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DVD Royal Wedding
Fred Astaire dances on the ceiling in this 1951 Alan Jay Lerner musical for MGM, directed by Stanley Donen (Singin' in the Rain). The appealing story finds Astaire as part of a brother-and-sister act (along with Jane Powell) that travels to London at the time of Queen Elizabeth II's wedding. Astaire and Powell each find romances that threaten to break up the act, but that's mostly fun window dressing in a movie better known for some truly creative sequences made vivid by Donen, including Astaire's famous dance with a hat rack and his duet with Powell, "How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Loved You (When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life)?" --Tom Keogh
I enjoyed this film. I have seen most of the greats that M-G-M produced during the golden era, and though I wouldn't class this as up there with the finest (Easter Parade, Singin' in the Rain, On the Town, The Band Wagon...) this is certainly decent.
Combining talents of cute Jane Powell, handsome Peter Lawford and amazing Astaire, this also includes some surprisingly catchy songs that I hadn't heard before. The British woman who plays Astaire's love interest, I also enjoyed (don't remember her name but I hadn't seen her before).
Well cast and well made, this movie, like many other M-G-M musicals, is of a high overall standard. A simple love story about two couples, with of course the common showbusiness theme, set refreshingly in London, ties together well. Of course Fred Astaire gives two of his most famous "gimmic" numbers, the dance with the hatstand and on the ceiling. So it does stand out slightly from the other M-G-M musicals that fall outside the "magnificent" category.
Not one to watch time and again, but enjoyable and worth seeing.
ROYAL MUSICAL
Available at the moment only in rather shabby DVD versions, due to copyright problems, "Royal Wedding" remains a civilized delight. Not one of the greatest of MGM musicals, but with a beguiling score by Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics), and adorable performances from Astaire and Powell, this is a perennial delight, ever so much more memorable than the wedding that inspired it.
It's the songs that keep calling me back: "Ev'ry Night at 7," "Too Late Now," "You're all the World to Me," (Astaire's dancing on the ceiling number)and, best of all, "Why Did You Believe Me When I Said I loved You When You Know I've Been A Liar All My Life?" with Astaire uncharacteristically, but hilariously, out of character as a zoot suited tough guy, and darling Janie as his moll.
Warners, who issues all the Turner films on DVD, should get to this pronto, and throw in Astaire and Charles Walters' "Belle of New York," with it's sensational dance numbers for Astaire and Vera-Ellen while they're at it.
Looks better than we have a right to believe
Royal Wedding has been a favorite in the Fred Astaire canon ever since it was released 54 years ago. Astaire and Jane Powell turn in some of their best perfromances in this film, and Astaire's dance on the ceiling ("You're All the World to Me") is classic. The score, by Burton Lane (of Finian's Rainbow fame) and Alan Jay Lerner (future lyricist of My Fair Lady) is unbeatable. I need not comment further on the film's merits--it speaks for itself.
The film is now in the public domain and, unfortunately, nearly all VHS and DVD releases of such films are deplorable at best. That is not so in this case. The DVD I'm commenting on here is from Goodtimes DVD (edition 05-81171), and I must say that the transfer looks pretty darn good for a PD film. The picture is clear, for the most part, and although there are some minor color shifts and age-related artifacts present, they do not distract. Colors are fairly bold and are well defined. The soundtrack is pretty clear and sounds fine. There are no extras. I have a very old 1980s copy of the VHS tape from MGM/UA Home Video and also a VHS dub I did off Turner Classic Movies two years ago, and honestly, this DVD looks better than both. It is about as good as we can expect for a PD film that has not been restored from original elements. Goodtimes is often better than most in their releases of PD films--it could be a lot worse. Warner Home Video, which controls DVD rights to the old MGM film library (and would also control the rights to this were in not in public domain), has not given us a studio DVD release of ROYAL WEDDING as yet, and as far as I know none is in the works.
