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New Faces

Name: New Faces
Director: Harry Horner, John Beal
Released: 1954
Duration: 98 min

Representation Score

1.8/10

Minimal

1954

Director

Harry Horner, John Beal

Runtime

98 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

New Faces mainly showcases new talents like Eartha Kitt and Mel Brooks through a variety-style entertainment format typical of the 1950s. The narrative stays conventional for its time, revolving around male-driven economic issues and transactional gender roles. The film prioritizes showcasing individual performers over complex identity politics.

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Category Breakdown

Does New Faces have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film doesn't include any LGBTQ+ characters or stories that challenge the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender. It focuses on musical performances rather than exploring diverse identities.

How does New Faces portray gender?

Limited

The story emphasizes male-dominated economic struggles and transactional relationships between men and women. Women are often used as bargaining chips in the plot.

How racially and ethnically diverse is New Faces?

Fair

Eartha Kitt’s performance adds a moment of racial diversity. However, the film highlights individual talents rather than exploring the overlapping aspects of identity.

How does New Faces represent religion and culture?

Limited

The production aligns with mid-century Western cultural norms, focusing on capitalist goals and traditional family structures. It upholds existing social structures without challenging them.

Does New Faces include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible or invisible disabilities shown in the main plot or character descriptions.

Present on Screen

Features Eartha Kitt, adding a moment of racial diversity for the period.
Provides a historical platform for talents like Mel Brooks.

Limited or Absent

Women are used as transactional tools in the plot, limiting their ability to act.
Doesn't explore LGBTQ+ identities or challenge the era's social norms.
Reinforces traditional patriarchal and capitalist structures without going beyond familiar patterns.

Official Synopsis

New Faces was a musical revue with songs and comedy skits tied together by a quirky plot. It ran on Broadway for nearly a year in 1952 and was then made into a motion picture in 1954. It helped jump start the careers of several young performers including Paul Lynde, Alice Ghostley, Eartha Kitt, Carol Lawrence, performer/writer Mel Brooks (as Melvin Brooks), and lyricist Sheldon Harnick. The film was basically a reproduction of the stage revue with a thin plot added. The plot involved a producer and performer (Ronny Graham) in financial trouble and is trying to stave off an angry creditor long enough to open his show. A wealthy Texan offers to help out, on the condition that his daughter be in the show.

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