Metrograph

A vivacious artifact of bumptious, over-the-top midcentury Americana—ascendent rock ’n’ roll, sleek Art Moderne design, torpedo-style brassieres—animator-turned-live-action filmmaker Tashlin’s absurdist, gag-packed comedy stars Jayne Mansfield as a blonde bombshell whose gangland boyfriend employs talent agent Tom Ewell to make his dame into a star at any cost. (Questions of talent are, at most, an afterthought.) Featuring rollicking musical performances by Little Richard, Fats Domino, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Julie London, and The Platters, The Girl Can’t Help It is at one and the same time a gonzo satire of the barbarous pop culture of its day and a full-throated celebration of it, all in eye-popping De Luxe Color.

Distributor: Walt Disney Studios/20th Century