1h 37min | Comedy, Musical, Romance | 6 March 1951 | Color
Director: H. Bruce Humberstone (as Bruce Humberstone)
Stars: David Niven, Vera-Ellen, Cesar Romero.
Jack Billings ... dance sequences by
Pauline Grant ... ballet sequences by
own, but watched on AmazonPrime; nice print for small screen.
Should be in the Tap! Appendix for VE.
Only 4 songs in the Soundtracks; felt like more, probably because most were lengthy production numbers. This is a borderline case for the "worthwhile dancing" list.
Since this is a British production, I don't recognize most of the rest of the cast. We get 7 male principal dancers in the credits, but with no photos, I have no way to identify which is who (and they each have only a few film credits.)
The plot is a case of double assumptions followed by double deceptions. When a chauffeur picks up VE, and brings the bag she left behind, people assume she's dating his employer (DN). Rumors fly, and when they reach DN, he sets out to investigate. VE is expecting a reporter, so she assumes DN is he. But DN is charmed by her, so he allows that assumption to continue. Then CR wants to meet the millionaire, and VE has the bright idea that DN could pass for him (now double deception). Between all the lies, we get rehearsals and eventual performance of the show CR has been struggling to mount in Edinborough. (CR is a bit irritating here; he's been this loud and boisterous before, but somehow it's grating this time. Something about color or camera choices, perhaps.)
Associated British Pictures, distr. RKO, dir. Humberstone; 6+
