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      Invitation to the Dance

      Released May 15, 1956 1h 32m Musical List
      Reviews 73% 500+ Ratings Audience Score Gene Kelly stars in three vignettes told exclusively through mime and dance. In "Circus," a love triangle unfolds beneath the big top as a besotted clown (Kelly) pursues a trapeze artist who loves an acrobat. Next, "Ring Around the Rosy" follows the travels of a gold bracelet as it passes hands from lovers to love interests until it comes full circle. Finally, "Sinbad the Sailor" finds Sinbad (Kelly) in a world of cartoons, where he does battle and dances with many colorful characters. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      sarah w Great Film, and a Nice animated sequence at the end is a delight to every Gene Kelly Fan. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member In evaluating the film, a distinction should be made between a pet and a passion project: The former implies a certain level of vanity on the part of the star, while the latter suggests a commitment to something outside the artist's ego. Although his appearance in every number would suggest that this is a pet project, when you learn that the studio forced that constraint upon the filmmakers to the chagrin of the dancers, it becomes clear that for Kelly making this enigmatic experiment in ballet was a matter of real artistic passion. Flawed though it is, that creative ambition and aesthetic integrity is admirable, and the dancing is nothing less than sheer entertainment. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Gene Kelly's ambitious labor of love, a three-part dance film with absolutely no plot at all; completed in 1952, but MGM didn't know how to market it, so it sat on the shelf for over three years. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member just ok not really my cup o tea Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member i do appreciate all the effort the did to this movie, but it's a bit "difficult" to watch Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member A series of short skits with Kelly dancing. The first is Circus which is done in a minstrel/vaudeville style. Kelly plays a mime/clown, he acts on the stage and dances in the street with a group. There are only 3 actors listed in this part and they are on stage with him, there is no talking in this part only dancing. The dancing goes from Kelly's style to ballet with the other two actors. The story is about a guy, Kelly's clown, falling in love with the girl who is in love with the other guy. It shows how some people will do silly and dangerous to get the person we love, in this case the clown tries to do the high wire act to impress the girl, he falls and dies. The second skit is titled Ring Around the Rosy. It involves 8 actors/dancers with Kelly and the other two from Circus. This is a more present day setting going from parties to clubs. Again no talking during the entire skit, just music. It is a series of performances of mainly couples dancing about love and love lost and temptation. The third skit is titled Sinbad the Sailor and to be obvious it has a Middle Eastern theme. After the initial scenes Kelly and a boy go on a series of animated adventures the most visually striking is when he dances with 2 guards. This is Kellys version of Fantasia and fits into the film as art movement of the early 50's. It is interesting to view as a history of film as it is very much like watching a play on film. The animation is not as stimulating compared with Disney but it is innovative none the less. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Invitation to the Dance

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      Critics Reviews

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      Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine For me, it contains a few delightful moments-but only a few. sparsely strewn amid much that is either pretentious or second-rate. In abler hands, the same format may yet produce cherishable results. Nov 26, 2019 Full Review Isabel Quigly The Spectator Never an enthusiast for filmed ballet, which, for all its theoretical possibilities, in practice always seems to confuse two mediums, I am enough of an enthusiast for Gene Kelly to watch a programme of his ballets. Jul 20, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Gene Kelly stars in three vignettes told exclusively through mime and dance. In "Circus," a love triangle unfolds beneath the big top as a besotted clown (Kelly) pursues a trapeze artist who loves an acrobat. Next, "Ring Around the Rosy" follows the travels of a gold bracelet as it passes hands from lovers to love interests until it comes full circle. Finally, "Sinbad the Sailor" finds Sinbad (Kelly) in a world of cartoons, where he does battle and dances with many colorful characters.
      Director
      Gene Kelly
      Screenwriter
      Gene Kelly
      Distributor
      Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
      Production Co
      Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
      Genre
      Musical
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      May 15, 1956, Original
      Release Date (DVD)
      Mar 15, 2011
      Runtime
      1h 32m