You Were Never Lovelier (1942)

Fresh and Exciting

Brilliant and touching

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

OK. I'll probably annoy most people by this revue but here goes: the plot is farcical, the actors and actresses are simply going along with the childish script and you wonder how did they get enough money for the over-the-top sets and dresses. Then you consider the dance numbers which change whole film in about 15 minutes of pure magic. The dance steps are phenomenal. There is an artistry involved which each of the steps is breathtakingly new and novel. Rita Hayworth also changes from a rather pedestrian actress to a wonderful dancer. If she could learn these steps in a morning then she must have an unusual memory. Whether she was better or worse than Ginger is irrelevant; she brought a different 'character' to the dancing that was new and refreshing.

Directed by WILLIAM A. SEITER. Assistant director: Norman Deming. Screenplay by Michael Fessier & Ernest Pagano, and Delmer Daves, based on an original story and screenplay, "The Gay Senorita", by Carlos Olivari and Sixto Pondal Rios. Photographed by Ted Tetzlaff. Musical score by Jerome Kern. Musical director: Leigh Harline, assisted by Paul Mertz. Musical arrangements by Conrad Salinger. Musical arrangement of "The Shorty George", by Lyle Murphy. Xavier Cugat's specialty, "Chiu Chiu", by Nicanor Molinare. Other songs: "Dearly Beloved", "The Shorty George", "I'm Old-Fashioned", "Wedding in the Spring", "You Were Never Lovelier" and "These Orchids" by Jerome Kern (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics). Music recording by P.J. Faulkner. Dance director: Fred Astaire. Assistant dance director: Val Raset. Art direction by Lionel Banks and Rudolph Sternad. Set decoration by Frank Tuttle. Gowns by Irene. Costume supervision by Ray Howell. Film editor: William Lyon. Sound recording: John Livadary. Western Electric Sound System. Producer: Louis F. Edelman.Copyright 19 October 1942 by Columbia Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall: 4 December 1942 (ran two weeks). U.S. release: 19 November 1942. Australian release: 29 April 1943. 8,921 feet. 99 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Nightclub owner sends his daughter notes and flowers so that she will welcome a marriage proposal from a suitable young man.NOTES: Nominated for Academy Awards for Best Sound (won by Yankee Doodle Dandy); Scoring of a Musical Picture (won by Yankee Doodle Dandy); Best Song, "Dearly Beloved" (won by "White Christmas" from Holiday Inn).Songs and musical numbers: "Chiu Chiu" (Romay), "Dearly Beloved" (Astaire, reprized Hayworth dubbed by Nan Wynn), "Wedding in the Spring" (Brooks, Mara, reprized Romay), "I'm Old Fashioned" (Astaire, Hayworth dubbed by Nan Wynn), "The Shorty George" (Astaire, Hayworth), "You Were Never Lovelier" (Astaire, reprized as a dance by Astaire, Hayworth), "These Orchids" (Cugat). Astaire also had an important solo audition dance, arranged by Cugat and company from music by Raphael Hernandez, Noro Morales, J. Comacho, Franz Liszt and Gilbert Valdes.Deleted song: "On the Beam" (Astaire) by Kern and Mercer.VIEWER'S GUIDE: Suitable for all.COMMENT: A lightly entertaining piece of musical fluff with Hayworth looking exquisite in Irene costumes and Fred in fine vocal and terpsichorean form. We have to wait about 40 minutes for Fred and Rita to get together in a dance number but it is worth the wait. The songs are catchy, the sets pleasant and the script lightly amusing with Adolphe Menjou making the most of his opportunities (there is some splendid by-play between him and Gus Schilling). Seiter's direction is nothing special, but the film has an attractive sheen and although Adele Mara and Leslie Brooks are unintentionally obnoxious as a pair of empty-headed sisters, the film provides a lot of pleasantly light musical entertainment.Xavier Cugat tries his hand at acting and cartooning with the same ease he brings to his conducting — undistinctive but pleasant.But Fred and Rita are really magical.OTHER VIEWS: The brass at Columbia had forgotten all about the fact that I was a dancer until Fred Astaire, who knew my background, reminded them. When Fred came to Columbia to make "You'll Never Get Rich" (1941), they asked him who he wanted as a dancing partner. Fred asked for me! That surprised them, but Fred knew what he was about. He knew my work. The film was a huge success and as a result I was loaned out to Fox for "My Gal Sal" (1942), and then re-teamed with Fred for "You Were Never Lovelier". — Rita Hayworth. Rita danced with trained perfection and individuality. Of course, she knew through experience what this dancing business was all about. That was apparent the moment I started working with her. I enjoyed making both "You'll Never Get Rich" and "You Were Never Lovelier" because of Rita. — Fred Astaire.

