Classic Movie Monday: Easter Parade

Spoiler Alert! If you have not had a chance to see the movie yet and would like to be surprised don’t read my post. I am bound to divulge some very important info about the movie. 🙂
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This week’s movie, Easter Parade, is a 1940s musical starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire.

The premise is a little like My Fair Lady. When the main character, Don, played by Fred Astaire, loses his longtime dancing partner he vows he can turn anyone into his new dancing partner. So, he chooses the first woman he meets, Hannah, a dancer in a bar played by Judy Garland.

They become a hugely successful act and are asked to join the Ziegfeld Follies with Don’s ex partner, Nadine, played by Ann Miller. But Don doesn’t want to be in the same show as his ex partner so he turns it down. Thinking Don’s reason is because he is still in love with his ex-partner, Hannah turns to Don’s friend, Jonathan for “support”.

It was interesting to read that Fred Astaire came out of retirement just to star alongside Judy Garland in Easter Parade. But it is a shame that Judy Garland was going through so much personally while filming the movie. I couldn’t tell one bit.

Loved her hot pink gloves with the white dress!

Though Judy and Fred were the stars, my favorite was Ann Miller. Don’s previous partner, Nadine, was supposed to be played by Cyd Charisse, who was great in Singing in the Rain, but had injured her leg so Ann Miller was cast. She was really fantastic in the part. And I read that Ann was supposed to have been cast as the lead in Singing in the Rain, but it eventually went to Debbie Reynolds. I would have liked to have seen her in Singing in the Rain. I bet she would have been great.

Overall, I liked Easter Parade. I thought the songs were catchy, though none really stuck with me, and the costumes were really grand, especially the dresses and Easter hats.

I’ll give it a B-, pretty much because it was a musical and I am partial to old musicals. I think they are some of the greatest movies ever made. I actually could have done Classic Movie Monday on only musicals.

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Ready for Week #4? I’m excited for this one. I’ve heard some great reviews about it. This week we are going to watch the 1967 romantic drama. . .