1h 44min | Drama, Musical, Romance | 12 June 1947
Director: Richard Thorpe
Stars: Esther Williams, Akim Tamiroff, Ricardo Montalban, John Carroll, Mary Astor, Cyd Charisse, Fortunio Bonanova.
Eugene Loring ... choreographer
7 songs listed in Soundtracks, but only 1 has performers; all songs have Spanish titles, so the Good Neighbor Policy lives on.
First American film for RM, credited as "introducing". He and CC dance, and he's terrific. (In his 11th US film, Across the Wide Missouri ('51), he breaks his back. Unfortunately, only 5 are musicals. I'll be curious to see how he moves in Sombrero ('53).)
RM's character has a multiplicity of talents: composer of symphonic music, player of piano at the concert level, strummer of guitar in the fiesta, expert dancer, and torero who almost competes professionally. He's kinda easy on the eyes, and seems like a good guy.
Arguing with myself over 6+ or 7-. Going generous again, although my prior rating was 6. Both RM's dancing and EW's bullfight moves pushed it over the edge.
First American film for RM, credited as "introducing". He and CC dance, and he's terrific. (In his 11th US film, Across the Wide Missouri ('51), he breaks his back. Unfortunately, only 5 are musicals. I'll be curious to see how he moves in Sombrero ('53).)
RM's character has a multiplicity of talents: composer of symphonic music, player of piano at the concert level, strummer of guitar in the fiesta, expert dancer, and torero who almost competes professionally. He's kinda easy on the eyes, and seems like a good guy.
EW's athleticism makes her work as a torero pretty credible. They intercut her cape work with real bullfight footage, and the lighting doesn't match exactly. But she looks great at it, and looks credible in drag, wearing a man-styled wig while in the ring. She does get wet once, swimming for speed across a lake/lagoon to meet her sweetie, JC.
I think most AT films are black and white; he had pretty, light-colored eyes (blue? green?). Nice to see him as a good guy here.
Arguing with myself over 6+ or 7-. Going generous again, although my prior rating was 6. Both RM's dancing and EW's bullfight moves pushed it over the edge.
MGM, dir. Thorpe; 7-
