from the beginning,of course,but that doesn't matter. A nice idea,transpositioned in a delightful,amusing comedy full of funny and also sarcastic gags and dialogues,with terrific actors(Jane Russell - who wears a blonde wig in the first part - is nearly as good as in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes",if not better)and a good story...it is a pity that this movie is almost forgotten today!I wouldn't say it's a masterpiece-but I liked it very much!

Just watched this on Netflix streaming. It has Jane Russell as a blonde movie star who, on the day her movie about a kidnapped woman premieres, actually gets nabbed by Keenan Wynn and Ralph Meeker! But because of her latest movie, not many people believe she's not just doing a publicity stunt. I'll stop there and just say that while there could have been a hilarious farce with what I just mentioned, there just wasn't enough funny lines or scenes to make a consistently guffaw-inducing movie for me. In fact, the only time I felt something was truly leaning toward comedy gold was when Meeker's parole officer played by Fred Clark came by their hideout and was questioning them about what they did on their free time and the kinds of situations that resulted. Still, The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown is worth a look for anyone curious about this now-obscure movie.

In late 1956, actress Marie (The Body) McDonald faked a kidnapping that got a ton of press but did little to help her sagging career. Fuzzy Pink is clearly capitalizing on that unfortunate episode. Also looks like the movie was rushed into production, released in Dec., 1957, by a first-time production company headed by Russell's husband, football great Bob Waterfield. I mention this background since it likely accounts for the film's uneven results.

The biggest stretch is having Laurel (Russell) fall for her kidnapper Mike (Meeker). It may have worked on paper, but it fails on screen. Too bad Meeker couldn't muster up some romantic emotion; instead he basically walks through the role in indifferent fashion. Then too, Russell's nightgown is hardly revealing, let alone titillating. Moreover, we have only the b&w movie's word that it's actually pink. Nonetheless she and Wynn do inject some needed spark.

Arguably, the movie's best part is its cynical take on the movie industry, from greedy studio honcho Martin (Menjou) to conniving agent Baylies (Harris) to waspish gossip columnist Parker (Venuta). Had the script played up this aspect, the results would have been more compelling. But, of course, that would have cut down on Russell's celebrity screen time. Anyway, there're some good shots of a Malibu beach house, a chic 50's parlor room, and a studio lot.

Despite Russell's spirited performance, the movie remains a jumbled disappointment.

JANE RUSSELL, wearing the worst looking blonde wig since Barbara Stanwyck went blonde for "Double Indemnity", does nothing to enhance the reputation she had after "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", wherein she sometimes stole scenes from Marilyn Monroe and Charles Coburn. Here she plays a ditsy actress supposedly a blonde bombshell whose latest film is about a kidnapped bride.

Here she's not exactly a scene-stealer--in fact, her performance is rather strained and only improves after she takes off that horrendous wig. Then, it improves considerably.

No help is the script, a tiresome thing that is silly from the start and wastes some talented people--like ADOLPHE MENJOU, RALPH MEEKER and KEENAN WYNN. Meeker seems so uninterested in his role that it shows. Badly.

Meeker and Wynn are partners in a kidnapping scheme that fails to go smoothly because Russell is a regular spitfire who proves hard to handle, until she decides the kidnapping would be good publicity for her latest film. The script only gets worse as it goes along, with only FRED CLARK able to put some laughs into a brief supporting role.

Summing up: A really clumsy script, it does nothing for the careers of Russell, Meeker or Wynn who have all done better elsewhere.

Laurel Stevens (Jane Russell) is a demanding movie star. Her new movie is The Kidnapped Bride and she's demanding to have her sexy bathtub scene back in before the premier tonight. She gets kidnapped by petty criminals, Mike and Dandy. At first, she thinks that it's a publicity stunt and then she keeps trying to use her feminine wilds. The studio thinks that she's being a diva. With public doubts, the kidnapping settles into a long running affair.

I really like the first half and how Jane Russell is playing up her character. I don't like as much the second half. It is not quite the fun that I expected. Maybe if the kidnapping didn't last as long as it does. The fun start fades in the second half.