Guys and Dolls in Grant Park Tonight

By Margaret Lyons in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 24, 2004 12:33PM

We’re on our knees praying that it stops drizzling and that the ground miraculously dries for tonight’s free movie in Grant Park, Guys and Dolls. Guys and Dolls is one of Chicagoist’s favorite musicals, and even though the movie flawed, it’s still enjoyable. Please oh please stop raining.

The film stars a horribly miscast Marlon Brando as Sky Masterson, the smooth-talking high-roller who will bet on anything, including, in this case, himself. Good old reliable Nathan (Nathan Nathan Nathan) Detroit (Frank Sinatra) bets Sky $1,000 that he can’t get the frigid Salvation Army hottie Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons) to go on a date with him. To Havanna. Where uh, all gamblers go on dates when they're in New York. Simmons won a Golden Globe for her naive but determined Sarah, who is one of the all-time hokiest characters ever written.

While Sarah is all boring and Christian, Miss Adelaide kicks a ton of ass. Vivian Blaine played the psychosomatically-ailing dancer in the Broadway original, too, so she holds her own against Sinatra, who we maintain is just a little too pretty to be playing the scruffy but endearing Detroit. Stubby Kaye reprises his Broadway role as Nicely Nicely Johnson, who’s “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” is an undeniable classic.

Even though the music is fabulous and the screenplay a decent adaptation, the movie is just not that good. Brando and Sinatra never quite figure out exactly how or why they were cast, and the movie is burdened by clumsy and awkward direction. Plus they cut one of our favorite songs, “More I Cannot Wish You.” Despite all the ways the movie goes wrong, it’s still Guys and Dolls—the music is otherwise intact, and the cast is certainly attractive enough. Frank Loesser’s songs are as catchy as ever, and even the dated dialogue manages to hang on to a few zingers: “Is there alcohol in this?” “Only enough to act as a preservative.” Pay attention, boys, because that is a good way to get laid.

The movie starts at 8:07 tonight, rain or shine, unless there are severe winds or thunderstorms, so that's heavy on the shine. If worse comes to worse, maybe they can just show the movie in the sewer.