THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT: this dumb blonde's not so dumb

Jayne Mansfield is mostly remembered for the grisly nature of her demise (and misremembered at that) rather than for any of her films. She was the buxom, peroxide washed-up Marilyn Monroe wannabe decapitated in an horrific car crash on her way to a tawdry nightclub appearance.
And as with most one line summaries of a career in the public eye it's neither accurate nor fair.Sure, she was offered up to 50s audiences as a kind of Monroe clone with an emphasis on her more than ample cleavage but actually she wasn't a half-bad actress. While she never achieved Marilyn's level of success or critical praise she was sharp enough to recognise her image for what it was and - for a brief moment - make it work for her. This is perhaps no where more obvious than in 1956's THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT.
The part of blonde bimbo Jerri Jordan was her first starring role but despite her relative inexperience she brings a depth and understanding to the role that won't be immediately obvious to those distracted by her more obviously visible talents.
Jerri's boorish boyfriend Marty 'Fats' Murdock (Edmond O'Brien) hires alcoholic has-been press agent Tom Miller (Tom Ewell) to turn her into a singing star because he wants to be seen dating someone who's a somebody, not a nobody. Despite appearances Jerri's a stay-at-home kind of girl who just wants to get married and have kids. She also can't sing but she reluctantly goes along with Miller's promotional schemes to keep Fats happy.
If Mansfield were in fact a buxom dumb blonde just playing herself she wouldn't be half as impressive as she is. This is a fine piece of acting. She sends up her image mercilessly without ever tipping over into parody. It's not only Tom and Fats and all the other gullible males in the story that she's playing for fools, it's the audience as well.

Mansfield's performance is key to the effectiveness of the film's satirical take on show-business and the then infant phenomenon of rock and roll. Rarely have large breasts and the devil's music been so entertainingly blended on film, creating a story which simultaneously mocks and celebrates both. It's a story that has been so artfully constructed by writer-director Frank Tashlin that it would make it's point just as effectively if all the musical numbers were removed. If anyone's being 'used' in this film it's Fats Domino, Gene Vincent, The Platters, Little Richard and Eddie Cochran. They each get their 3 and a half minutes of celluloid fame but they're little more than window dressing to draw a young audience hungry for this rebellious new musical form that was spreading across the USA.
A genuine comedic gem with great performances from Ewell, O'Brien and especially Mansfield you'll find you can't help liking and maybe even loving THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT.