Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?

I'm a bit biased in favour of this kind of comedy, where the jokes often come from unexpected places and the layers of self reference and innuendo build as it progresses. It felt a little off it's game at times but for the most part it was quite funny, if never hilarious, and pretty sharply written.

Still-relevant satire of advertising and consumerism from Frank Tashlin makes virtuous use of the wide-screen and manages to sneak in plenty of dirty double-entendres. Also, the answer to the title's question is "no."

Probably seemed a lot sharper and more witty at the time of its release than it is apt to now. Amongst a bevy of good performances, Blondell's was particularly fun. "An Academy Award winner who had me polishing his Oscar"...wow.

I wasn't emotionally connected to anyone. But the entertainment and commodity commentary were amusing. Also, Rock's excitement at getting to use more exclusive bathrooms was hilarious.

While there are perfectionists in cinema, it would appear that the director of this piece, Frank Tashlin, is definitely not one of them: this is a miasma of subplots disappearing and reappearing erratically, bizarre metajokes and probably something resembling a message there too (and Jayne playing, well, herself). But sometimes against all odds these ramshackle affairs hold up surprisingly well. And "Success will fit you like a shroud" is one of my favorite movie quotes of all time.

What the fuck is Mad Men?

2. "If talent had anything to do with success..." Comedy is best when it jokes with the unspoken realities of the world, eloquently making fun of the unwritten laws and principles in the world, known by everyone, but seldom ascertained or put into words. Rock Hunter is a classic laid-back type of a comedy that is easy to follow and entertaining from start to finish. Its commentary on the fake and vain corporate and material world and Mansfield's Monroe-like persona (and laughter) are memorable.

Great premise and self-satire, but I lost interest after awhile. I'm not really sure how it ended. Nice to look back at the cars and other details of that time period. Really unbearable wholesome teenage niece. Fav scene: being chased in the streets by fans.

Mansfield never bettered her performance in this, in my opinion. She's funny and surprisingly crude, which I rather like. Tony Randall is good, too, and the pair of them make this movie a lot of fun.

So funny it's practically exhausting, whether it's the loaded double entendres, the meta references or Jayne Mansfield's cartoonish squeals. You can say they don't make em like this anymore, but in 1957 they didn't make em like this, either, so it's just a wonderful oddity.

It's so bad. Almost everything about it. Every character is horrible. I hope they are miserable. The milk man monolog was nice tho.

Long before the AMC-series crazy-comedy genius Frank Tashlin put the 'M' in Mad Men. Tony Randall is hilarious ("I thought a pipe would give me the successful Gregory Peck-look") as well is Jayne Mansfield who wasn't just a pair of ti..

Short answer: yes.

you have just seen the handy dandy dandy electric shaver gently shave the fungus off an overripe peach. now watch the job it does for MY stubble!

Great, still completely relevant comedy, with very charming performances from everyone involved... A must-see classic in my book!

Surprisingly dirty for 1957, and thoroughly fun.

Star Rating: ★★★★1/2

It's a sharp criticism of advertising and commercialism, with more innuendo than you can shake a stick at. Yes, sometimes it seems like it's playing for the inside joke more than keeping a coherent storyline. But I started laughing at the fake commercials (Robocop's may be slightly better) and mostly kept chuckling throughout. Fav scene(s): bringing back one of the original glamour girls, Joan Blondell.

watched: 2012, 2016, 2021

A fun and smart satire of 50's corporate ambition, celebrity obsession, advertising, and artificiality in general. Mansfield makes a pretty good ersatz Marilyn, Randall is a natural in his role, and it's great to see Joan Blondell still hanging in there. There's a lot of double-entendre, amusing wordplay, and clever fourth-wall breaking, especially the witty opening. Some of the gags fall flat, though, and there are a couple of moments where the actors seem to be awkwardly pausing for laughs.

Partly dated, partly fun.

Laugh out loud funny with some of the most bizarre cinematic characters since My Man Godfrey. However, there are too many technical issues (Badly and obviously looped lines, lighting setups that make the actors cast four different shadows) to prevent me from giving the film a higher score.