I can't add much to what's been said, only that it seems to me it's Astaire's best comic acting role and that Rita is adorable, magnificent, talented, and beyond compare. When they dance, it's magic. What did strike me as curious was the fact that the film was set in Argentina for no apparent reason, and its version of "Argentina" seems to be any wealthy American suburb in America, New Canaan possibly, or maybe Kenilworth or Chevy Chase? It's as "Argentinian" as your aunt's patootie, whatever that means. Was it a response to FDR's "Good Neighbor" policy back in '42 perhaps? Or perhaps the South American stylings, as mild as they were, were to justify Xavier Cougat's presence in the pic, although he's characterized as "coming down from New York". His Latin-themed orchestrations are the only verifiably "hispanic" touch. Very strange. The Acunas are a wealthy family who speak perfect upper-class yankee patois and only show the remotest familiarity with hispanic culture. Mr. Acuna's secretary is one of those flitty, maybe gay fussbudgets always breaking down into hysterics or bumping into the furniture. Nobody speaks Spanish, nobody tries an accent, and nothing in the design or culture of the picture suggest Buenos Aires. Seen today, it seems quite odd, maybe even crazily charming in an anthropological sort of way.

Fred Astaire is Robert "Bob" Davis, an American dancer looking for a job in Buenos Aires after spending all his money on gambling.Adolphe Menjou as Eduardo Acuna is the man he is looking for.But Bob isn't the man he's looking for.This grumpy nightclub owner starts to despise Bob.But Bob starts to like his daughter Maria.She is supposed to be the next of four sisters to get married, but she has no interest on that.Then her father comes up with a plan.He keeps sending romantic notes to his daughter and then later he should get a man to portray the sender of those notes.But one day Bob happens to deliver the note and orchids, and Maria seeing him from the window believes he is the secret admirer.His father wants Bob to act obnoxious to Maria, so she starts hating him.But you can't fight against your feelings...You Were Never Lovelier (1942) is directed by William A. Seiter.Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth shine again as the leading couple.This was their second and last picture they made together.The first was You'll Never Get Rich (1941).Both of these movies have many similarities and are equally good.This was one of Rita's favorite films of her own.Rita's singing was dubbed by Nan Wynn.Adolphe Menjou does quite splendid job as Eduardo.Isobel Elsom is terrific as Maria Castro.Douglas Leavitt plays Juan Castro.Leslie Brooks is lovely as Cecy Acuna.And so is Adele Mara as her sister Lita.Their characters both want to get married, but they don't happen to be the next in line.Catherine Craig plays the sister Julia, who did get married.Barbara Brown is great as their mother Delfina.Gus Schilling is quite funny as Fernando "Fernie", the secretary who hates his boss.Xavier Cugat performs with his orchestra.This movie represents the good old time entertainment.Movies like this took your mind off the war that was going on.Jerome Kern has done a great job in the music department.There is "I'm Old Fashioned", which became a hit.I really enjoyed watching the dancing of Fred and Rita to "The Shorty George".There is some wild energy there! As is in Fred's tap dancing.How did he do it?! Come and enjoy the singing and dancing of Fred and Rita!