The Girl Rush
Cast & Crew
Robert Pirosh
Rosalind Russell
Fernando Lamas
Eddie Albert
Gloria De Haven
Marion Lorne
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Kim Halliday grew up learning firsthand how to beat the odds in poker, horse racing and roulette in a romantic but sketchy life with her father, a compulsive gambler. After his death, the now middle-aged Kim is left with no inheritance and moves to Rhode Island to work as a receptionist in her aunt Clara's historical museum. Several months later, Kim receives a call from Ether Ferguson, a friend of her father who claims she owns a half-interest in an "old-fashioned" Las Vegas hotel, of which Ether owns the remaining share. Believing her luck has changed, Kim spends her savings to fly both her and Aunt Clara to Las Vegas to investigate. Meanwhile, Ether gambles away the renovation funds for the hotel, which is actually a dilapidated western casino. Trying to avoid telling Kim the truth, Ether sends a cab to pick them up and take them to the Flamingo, a flourishing casino across the street from the Las Vegas Hotel. Kim assumes that the Flamingo is "her" property and immediately instructs the employees on casino etiquette. Embarrassed about his lies, Ether hides at the gambling tables, while the Flamingo's owner, the suave Victor Monte, watches with interest as Kim continues to advise his management. Seeing a plaque featuring Victor's picture in celebration of his record gambling streak, Kim introduces herself to him as Ether's partner and asks Victor about the win. Without revealing that he owns the Flamingo, Victor tells her he quit gambling while he was ahead and accepts her invitation to see the evening's stage show starring the brother and sister team of Pete and Taffy Tremaine. During the performance, Pete, who is determined that a romance blossom between his sister and the wealthy Victor, pushes Taffy in his direction, insisting that she brazenly flirt with the bachelor and subvert any romance between Victor and Kim. After the show, Kim delivers a demeaning pep talk to the dancers backstage, finally prompting Victor to tell her that he owns Flamingo. Ether finally admits that they own the dilapidated hotel across the street and reveals that, due to his gambling debt, he has mortgaged the property to Victor, who has given him a three-day deadline for repayment. That evening Kim finds several of the Flamingo's dancers checking out the hotel's stage for Victor and, needing a little relief from the dramatic turn in her "fortune," joins them in a song and dance, admonishing herself to "take a chance" with her life. Soon after, however, Kim pragmatically pawns her father's lucky tiger's eye ring to get bus fare for her and Clara to return to Rhode Island the next day. That night when a stranger asks to use the phone, Kim discovers that he is Elliot Atterbury, the son of hotel magnate Phillip Atterbury, who is looking for a Las Vegas hotel purchase. Kim immediately invites the naïve businessman to dinner hoping to interest him in her property. Alerted to Kim's scheming, Victor visits the hotel to convince Elliot that the hotel's property is rumored to be on faulty ground. Kim then distracts Elliot with a dance to prevent Victor from ruining the deal. When Phillip calls, Elliot suggests the idea of buying the Las Vegas Hotel, but before his father can approve, Victor secretly disconnects the line. Knowing that Elliot is too meek to make the decision without his father, Kim encourages him to take action on his own. During a horse ride the next day, Elliot promises Kim to sign the partnership papers when they return to the city, but when Victor and Taffy offer to show them a shortcut home, Victor slyly leads Kim away from Taffy and Elliot into unknown territory, forcing them to camp for the night. Over a romantic campfire, when Victor admits that he gambled away both his college and marriage savings, Kim advises that his weakness could be cured by a good partner, prompting Victor to kiss her. The next morning, Clara and Ether are anxiously awaiting Kim's return, knowing that at noon Victor will officially be given the hotel's title. When Kim arrives deliriously happy from the night's escapade, Clara informs her that Taffy is engaged to Victor, thus sobering Kim's good mood. Soon after, Elliot hands Victor the exact amount of Ether's I.O.U., sealing Kim, Ether and Elliot's partnership. When Victor refuses the check and insinuates that Elliot will run them both out of business, Elliot throws a punch at him, accidentally knocking Kim down instead. After a thorough renovation and hiring a staff conprised of some of Victor's best employees, the Las Vegas Hotel becomes a thriving and glamorous casino overnight. The hotel is presided over by Elliot, Ether and Kim with a stage show starring Taffy, the object of Elliot's affections. One night, Victor laments to Kim that the Flamingo's poor business has caused him to return to gambling, leaving him almost bankrupt and ready to return to Detroit. When Taffy and Pete are discovered missing only moments before the show, Kim assumes that Victor and Taffy are trying to ruin her business. With no other option, a glamorous Kim takes the stage and performs a slapstick routine, singing about returning to her humble hillbilly beginnings. Seeing the lights out at the Flamingo later, Kim deduces that Victor is destitute and on his way to Detroit. Finding him on a bus headed for Detroit, Kim agrees resume their romantic relationship if he will stay in Las Vegas with her. Back at the Las Vegas Hotel, Clara has discovered the joys of gambling, Ether has returned to his bad habits and Elliot announces his engagement to Taffy. Meanwhile, when the bus turns in to the Flamingo, which is bustling with business, Kim realizes she has been duped by Victor into loving him despite his ownership of the competing hotel, but agrees to the terms of their new love partnership.
