Designing Woman
| Designing Woman | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Vincente Minnelli |
| Produced by | Dore Schary |
| Written by | George Wells |
| Starring | Lauren Bacall Gregory Peck Dolores Gray |
| Narrated by |
Lauren Bacall Gregory Peck |
| Music by |
Billy Higgins André Previn W. Benton Overstreet |
| Cinematography | John Alton |
| Edited by | Adrienne Fazan |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
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Release date
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Running time
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118 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,844,000 |
| Box office | $3,750,000 |
Designing Woman is a 1957 romantic comedy about fashion.Vincente Minnelli directed stars Lauren Bacall and Gregory Peck. George Wells won an Academy Award for the screenplay.
While on vacation, sports reporter Mike Hagen (Gregory Peck) meets fashion designer Marilla Brown (Lauren Bacall). The two instantly bond and quickly get married, only to realize they have little in common.
Mike is a sportswriter and poker enthusiast with working-class friends. Marilla designs clothes for a wide array of artistic personalities. Their friends clash memorably one Wednesday night when his Poker Club and her Drama Society both convene at Marilla's apartment.
Marilla becomes suspicious of Mike after she finds a photograph of Lori Shannon (Dolores Gray), Mike's former girlfriend. Mike tries to hide his former relationship, but fails miserably. Complicating matters even further is Mike's continuing series of exposés of the activities of crooked boxing promoter Martin Daylor (Edward Platt). Mike's life is in danger, but he hides that from his wife too. What results is a series of misunderstandings and mishaps.
One of the supporting actors was the famed choreographer Jack Cole.
The original concept for the film reportedly came from Helen Rose, who designed dozens of gowns and dresses for Bacall for Designing Woman. She gives an interview / screen test in the DVD's special features.
Lauren Bacall was dealing with husband Humphrey Bogart's eventually-fatal illness during the shooting. According to her autobiography, she took the role (which was originally intended for Grace Kelly) in order to avoid her home situation, but in interviews she said that this film was among her favorites, and that she desperately wanted the part, even accepting a lower salary. She said that Grace Kelly considered the part to have been written for her, and would never forgive Bacall, adding "She got the prince, I got the part".
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