To celebrate MGM'S 30th anniversary, the studio decided to film a lavish musical-within-a-musical by adapting Cole Porter's version of Shakespeare's The Taming Of The Shrew.
Shot in 3-D - - hence all the objects that are flung in the direction of the camera - - Kiss Me Kate recounts the efforts of an actor/ producer (Howard Keel) to persuade his ex (Kathryn Grayson) to play Katherine opposite his Petruchio. However, the production is complicated by the presence of the star's girlfriend (Ann Miller), the arrival of the lead actress' new fiancé, and the intervention of two hoods collecting a gambling IOU.
The performances fizz with exuberance and physicality and there are a succession of impressive musical numbers, notably Too Darn Hot, Why Can't You Behave and the truly bizarre Brush Up Your Shakespeare, in which the crooks pay tribute to the Bard. Interestingly, the re-release is accompanied by Lumber Jack Rabbit, the only Bugs Bunny cartoon made in 3-D.