If you want ROYAL WEDDING on DVD, I absolutely recommend this Goodtimes DVD release--it is probably the best one you'll find, is at a very good price, and comes in very nice packaging.
Fred Astaire took one of his final musical turns in this delightful 1957 comedy, a cold war update of the classic Ninotchka. Cyd Charisse, having previously wrapped her endless legs around Fred in The Band Wagon, plays the Greta Garbo role: a humorless Soviet functionary who sternly refuses the allure of Paris… for a while, anyway. Like some of the first widescreen musicals, Silk Stockings feels a little slowed down by the horizontal format, but nothing can dim the sparkle of Astaire and Charisse, nor quench the razzmatazz of Janis Paige. Paige and Astaire assess the current state of movies by singing that films today need "glorious Technicolor, breathtaking CinemaScope, and Stereophonic sound!" In the hands of Cole Porter, that phrase becomes wonderfully... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Fred Astaire - Cyd Charisse Director(s): Rouben Mamoulian DVD Release Date: Released the 22 April 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Fred Astaire plays a fashion photographer based on real-life cameraman Richard Avedon, in this entertaining musical directed by Stanley Donen (Singin' in the Rain). The story finds Astaire's character turning Audrey Hepburn into a chic Paris model--not a tough premise to buy, especially within this film's air of enchantment and surrounded by a great Gershwin score. Based on an unproduced play, this is one of the best films from the latter part of Astaire's career. --Tom KeoghMore Info about this DVD Director(s): Stanley Donen DVD Release Date: Released the 10 April 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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One of the most famous tap numbers in film history distinguishes Broadway Melody of 1940, the fourth and final installment in MGM's Broadway Melody series. When Clare Bennett (Eleanor Powell, who had appeared in Broadway Melody of 1936 and 1938) needs a new partner for her hit Broadway show, small-time hoofers Johnny Brett (Fred Astaire in his MGM debut) and King Shaw (George Murphy) get their big chance. But due to a case of mistaken identity, King, rather than the more talented Johnny, gets the job, and the girl. Astaire and Powell can't match the chemistry he had with Ginger Rogers at RKO, but she was the best technical dancer he was ever teamed with, and the sense of fun they share is infectious. Their above-mentioned tap duet to Cole Porter's "Begin the... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Fred Astaire - Eleanor Powell Director(s): Norman Taurog DVD Release Date: Released the 22 April 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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The Band Wagon (1953) marked the culmination of a series of near-autobiographical pictures Fred Astaire made for MGM following his return from premature retirement in the late '40s. Astaire plays Tony Hunter, a fading film star (his big hit: Flying Down to Panama) who decides to return to his former glory, the Broadway stage. (In 1931, Astaire had starred on Broadway with sister Adele in The Band Wagon, a revue that lent some of its songs to this film.) His playwright-songwriter friends (Nanette Fabray and Oscar Levant) hook him up with Broadway's hottest director, Jeffrey Cordova (a nicely hammy Jack Buchanan), who proves that the "new" theater traditions can be an awkward fit with the old. Hunter also finds himself at odds with his prima ballerina leading lady (Cyd... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Fred Astaire - Cyd Charisse Director(s): Vincente Minnelli DVD Release Date: Released the 15 March 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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The devil is in the details when it comes to this effervescent Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth musical. The slight storyline is a hook upon which to hang dance sequences, bits of humor, and songs by Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer. Set in Buenos Aires, it's a remake of an Argentine feature from the previous year and followed You'll Never Get Rich. Astaire stars as a professional hoofer and Hayworth is Adolphe Menjou's second oldest daughter. The wealthy businessman won't let his youngest daughters marry until Maria (Hayworth) ties the knot. She couldn't care less--until a case of mistaken identity leads her to believe that Robert (Astaire) is in love with her (he's just looking for a job at her father's club). Highlights include a tap dance set to "Shorty George" and the... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Fred Astaire - Rita Hayworth Director(s): William A. Seiter DVD Release Date: Released the 25 May 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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