To put it mildly, an unmemorable musical.
Because Rita Hayworth was trained young and raised a dancer, her performances as Fred Astaire's dancing partner are surprisingly mediocre. I don't believe she fairs much better than a veteran Las Vegas chorus girl. She brings to mind a strutting Radio City Rockette; Miss Hayworth is statuesque, brassy, sensual, and with her near ramrod-straight back more than a little bit mechanical. She falls well short of the high water mark regards top Hollywood female dancing talent. But then, many of her teenage stage performances occurred in Tijuana, Mexico, which is hardly a breeding ground for talented dancers (it was more a slumming ground for male directors and actors).
Astaire looks good, and he comes across at his dapper best. His dancing is top draw, but then again, he's severely limited when dancing with Hayworth. She is his albatross.
Menjou is fine in support (isn't he most always?), but Cugat is a tremendous distraction. Hollywood's decision to include conductors like Iturbe, the Jameses and Cugat in productions was a terribly misguided effort to capitalize on the musicians' radio presence, and it was thankfully short lived (it was primarily a WWII morale boosting phenomenon).
Director Seiter shoots in a craftsman-like fashion breaking no new ground.
I am a tremendous advocate for black and white film images, but I must say that it is unfortunate this film was not photographed in color (I know, I know, there was a war on). The movie would have benefited tremendously, critically and commercially. Rita's beautiful colors and her clothing would have provided an adequate cover for her limitations.
When you have a semi-talented actress headlining a big budget Hollywood musical and she can't dance spectacularly, and she can't sing well (all her movies' songs were dubbed), you've got a film can full of trouble.
Miss Hayworth was a manufactured product of Hollywood's studio system, and with very few exceptions thanks primarily to excellent directors/casts/scripts, she was a tremendously flawed and failed product.
Because Rita Hayworth was trained young and raised a dancer, her performances as Fred Astaire's dancing partner are surprisingly mediocre. I don't believe she fairs much better than a veteran Las Vegas chorus girl. She brings to mind a strutting Radio City Rockette; Miss Hayworth is statuesque, brassy, sensual, and with her near ramrod-straight back more than a little bit mechanical. She falls well short of the high water mark regards top Hollywood female dancing talent. But then, many of her teenage stage performances occurred in Tijuana, Mexico, which is hardly a breeding ground for talented dancers (it was more a slumming ground for male directors and actors).
Astaire looks good, and he comes across at his dapper best. His dancing is top draw, but then again, he's severely limited when dancing with Hayworth. She is his albatross.
Menjou is fine in support (isn't he most always?), but Cugat is a tremendous distraction. Hollywood's decision to include conductors like Iturbe, the Jameses and Cugat in productions was a terribly misguided effort to capitalize on the musicians' radio presence, and it was thankfully short lived (it was primarily a WWII morale boosting phenomenon).
Director Seiter shoots in a craftsman-like fashion breaking no new ground.
I am a tremendous advocate for black and white film images, but I must say that it is unfortunate this film was not photographed in color (I know, I know, there was a war on). The movie would have benefited tremendously, critically and commercially. Rita's beautiful colors and her clothing would have provided an adequate cover for her limitations.
When you have a semi-talented actress headlining a big budget Hollywood musical and she can't dance spectacularly, and she can't sing well (all her movies' songs were dubbed), you've got a film can full of trouble.
Miss Hayworth was a manufactured product of Hollywood's studio system, and with very few exceptions thanks primarily to excellent directors/casts/scripts, she was a tremendously flawed and failed product.