Ask Any Girl (film)

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Ask Any Girl (film)

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Ask Any Girl
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Charles Walters
Written by	George Wells
Based on	Ask Any Girl by Winifred Wolfe
Produced by	Joe Pasternak
Starring	David Niven Shirley MacLaine Gig Young Rod Taylor Jim Backus Claire Kelly
Cinematography	Robert J. Bronner
Edited by	John McSweeney Jr.
Music by	Jeff Alexander
Production companies	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Euterpe, Inc.
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	May 21, 1959 (1959-05-21)
Running time	98 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1,140,000^[1]
Box office	$3,475,000^[1]

Ask Any Girl is a 1959 American romantic comedy film directed by Charles Walters and starring David Niven, Shirley MacLaine, and Gig Young. It was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer^[2] and based on a novel by Winifred Wolfe.^[3]

Plot

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A wide-eyed Meg Wheeler comes to New York City and takes a job in market research for a large firm. She's also keeping an eye open to meet the right man, her research making her aware that the United States has five million more females than males.

Upon meeting two clients, the reserved and somewhat stodgy Miles Doughton and his playboy younger brother Evan, it doesn't take long for Meg to realize she's romantically interested in Evan.

Miles is willing to help. He has seen so many of his brother's conquests come and go that he knows what Evan likes in a girl. Therefore, in a Pygmalion-like way, he sets out to transform Meg into exactly that kind of girl. What she doesn't yet know is that Miles secretly comes to want her for himself.

Cast

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David Niven as Miles Doughton
Shirley MacLaine as Meg Wheeler
Gig Young as Evan Doughton
Rod Taylor as Ross Tayford
Jim Backus as Maxwell
Claire Kelly as Lisa
Elisabeth Fraser as Jeannie Boyden
Dodie Heath as Terri Richards
Read Morgan as Bert
Carmen Phillips as Refined young lady

Production

[edit]

MGM bought the rights to the novel in June 1958, before it had been published. David Niven signed to star in November.^[4] Jeff Alexander composed the music for the film,^[5] with Harry James and His Orchestra releasing two songs from the film, "Ballad for Beatniks" and "The Blues About Manhattan", on an MGM single.^[6]

Reception

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According to MGM records, the film earned $2,075,000 in the US and Canada, and $1,400,000 elsewhere, turning a profit for the studio of $505,000.^[1]

It recorded admissions of 255,797 in France.^[7]

Awards and nominations

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Shirley Maclaine won the 1959 BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress, and also the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 9th Berlin International Film Festival.^[8] She was also nominated for a Golden Globe, losing out to Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot.

Rod Taylor's performance was much admired and helped lead to his casting in The Time Machine (1960).^[9]

References

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^ ^a ^b ^c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
^ Bosley Crowther (May 22, 1959). "NY Times review". New York Times. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
^ "Ask Any Girl". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
^ THOMAS M PRYOR (Nov 6, 1958). "MARCH TO TEAM WITH KIM NOVAK". New York Times. ProQuest 114505510.
^ Landazuri, Margarita. "Ask Any Girl". Turner Classic Movies. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
^ "Reviews of This Week's Singles". Billboard. June 15, 1959. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
^ French box office admissions for 1960 at Box Office Story.
^ "Berlinale 1959: Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
^ Stephen Vagg, Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood, Bear Manor Media 2010 p61