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      You Were Never Lovelier

      Released Oct 5, 1942 1h 37m Musical List
      100% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 75% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings Bob Davis (Fred Astaire), an American dancer in Buenos Aires, Argentina, finds himself desperate for work after losing all his money. He takes a gig at a wedding, hoping to impress the bride's father, Eduardo Acuña (Adolphe Menjou), a local club owner who has decreed that his daughters must marry in order of age. Eduardo eventually agrees to allow Bob to perform at his club, but only under the condition that he play suitor to his second-oldest daughter, the beautiful Maria (Rita Hayworth). Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

      View All (6) Critics Reviews
      Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rita Hayworth proves to be a good partner for Fred Asatire in this enjoyable, Oscar-nominated musical, with good songs and numbers (Dearly Beloved by Jerome Kern). Rated: B+ Aug 16, 2012 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews A good Astaire romantic musical after life with Ginger, with a beautiful 24-year-old Rita Hayworth as Ginger's replacement. Rated: B Apr 4, 2009 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jul 4, 2005 Full Review Carol Cling Las Vegas Review-Journal Rated: 4/5 Jan 5, 2004 Full Review Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) Good, but not quite great Astaire vehicle. Rated: 4/5 Sep 18, 2003 Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson San Francisco Examiner Hayworth is no Rogers, but she makes a lovely partner anyway. Rated: 4/5 Jan 17, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Steve D Contrived nonsense with little to recommend. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 06/11/23 Full Review william d I understand that when you watch a Fred Astaire movie you have to sit theough a second rate story before you get to see Fred dance. This story was particularly insipid, however, and the dance numbers were few and cheaply staged. Rita Hayworth, however, was not just another pretty face. The woman could dance. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Liam D It's one of the most classic musicals ever made and it's an entertaining watch Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/07/22 Full Review Luca D "My boy, a woman's advice isn't worth listening to. But any man who doesn't take it is a fool." The beginning of this movie is a bit rocky. The actors clearly wait for their cue to begin their lines. The tap dancing is also poorly dubbed. The movie then quickly progresses into a movie worth watching. Overall it's a cute romance. The title song is probably the worst song in the movie, but all of the others songs are really good. I would recommend this if your a fan of romance. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/29/21 Full Review s r A feel good musical romance as a rich older daughter struggles to find love in South America and an interested dancer "courts" her in order to gain work. It all works out in the end though. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Coming at the end of the Screwball era, this film has some of the hallmark tropes: marriage and/or re-marriage, clash of social classes, a headstrong woman... and yet it's a musical with well-integrated songs (something Astaire often insisted on) bordering on classic stage farce. Astaire confessed at one point in his career that Hayworth was his favorite dancing partner, due to the sheer electricity between them and that sizzle is very apparent in this film. Despite the fairly old-school devices in the story (the sisters must marry in order), this movie and its plot comes across as extremely modern. Xavier Cugat has a supporting (speaking) role in addition to being the backup band, lending a latin, big band sensibility to the musical numbers, and some of Robert's (Astaire) characteristics are straight from Astaire's own life (race horses, wearing a necktie and/or scarf as a belt). It's a star-studded spectacle but thoroughly modern (for 1942). There's cynicism mixed with pampering people for their dreams, making for a complex dynamic of real life truths. Watch this for the electric scenes between Astair and Hayworth and fall in love with the escapism, charm, lavish production design and cynic's fairy tale qualities. The black and white cinematography is also simply stunning (Criterion issue). Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      You Were Never Lovelier

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Bob Davis (Fred Astaire), an American dancer in Buenos Aires, Argentina, finds himself desperate for work after losing all his money. He takes a gig at a wedding, hoping to impress the bride's father, Eduardo Acuña (Adolphe Menjou), a local club owner who has decreed that his daughters must marry in order of age. Eduardo eventually agrees to allow Bob to perform at his club, but only under the condition that he play suitor to his second-oldest daughter, the beautiful Maria (Rita Hayworth).
      Director
      William A. Seiter
      Screenwriter
      Delmer Daves, Michael Fessier, Carlos A. Olivari, Ernest Pagano, Sixto Pondal Ríos
      Distributor
      Columbia Pictures
      Production Co
      Columbia Pictures Corporation
      Genre
      Musical
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Oct 5, 1942, Original
      Release Date (DVD)
      May 25, 2004
      Runtime
      1h 37m