A fictionalized biopic of composer Cole Porter from his days at Yale in the 1910s through the height of his success to the 1940s.
2h 8min | Biography, Drama, Musical | 2 July 1946 | Color
Director: Michael Curtiz
Stars: Cary Grant, Alexis Smith, Monty Woolley.
LeRoy Prinz ... dance numbers created and directed by
Finally got DVD replacement, NOT from Warner CS.
Official release is surprisingly poor quality, with faded and/or (seldom) blurred colors, and projectionist cues to change reels.
Should be in Tap! Appendix for Estelle Sloan in ch23; she could have done a nifty challenge dance with Ann Miller (still at Columbia). This is her only film credit; she has 2 in IBDb.Official release is surprisingly poor quality, with faded and/or (seldom) blurred colors, and projectionist cues to change reels.
Although On the Town ('49) was revolutionary for staging musical numbers in NYC locations, this one does a nice job of using the grounds of a mansion for rehearsals. Seems like a poor place for acoustics, and a lousy surface (lumpy, hilly grass) for dancing but it's pleasing to the eye.
Cole Porter songs (37 chapters with menu):
- ch1. Night and Day (1932), Played during the opening credits and often in the score
- ch1. Blow, Gabriel, Blow (1934), Played during the opening credits
- ch2. I'm in Love Again (1924), Performed by Jane Wyman
- ch2. Bull Dog (1911), Performed by male chorus and Cary Grant
- ch4. In the Still of the Night (1937), sung by Christmas Choral singers, Dorothy Malone
- ch5. An Old Fashioned Garden (1919), Sung by Cary Grant and Selena Royle
- ch6. You've Got That Thing (1929), Sung by Pat Clark, Paula Drew and Jane Harker
- ch7. Let's Do It (1928), Sung by Jane Wyman
- ch8. You Do Something to Me (1929), Performed by Jane Wyman and chorus
- ch12. Night and Day (1932), composing by CG
- ch13. I'm Unlucky at Gambling (1929), Sung by Eve Arden
- ch15. Miss Otis Regrets (1934), Sung by Monty Woolley
- ch16. What Is This Thing Called Love? (1929), Sung by Ginny Simms
- ch18. I've Got You Under My Skin (1936), Sung by Ginny Simms, Danced by Adam Di Gatano and Jane Di Gatano
- ch20. Rosalie (1937), Performed by unidentified Cockney street minstrel quartet
- ch22. Night and Day (1932), Sung by Bill Days
- ch23. Just One of Those Things (1935), Sung by Ginny Simms, Danced by Estelle Sloan with chorus
- ch25. Anything Goes (1934), Played by orchestra, Also played for dance rehearsal fragment
- ch25. You're the Top (1934), Sung by Ginny Simms and Cary Grant
- ch27. I Get a Kick out of You (1934), Performed by Ginny Simms with chorus
- ch28. Easy to Love (1934), Sung by an unidentified Trio at The 52 Club, including Fay McKenzie
- ch29. Love for Sale (1930), social dance music at party
- ch30. ??, Rehearsal number Danced by a Chorus
- ch31. My Heart Belongs to Daddy (1938), Performed by Mary Martin with chorus
- ch34. Do I Love You? (1939), Briefly sung by a chorus
- ch34. Don't Fence Me In (1934) (Original footage from Hollywood Canteen (1944)), Sung by Roy Rogers
- ch36. Begin the Beguine (1935), Sung by Carlos RamÃrez and chorus, Danced by George Zoritch and Milada Mladova
- ch37. Night and Day (1932), Performed by orchestra and male chorus
The dancing in this film is mostly balletic, except for the tapping in ch23. Good stuff with large ensembles and specialties, and lots of color. But it's just performance dance, pretty motion and poses set to music. The Red Shoes ('48) and G.Kelly were about to shift things dramatically.
I can understand with Cole Porter's sexuality, a '46 film can't explore those extra difficulties in his marriage & private life. He did break his legs in a horse riding fall, and had lifelong problems with his legs thereafter, so that part of the film is likely pretty accurate. Per IMDb, Porter was married to Linda from '19-'54 (her death).
CP (1891–1964) has 367 film soundtrack credits so far (1153 total including TV episodes), with 121 films in his lifetime, and 60 of them through '45 (the year this was filmed). Big CP films after '45: Kiss Me Kate ('53), Anything Goes ('56, but the show was from '34), High Society ('56), Silk Stockings ('57), Les Girls ('57), Can-Can ('60).
I can understand with Cole Porter's sexuality, a '46 film can't explore those extra difficulties in his marriage & private life. He did break his legs in a horse riding fall, and had lifelong problems with his legs thereafter, so that part of the film is likely pretty accurate. Per IMDb, Porter was married to Linda from '19-'54 (her death).
CP (1891–1964) has 367 film soundtrack credits so far (1153 total including TV episodes), with 121 films in his lifetime, and 60 of them through '45 (the year this was filmed). Big CP films after '45: Kiss Me Kate ('53), Anything Goes ('56, but the show was from '34), High Society ('56), Silk Stockings ('57), Les Girls ('57), Can-Can ('60).
My rating is for the songs performed, not the acting, although CG is always beautiful to watch. This film has a very pleasing depth and breadth of famous, excellent songs, well-staged.
