Guys and Dolls

"It's a living breathing doll of a musical!"

1955 2h 29m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 264

ComedyCrimeRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In New York, a gambler is challenged to take a Salvation Army missionary to Havana, and unexpectedly they fall for each other. And the bet has a hidden motive ... classic song and dance ensues!

“It's a living breathing doll of a musical!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon Prime VideoSubscription

BroadwayHDSubscription

Amazon Prime Video with AdsSubscription

Broadway HD Amazon ChannelSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Marlon Brando
Sky Masterson
Jean Simmons
Sarah Brown
Frank Sinatra
Nathan Detroit
Vivian Blaine
Miss Adelaide
Robert Keith
Lt. Brannigan
Stubby Kaye
Nicely-Nicely Johnson
B.S. Pully
Big Jule
Johnny Silver
Benny Southstreet

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Writers: Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Damon Runyon
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

71 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, shot by Harry Stradling Sr.. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Frank Loesser. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Daniel Mandell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons and Frank Sinatra carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It's a living breathing doll of a musical!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0048140 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Joseph L. Mankiewicz directs. Harry Stradling Sr. behind the camera. Frank Loesser scores. Daniel Mandell cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

171 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, shot by Harry Stradling Sr.. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Frank Loesser. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Daniel Mandell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons and Frank Sinatra carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "It's a living breathing doll of a musical!".
7IMDB entry: tt0048140 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 16 themes, including "bet", "new york city", "gambling", "missionary".

The technical file

Cinematography: Harry Stradling Sr.
Original score: Frank Loesser
Editing: Daniel Mandell
Production design: Oliver Smith
Costume design: Irene Sharaff
Makeup / hair: Ben Lane
Stunt coordinator: John Indrisano
Runtime: 149 min · 2h 29m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $5,500,000
Box office: $6,874,673
Return: 125% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Guys and Dolls (1955)

Also by

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2020-03-28
★ 7/10
I've always been a bad guy, and a bad gambler. From now on, I would like to be a good guy, and a good gambler. I thank you. Guys and Dolls is directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and collectively adapted to screen from the play by Mankiewicz, Jo Swerling, Abe Burrows and Damon Runyon. It stars Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, Vivian Blaine, Robert Keith, Stubby Kaye, Sheldon Leonard, B.S. Pully and Johnny Silver. Music is by Frank Loesser and cinematography by Harry Stradling Sr. Gambler Nathan Detroit (Sinatra) has few options for the location of his big craps game. Needing $1,000 to pay a garage owner to host the game, Nathan bets Sky Masterson (Brando) that Sky cannot get virtuous Sarah Brown (Simmons) out on a date. Despite some resistance, Sky negotiates a date with her in exchange for bringing people into her mission. Meanwhile, Nathan's longtime fiancée, Adelaide (Blaine), wants him to go legit and marry her. Having never seen the play I have no frame of reference about the transfer to the big screen. Whilst concurring with the strongly held belief that both Brando and Sinatra are indeed miscast, the former a great actor who can barely sing, the latter a great singer given the wrong character role to play, the pic still comes out in credit for joyful entertainment. Samuel Goldwyn forked out big money to put the source to the silver screen, and it shows as no expense is spared across the production (though Goldwyn was hugely disappointed with the box office returns). The songs are simple but all hit the foot tapping mark, the dancing choreography superb, while the booming colour photography gladdens the eyes. All told, Mankiewicz, directing his first ever musical, does a fine job. One has to wonder how much better the pic could have been if MGM had of released Gene Kelly to play Sky Masterson, while in truth the pic is 30 minutes too long. Yet with Simmons and Blaine beguiling, and Stubby Kaye superb, it's easy to forgive the flaws and just sit back and enjoy the colourful ride. 7/10
Peter McGinn2021-02-08
★ 6/10
I think I used to like musicals more than I do now, or else I am more particular about them. I wasn’t over impressed with this classic. The acting was credible and the plot jumped along nicely. It oh, the music. When they jump into song, you are not supposed to wish they were still speaking, are you? And it wasn’t even the quality of the singing; I don’t have all that a discerning ear for music. The songs just didn’t appeal to me, andnthatbisnthe point with a musical, right? Perhaps it is just me. Maybe I have listened to the pulse station on Sirius satellite too long and I require a hook to pull me in.
CinemaSerf2022-11-14
★ 7/10
Despite the reported controversy over who played whom in this enjoyable adaption of Damon Runyon's short stories, I reckon they got the choice right. Frank Sinatra is "Nathan Detroit" host of a legendary weekly crap game in New York. Only this week, with some big out-of-town hitters including legend "Sky Masterson" (Marlon Brando) in town - he can't find a venue, unless he can find $1,000. Catch 22? Brando, meantime is bet that he cannot get hoity-toity local Christian mission Sergeant "Sarah Brown" (Jean Simmons) to go to Havana with him. There is a bet riding on just about everything here.... What sets this apart for me, is that it is dominated by the male characters; there are few of the traditionally heavily choreographed dance routines; the characterisations have more punch - especially a slick and suave Brando & Simmons; and the casting is driven by cinema not theatre box office stars. Now nobody will ever be able to say that Brando was a natural born crooner; but that didn't matter - his rendition of Frank Loesser's "Luck be a Lady" has charm and a certain joie-de-vivre that we wouldn't necessarily have achieved from a more professional stage performer. Likewise, Jean Simmons delivers well as the puritanical salvationist whilst charmingly working her way through "A Woman In Love" & "Follow the Fold" (with Brando). Of course Sinatra is in is element with "Adelaide" his ode to Vivian Blaine who is great, reprising her 1950 Broadway performance as Sinatra's frequently put-upon gal, with a super song and dance routine to "Pet Me Poppa", too. In the end, though, I think the plaudits actually belong to Stubby Kaye ("Nicely-Nicely") for his corking ensemble lead of "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat". To it's detriment, there is little chemistry between the the two leads and that really does come across - at times like two spatting cats, but generally it is a pacy, stylish spin on spivs and gangsters that certainly made me smile and tap my toes.