samuel c
Bogged down by a tangled, implausible plot that the viewer is forced to sit through after the dynamite dance numbers of the first half, this film must be watched for 3 of the most sizzling dance routines in the history of screen musicals. Of all Astaire's partners, Hutton is the only one who upstages Fred, forcing you to experience her verbal velocity and physical energy with disbelieving amazement. Comparing her with Doris Day (Calamity Jane), Betty Hutton (Annie Get Your Gun) has crisper, more challenging and complex dance moves and stronger, unwavering vocal cords. This movie will leave you amazed and breathless in its first 5 minutes (Hutton's solo number) and through its first half, which climaxes with a sketch featuring two male gunslingers (guess who?). If you can call the movie a wrap after that number, the film will no doubt leave the impression it deserves.
I first saw Betty Hutton as a guest --one of 4 aging starlets--on an afternoon network TV show in the late 70's (probably Mike Douglas or Merv Griffin). I was won over by her persona on the show, as she presented herself as a lonely, unemployed, loveless woman with few if any prospects. That impression is the opposite of her overcompensating, overachieving performances in film. If she could only have brought herself to express such feminine "vulnerability" in her movies, I have little doubt that she would have been seen, then and now, as a major star--equal to Doris or Judy or Ginger.
Facially, she's probably not as "cute" as the competition. Cute or not, her star power in dance numbers like those in "Let's Dance" is overpowering and irresistible. (If only I were 20 years younger . . .)
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
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Audience Member
I Love Fred Astaire.....hes the best dancer
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/24/23
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Audience Member
Fred Astaire had one of the most charismatic screen presences in history, and lights up every frame he's in. Betty Hutton...not so much. She's not bad, in fact she's often pretty funny, but this much mugging while singing should be made illegal outside of elderly Italian Bassos. You never know what you're going to get with Hutton, genuine comedy and a beautiful, brassy voice, or an obnoxious overactor. The films weakest sequences are those that focus on the...well, the plot. The kid at the center of the plot (Gregory Moffett) is incredibly cloying, and whenever Hutton has to play doting mother rather than daffy heroine, she goes as earnest and as one-note as a Victorian melo drama. This leads to long, interminable arguments over the kid, which leads to long, aggravating "misunderstanding" plot line-about halfway through the film. If this were a straight film, it would be awful...but luckily for all involved, it's a musical.
Thank the powers that be that every 15 minutes or so, Fred Astaire does a dance step. The songs, by Frank Loesser, may be mostly forgettable, but the choreography is always stellar. Even a random number with Astaire and Hutton dressed as cowboys, which is completely out of nowhere even by movie musical standards, is redeemed by some terrific footwork. The opening song, Hutton's lighting-fast patter "I can't stop talking about him" was one of my favorite things long before I saw the film. Hutton's mugging only makes the character number more fun, and then Astaire joins in for a rousing dance finale that gets the film started on a high note. Despite my feelings for the film in general, I don't think I'll ever forget Astaire's jaw-dropping "Piano Dance." Other dancers may dance on top of a piano; Fred Astaire dances IN it.
So, is it a good film? No. It's uneven, poorly paced, often stupid and goes completely off the rails in the last 30 minutes. But anytime Astaire so much as turns an ankle the right way, I'm smiling like a fool. Sometimes, when a bad movie stars Fred Astaire, it's not a bad movie.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/13/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Dull musical with a couple of good dance sequences but no chemistry at all between Hutton and Astaire. This was an obvious filler for both who were between making much better films that year and the year following. Choreography by Hermes Pan is very variable...best sequence is where Astaire dances with a grand piano.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
02/20/23
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Audience Member
Not bad. Hutton has her usual exuberance (which can be overbearing) and is kept in check by Astaire's classiness.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/14/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Betty Hutton was a very energetic and funny actress. I really enjoy her movies and this was one of the best .Fred Astaire is also one of my favorites.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/27/23
Full Review
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