It's Always Fair Weather (1955)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Directors:

Stanley Donen
Gene Kelly

Writers:

Betty Comden (story) and
Adolph Green (story)

Release Date:

2 September 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy | Musical

Plot:

Three soldiers meet 10 years after their last meeting in New York again, and find out, that they have litte in common now.

Plot Keywords:

Bar | Gangster | Friendship | Ceiling Light Fixture | Post WWII

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Gene Kelly	...	Ted Riley
Dan Dailey	...	Doug Hallerton
Cyd Charisse	...	Jackie Leighton
Dolores Gray	...	Madeline Bradville
Michael Kidd	...	Angie Valentine
David Burns	...	Tim
Jay C. Flippen	...	Charles Z. Culloran

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System) (35 mm optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System) (35 mm magnetic prints)

Certification:

Australia:G | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:S

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

From the André Previn, Betty Comden and Adolph Green score, three numbers have been restored on the DVD from Warner Home Video: footage of a Gene Kelly-Cyd Charisse comic-hoofing duet, "Love Is Nothing but a Racket;" film of Michael Kidd entertaining his three movie kids with "Jack and the Space Giants;" and audio of Dolores Gray's "I Thought They Would Never Leave." Also included as a DVD extra is some previously unseen material from the famed garbage-pale dance, "The Binge," teaming Kelly, Kidd and Dan Dailey.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Ted runs out of Tim's Bar after reading the "Dear John" letter from his girlfriend, at least one of the cars on the street (a taxi) is an early 1950s model, although the scene is set in 1945.

Quotes:

Jackie Leighton: But, Ted, aren't you in terrible danger?
Ted Riley: Yeah. Yeah, I'm in terrible danger. I'm in danger of believing that look on your face.

Movie Connections:

References I Dream of Jeanie (1952)

Soundtrack:

Saturation-Wise

Nice Finish, Good Dance Numbers Help Film

I just had my first look at this on DVD with it boasting a restored print and in widescreen CinemaScope. I had only seen this one other time, years ago on a formatted-to-TV VHS print. The visuals are much better, of course, in widescreen and even the story seemed, although, to be honest, I only recommend it, for fans of of the classic film era, or for musicals. If you are used to modern-day films, this will look and sound way too corny for you.

Anyway, he's the good and bad of the film, as I saw it:

GOOD - Cyd Charisse is a "wow" in any era. I just wish I could have seen her, and watch her dance, in any other decade. The 1950s, with the short hair and long dresses, have to be the most un-sexy era for women's clothes since pre-1920. I would love to see what Cyd looked like with long hair and a short skirt and demonstrating her dancing tremendous dancing talents.

I enjoyed the lyrics to the songs, even though they were so dated I winced a few times. Sometimes they were so bad, that's what made them fun to hear. Feminists would hate those, and a lot of this movie, although Charisse's character, "Jackie Leighton," is an independent woman and before her time, in that regard. Gene Kelly as "Ted Riley" is such an old-fashioned male chauvinist that in today's world women would cringe at some of this lines and actions in this movie.

The dancing is very good, beginning with Kelly, Dan Dailey ("Doug Hallerton") and Michael Kidd ("Angie Valentine") giving us a great opening dance, capped off by the three of them hoofing with garbage can lids on their feet. Charisse is mesmerizing in "Baby, You Knock Me Out" and I really enjoyed Kelly's roller skating/tap dancing over the streets and sidewalks. That routine ranks right with his more-famous "Singin' In the Rain" number. Dolores Gray, as "Madeline," provides a very entertaining number near the end with some great sets accompanying the song and dances.

Finally, the story the last 20 minutes or so redeems much of the earlier (see below) darker stuff, and you makes you feel good when the film ends. It's a nice message.

THE BAD - Earlier, I didn't find the story that likable, a downer in too many spots for a musical....until the upbeat finish. Three guys have an old Army buddies' reunion and quickly - too quickly - find out they now despise each other. None of the three are shown with many positive character traits although at least they all know their weaknesses. The dialog, in many spots, might have been the worst part of the film: totally sappy and embarrassingly dated in many areas. I was disappointed Charisse's dancing scene was just that - singular, one less-than-two-minute dance number. That was all they could include in the film? Meanwhile, Daily's loudmouth drunk scene and musical number was five minutes. I was sorry to see the guys dancing with cigarettes dangling out of their mouths, but that's the '50s. That habit, along with drinking, were often glamorized.

OVERALL - The last segment is so positive, so feel-good that it redeemed the film, at least to me. And - the dance numbers were definitely worth watching. If you like musicals and you haven't seen this, check it out!