Director
Robert Pirosh
Cast
Rosalind Russell
Fernando Lamas
Eddie Albert
Gloria De Haven
Marion Lorne
James Gleason
Robert Fortier
Matt Mattox
Don Crichton
Douglas Fowley
Jesse White
Larry Gates
Karolee Kelly
Frances Lansing
Marjorie Bennett
George Chakaris
The Champagne Girls
Dorothy Gordon
Hal K. Dawson
Hickey Kamm
Orlando Sicilia
Sherlock Feldman
Alexander Rhein
Richard Kipling
Vincent Padula
Sid Tomack
Eddie Ryder
Lyle Latell
George Pembroke
Frank Mills
Len Hendry
Darlene Fields
Marcoreta Hellman
Mike Mahoney
Kathy Johnson
Deborah Sydes
Lorna Simans
Shelley Fabares
Lester Dorr
Ralph Montgomery
Arthur Gould-porter
George Chandler
Freeman Lusk
Crew
Robert Alton
Robert Alton
Ralph Axness
Malcolm Bert
Ralph Blane
Frederick Brisson
Frederick Brisson
Gene Bryant
Johnny Burke
Sam Comer
Jerome Davis
Farciot Edouart
Henry Ephron
Phoebe Ephron
Kathleen Fagan
John P. Fulton
Gene Garvin
Edith Head
William Hornbeck
Eddie Killy
George Loper
Daniel Maccauley
Hugh Martin
Harry Mills
Richard Mueller
Bruce W. Odlum
Hal Pereira
Robert Pirosh
Darrell Silvera
Sydney Street
James Van Heusen
Wally Westmore
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Voice-over narration by Rosalind Russell by her character "Kim Halliday" provides comic inner dialogue throughout the film, particularly illuminating her techniques to charm "Elliot Atterbury" into a casino hotel partnership. Robert Alton's onscreen credit reads: "Choreographer and Associate Producer."
According to a December 15, 1953 Daily Variety news item, Leonard Gershe was scheduled to script the film, but he was later replaced by Robert Pirosh and Jerome Davis. By April 1954, New York Times reported that Russell's husband producer Frederick Brisson was considering Frank Loesser as musical director; however, he was replaced by songwriters Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. The article also stated that Brisson was considering adding Imogene Coca, Frank Sinatra, Sheree North, Charles Coburn, Edmund Gwenn and Arthur Hunnicutt to the cast. A October 25, 1954 Hollywood Reporter article stated that the film had been in preparation initially at RKO, but Brisson later concluded a deal with Paramount instead.
Various 1954 and 1955 Hollywood Reporter news items add the following actors to the cast, although their appearance in the film has not been confirmed: Cass Jaeger, Manual Petroff, Jimmy Brooks, Joe Paz, Ray Weamer, Herb Lurie, Roy Damson, Meurisse DeRee, Edna Ryan, Durinda Clifton, Carmen Clifford, Pat Casey, Gretchen Hauser, Betty Hannon, Diane Gump, Barbara Drake, Sue Casey, Eve Gordon, Mary Ellen Gleason, Marion Ross, Lorraine Crawford, Peggy Creel, Bill Daniels, Joan Corbett and Hal Rand. In March 1955, Hollywood Reporter reported that choreographer Robert Alton was given credit as associate producer because of his work on the film's musical numbers. The Girl Rush marked actress Shelley Fabares' feature-film debut. According to a March 17, 1954 Variety article, Independent Artists' use of VistaVision in The Girl Rush was the first instance of a non-Paramount company using the technology. Portions of the film were shot on location at various sites in Las Vegas, NV, including the Flamingo Hotel, and in the nearby Valley of Fire. Although various news items suggested that The Girl Rush marked the film debut of Marion Lorne, she was first seen on film in the 1951 picture Strangers on a Train (see below).
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States Fall September 1955
VistaVision
Released in United States Fall September 1955
