The French Line

The French Line (1954) captures Jane Russell at the height of her career, the year after Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, in a splashy musical comedy specializing in costumes so purposely skimpy that the film wound up one of the most censored in American history, with prints butchered before exhibition all across America, not to mention the usual stern comdemnation by the Catholic Legion of Decency. The plot involves an oil heiress who takes an undercover cruise to escape being continuously pigeonholed by men as ultra-wealthy. Originally presented in 3D, the literally outrageous outfits were designed by Howard Hughes and the craftsmen at RKO to display Russell's truly stunning physique to best advantage, and they succeeded magnificently. Russell's singing, dancing, and superb comedic skills are also much in evidence, not that many of the men in the audience noticed at the time.