Very Cool!!!

Perfectly adorable

I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

With all the colorful costumes and sensational outdoor cinematography, we never do get around to the 'pink tights' of the title, a bit of misdirection there I'd say with Sophia Loren in the cast. Actually, I find it difficult to pin down who this film might have been meant to appeal to. Nominally a Western, it really doesn't satisfy in terms of an adventure film and most of the scenes plod along waiting for things to happen. It was a bit visually jarring too, to see Sophia Loren as a blonde, although an early scene with Anthony Quinn introducing the characters lent new meaning to the definition of having an hourglass figure. Whatever tension there is, is provided by the subtext of Clint Mabry (Steve Forrest) fulfilling a contract for Bonanza town villain De Leon (Ramon Novarro), while trying to avoid getting greased himself by the bad guy's double cross. His play for Angela Rossini (Loren) basically went nowhere, and if you want to believe he collected on the poker bet with the actress, you have to fill in the blanks yourself. However he does have that exciting exit from the theater stage to help set up the finale, with a happily ever after ending for Quinn's Tom Healy and the beautiful Angie Rossini, something neither one was really counting on when the story started.

This film is introduced with the words: "When the great American frontier was resounding with the names of such gunman and outlaws as Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, Bat Masterson and Doc Holliday - a beautiful and flirtatious actress swept through the west with her theatrical troupe. A 'hellion in pink tights,' she was the toast of every settlement from Cheyenne to Virginia City - and became a legend of the old west. This is her story." And, after a creative title sequence, we meet beautiful actress Sophia Loren (as Angela "Angie" Rossini) in a blonde wig, running lines with co-star Anthony Quinn (Thomas "Tom" Healy)...As the theatrical troupe arrives to perform in Cheyenne, Ms. Loren and ruggedly handsome Steve Forrest (as Clint Mabry) exchange mutually sexy glances. However, Loren decides to remain faithful (at least temporarily) to Mr. Quinn. Their relationship is threatened when Loren loses herself to Mr. Forrest in a poker game. When Loren, Quinn and company are suddenly run out of town, Forrest joins them, protecting his "property." They are threatened by bloodthirsty Native American Indians and respectable gangster Ramon Novarro (as De Leon). Forrest helps with the Indians, but has trouble with Mr. Novarro...Loren and Quinn are okay, but surprisingly lack chemistry as a couple. Despite his lower billing, Forrest comes across as more like the story's leading man. The supporting cast is very strong: Novarro, a former "silent screen" idol, is exceptional as the main villain; former child star Margaret O'Brien and Eileen Heckart are a delightfully naughty mother/daughter duo; and Edmund Lowe (as Manfred "Doc" Montague) is a bonus, in his last acting appearance. Director George Cukor and his team make it very stylized, with an emphasis on garish color. The film's jarring attitude was later common on television.******* Heller in Pink Tights (1/1/60) George Cukor ~ Sophia Loren, Steve Forrest, Anthony Quinn, Ramon Novarro

This is a western made by George Cukor, who would not dream about making a western unless it would really be about something else. This one is about show business and I can understand how anybody working in entertainment would identify strongly with it. Anthony Quinn leads a theatrical troupe formed by Sophia Loren, Margaret O'Brien, Eileen Heckart and the legendary Ramon Novarro through the west. They are pursued by creditors and are really living on the edge. Loren, using her charms, is a big help, but this is hard for Quinn who is in love with her to accept. They come to a town and are going to perform Offenbach's 'La Belle Helene', but the owner of the theater thinks the townspeople will never accept a young woman leaving her old husband for the young Paris. Instead they do the opera 'Mazeppa'. Loren gets involved unwillingly with a gunfighter, Steve Forrest, who seems so tough compared to Anthony Quinn, but as the film goes along we start learning how much courage the whole troupe must have to remain in show business. An unusual film, with a lot of meaning.

This film is really very badly directed - which is amazing given Cukor's excellent filmography. He rarely focuses the attention of the viewer where it should be - and seems obsessed with close-ups on Sophia's eyes. I wonder if Carlo Ponti interfered a lot here - as Sophia is rarely out of shot, to the detriment of the other characters and the film. This is one of Sophia's worst performances - she seems to be struggling with her lines - although she looks good blonde. The excellent supporting cast is wasted - even Anthony Quinn is allowed little screen time. Eileen Heckhart is allowed even less time, but it's interesting to see child actress Margaret O'Brien in a rare adult role. Her little girl voice is jarring however. The only reason to see this film is to witness the final performance of the legendary Ramon Novarro. He is splendid and stylish as the villain - a great lesson in screen acting, although again we don't see enough of him. Is there a story about the making of this film? I wonder if Cukor had to battle the Ponti-Loren partnership and was forced to give too much screen time to Sophia. What a mistake!