Kiss Me Kate
MGM, 1954
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The Story Line!
As the movie opens, Fred Graham is preparing his home for a visit. This visit just happens to be from Cole Porter. They are planning on putting on the show Kiss Me Kate, a musical version of Shakespeare's The Taming Of The Shrew.
Fred thinks the perfect leading lady would be Lili Vanessi, a talented musical performer, who just happens to be his ex-wife.
The only problem is how exactly to get her to do the part. They show her the songs...
Lili loves it, and is just about to say yes, when Fred's new "girlfriend," Lois Lane, makes her grand entrance.
Lili becomes a slight bit jealous (we think) and tells the trio that she just can't accept their offer, because it might interfere with her honeymoon. Lili exits, but when she overhears Fred telling Lois that she'd be wonderful for the part, she becomes enraged again and accepts the part.
There is still a bit of animosity between Lili and Lois...
But the show goes into rehearsals with seemingly no other flaws. Until Lois' boyfirend tell her that he sign Fred's name to a gambling I.O.U. No worry, he'd have it paid off in no time...
In the mean time, Fred and Lili are reminiscing about their married life, and what fun they had in the show they were in..
Could it be that Lili is falling in love with Fred again? Maybe so... he did remember the first anniversary of their divorce and sent her a bouquet just like the one she had on her wedding day. Complete with a note, but she didn't find it.
All is well until Fred finds out that she received the flowers. They were actually supposed to go to Lois! And that note was personalized to Lois. Maybe Lili won't find the note, he thinks. But wait! Lili's maid finds the note, and gives it to her. Fred insists that he wrote loving words to her, and that she hand over the note, but she thinks it should stay close to her heart, and politely puts it where no man but a husband may go... And the show goes on.
Lois is Bianca, who desperately wants to marry but can't until her older sister does. Fred is Petruchio, who seeks a rich wife. And Lili is Katherine, Bianca's older sister who hates men, and refuses to marry.
The play starts out well, until Petruchio serenades Katherine at her balcony. While so far away from the audience, Lili has just enough time to grab that note and read it. "Let my lovely Lois shine through Bianca..."
Enraged, Lili begins to ad lib, and actually gives the show some spice while doing so.
She hits Fred, calls him names, and he threatens her with a spanking if she strikes him again. Of course, she does, and she gets what's coming to her.
After Fred thoroughly humiliated her on stage, Lili vows to quit.
Suddenly Fred remembers that he has two hoods waiting for payment on a debt that Fred insists he doesn't owe. He makes a deal that they will be paid off if they help him keep Lili in the show.
So, once again, the show goes on.
But after his scene, Fred is informed that some crazy man has arrived, demanding to see him. This crazy man is Lili's fiancee, Tex Calloway. Lili had called him and told him to bring an ambulance, because Fred had "beaten her."
Lili gets done with her part of the scene, and tells Tex to call the FBI, because there are two hoods holding her hostage. Fred insists that they are just two friendly performers, and the group heads away to Lili's dressing room.
Lili kindly informs Fred that she is leaving once and for all, and packs her things. Meanwhile, our friendly hoodlums find out that their boss has been killed, and that the debt need not be paid. Lili is free to go. She and Fred say their goodbyes, and she and Tex leave.
The show goes on once again, and everyone expects Lili's understudy to be ready. But for some reason, she misses her cue. Where is she?
Just then, Fred hears a familiar voice... It's Lili! She returned to her part...
And to Fred...
And everyone "Lives Happily Ever After."
Original text, Copyright 2002, KathrynGraysonFan.com. View Copyright information Here.