Easter Parade

Released Jul 8, 1948

1 hr. 43 min.

Musical

Comedy

List

91%

22 Reviews

Tomatometer

86%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In this lavish musical, Broadway star Don Hewes' (Fred Astaire) dancing partner (Ann Miller) goes solo, and Don declares that he can make a hit performer out of the next dancer he sees. This turns out to be the inexperienced Hannah (Judy Garland), who bristles as Don tries to make her into his old partner. But as he realizes that he is falling in love with Hannah, Don knows that he must let her grow into her own kind of dancer if he wants her to reach her full potential.

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Alec B

A delightfully entertaining musical. Astaire and Garland have wonderful chemistry but Ann Miller steals the show here with her jaw dropping dance sequences.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/09/24

Full Review

Windows 7

This is the best movie of all time. I can not express in words how charming and elegant it is. Modern movies can not compete with this masterpiece.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/16/23

Full Review

StephenPaul C

LOL, the funniest 01 hour and 43 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/23/23

Full Review

Red T

An All Time Classic. The acting is very well done with great chemistry between Fred & Judy and Ann Miller as well. This is full of charm and lavish production value along with very well done camera work. The songs numbers are the highlight for sure with a lot of numbers ranging from very good to amazing. Usually if the songs aren't that catchy its made up for by amazing dancing and vice versa. This is a very well edited film that while sometimes slow during non musical scenes particularly in the middle at times, this flies by and because there is so many numbers in this it flies by most of the time. The only minor knit picks would be again it can be slow a bit in the middle (The waiter showing how the salad is made felt totally unneeded and dragged the scene) but still good scenes on their own, and the numbers half the time don't tie into what is happening on screen. However, they do tie in to the plot if that makes sense (This is a bit tricky to explain). honestly though these are such minor things that don't take away from the overall experience. This is charming, happy, and very entertaining Musical to watch. Everyone should give this a try once.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Despite his huge name and plentiful filmography, Easter Parade is the first Fred Astaire movie I've seen, not counting the clip from Top Hat that featured in The Green Mile of course. To be honest there weren't many things that stood out about it. You've got Astaire and Garland of course, and their talents are well utilised. A few of the songs are enjoyable, and it has an all-round upbeat feel to it. It's just the kind of flick that audiences couldn't get enough of in the late 40s, when WW2 was still fresh in their minds, and they needed all they could to cheer them up. It's a story similar to My Fair Lady, where somebody takes on a client with the intention of proving something, and gradually develops a genuine affection for them. In my opinion, Fair Lady did it better, with more memorable songs, more likeable characters and lots of laughs. I'm not saying Easter Parade doesn't have these, but none are as affecting as they could be, and while the first 2/3s are fun, there's a song towards the end that seems to go on forever, and I found myself quickly losing interest in the story. It's great to watch 2 legendary talents sharing the screen, doing what they do best, but looking back at it decades later, considering what both had accomplished at that time, and would go on to accomplish in the years ahead of them, this fees like a minor film, a potboiler to tide audiences over before their next big hit. If you love the performers and are keen to see them together, then give it a watch. Just don't expect anything you haven't seen before.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

liam s

It's a well-liked musical, and it's undoubtedly bright, flashy, and upbeat. Even still, I have a few issues with it. First and foremost, Fred Astaire is far too old for the part. Second, the arrangement of the title song, particularly the chorus, does not persuade me. It's a lovely song, however the arrangement makes it sound a little metallic.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/06/22

Full Review

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Charles Walters

Director

Judy Garland

Hannah Brown

Fred Astaire

Don Hewes

Peter Lawford

Jonathan Harrow III

Ann Miller

Nadine Hale

Jules Munshin

François

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Variety Staff

Variety

Easter Parade is a musical with old and new Irving Berlin tunes and standout dance numbers.

Aug 15, 2007

Full Review

Thomas M. Pryor

New York Times

Easter Parade may not strike the perfect balance between song-dance interludes and story, but it's an appealing show just the same.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 8, 2006

Full Review

Stephen Garrett

Time Out

Easter Parade is the sort of musical to put your feet up for.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

Betty Jo Tucker

ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Terrific tunes engulf the screen. Top performances in each scene. "Easter Parade" evokes such joy! It's like a stunning shiny toy.

Apr 9, 2020

Full Review

Loren King

Newport This Week (RI)

Irving Berlin's music includes some of his best-known songs, such as the irresistible title tune, "Steppin' Out with My Baby" and "We're a Couple of Swells," which Garland performs in her tramp's outfit and which became one of her signatures.

Apr 9, 2020

Full Review

Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

Easter Parade is such a delight.

Rated: 10/10

May 13, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

In this lavish musical, Broadway star Don Hewes' (Fred Astaire) dancing partner (Ann Miller) goes solo, and Don declares that he can make a hit performer out of the next dancer he sees. This turns out to be the inexperienced Hannah (Judy Garland), who bristles as Don tries to make her into his old partner. But as he realizes that he is falling in love with Hannah, Don knows that he must let her grow into her own kind of dancer if he wants her to reach her full potential.

Director: Charles Walters
Screenwriter: Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Sidney Sheldon, Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre: Musical, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 8, 1948, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 11, 2015
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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