Easter Parade (1948)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Charles Walters

Writers:

Frances Goodrich (story) &
Albert Hackett (story) ...

Release Date:

8 July 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The Happiest Musical Ever Made is Irving Berlin's Easter Parade

Plot:

Don Hewes and Nadine Hale are a dancing team, but she decides to start a career on her own. So he takes the next dancer he meets...

Plot Keywords:

Dance | Easter | Ziegfeld Follies | Fashion Show | Showbiz

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Judy Garland	...	Hannah Brown
Fred Astaire	...	Don Hewes
Peter Lawford	...	Jonathan Harrow III
Ann Miller	...	Nadine Hale
Jules Munshin	...	Headwaiter François
Clinton Sundberg	...	Mike the Bartender
Richard Beavers	...	Singer ("The Girl on the Magazine Cover")

Also Known As:

Irving Berlin's Easter Parade (USA) (complete title)
Intermezzo lírico (Argentina) (Venezuela) [es]
Parade de printemps (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Desfile de Páscoa (Brazil) [pt]
En dans med dej (Sweden) [sv]
Forår i luften (Denmark) [da]
Osterparade (Austria) [de]
Osterspaziergang (West Germany) [de]
Pashalini parelasis (Greece) [el]
Sinun kanssasi kahden (Finland) [fi]
Ti amavo senza saperlo (Italy) [it]

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #12947) | South Korea:All | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Ann Miller danced with pinched nerves in her back. She was also taller than Fred Astaire, so she had to wear flats in her scenes with him. This can be seen towards the end of the movie. When she finishes the number "The Girl I Love" she goes behind the curtain wearing red high heels; when she comes back out in front of the audience to entice Astaire to dance with her to their old song "It Only Happens When I Dance With You", she's wearing red flats.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Marty is obviously not really playing the piano as is hand movements do not match the notes being played.

Quotes:

Hannah Brown: [her eyes are closed] What color are my eyes?
Don Hewes: [kissing her, causing her to open her eyes in surprise] Brown.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Easter Parade: On the Avenue (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Drum Crazy

One of the Best

This is a superlative musical, made by the very best musical talents at the top of their game. Judy Garland and Fred Astaire were (along with Gene Kelly) the ultimate in musical comedy stars, and this was their only on-screen pairing. This film affords them the chance to shine both individually and as a duo, displaying Astaire's dazzling footwork and Garland's throbbing voice, as well as their comic abilities. Irving Berlin provides them with a potpourri of popular tunes, and there are several stunning show-stoppers, especially the "A Couple of Swells" number (with Astaire parodying his usual Top Hat and Tails persona). Garland's voice makes "I Love a Piano" ring out, and Astaire shows that at nearly age 50 he could still dance with aplomb in "Steppin' Out with my Baby" (though why they decided to run part of it in slow motion when this could never happen in the stage production they were presenting is a bit of a mystery). The opening number, "Drum Crazy" is also a little masterpiece, since it highlights not only Astaire's dancing, but also his drumming abilities, and also tells a little story and comments on his character as well, all without a word of dialogue. Mention should also be made of the sensational Ann Miller, in one of her best roles. The songs (some old, some new) fit very snugly into the fluffy but sturdy plot, and the entire package is a nifty delight and a reminder of what musical comedy was like when it reached the heights.