Guys and Dolls

This all-singing, all-gambling tale of love and bankruptcy among New York’s petty crooks has stood up remarkably well over the last six decades. While based on Frank Loesser’s stage musical – which in turn was inspired by two short stories by Damon Runyon, that great chronicler of the Broadway demimonde – Guys and Dolls is very much a work of cinema, with Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons injecting a dose of Method acting into the theatrics. The pair weren’t professional singers (and you can tell), but they act their hearts out.
Frank Sinatra as a destitute hustler and Vivian Blaine as his fiancée make for a more classic showbiz coupling, while Michael Kidd’s hugely inventive choreography practically out-Broadways Broadway. Against countless stage revivals, this remains the sole film adaptation; that’s set to change next year, when a remake starring Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt hits the screens. In the meantime, go tap your toes to the re-released original, showing at select London cinemas.