Dancing On The Ceiling The Main High Point
Added 4/18/2009
This movie features some of the most famous dance scenes by Fred Astaire, such as the one where he dances on the walls and ceiling.
That particularly dance is impressive because the special-effects made it look realistic. Kudos to the filmmakers for doing that in a film that is 55 years old. Astaire also did a clever number earlier with a hat rack and did two entertaining dances with Jane Powell.
The dancing was the only good thing in the film. Most of the story deals with romances between Powell and Peter Lawford and Astaire and Sarah Churchill. The latter look a little old for the normal young-romance type angles viewers are used to seeing in films. Facially, Fred looked like he had been ill. He just didn't look good. Powell looked fine but her soprano voice almost broke my TV tube. It was brutal.
Still, it's tough to totally knock any movie in which Astaire demonstrates his incredible dancing skills.
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Royal Weddning
Added 2/19/2009
The video works on only one DVD player, the one that is not in my classroom. It sticks at multiple places and of course at the part I want to show my classes. I use this in my Physics class and I never know if it is going to work or not. The return method I could not fiqure out. So I stuck with it and when I need it next year, I'll decide to buy another copy that hopefully might work.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Fred Astaire deserved better
Added 2/11/2009
A brother-sister dance team go to England to perform at the time of Princess Elizabeth's wedding. Both siblings are devoted to the act and claim to have no interest in romance, but (surprise!) they both find true love in London.
Fred Astaire and Jane Powell star as the dancers and he outshines her at every turn. Fred is always dazzlingly charismatic, while she's not in his league as a dancer and lacks his screen presence. Another odd casting choice is Winston Churchill's daughter and Maggie Smith-look-alike, Sarah as Fred's love interest; she spoils the movie because she has no visible talent or charm and there's no chemistry between them. The story is predictable and dull, with several forgettable vaudeville performances.
Only Fred's impeccable solo dances save the movie from being a total disaster; his famous coat rack dance and the amazing dance-on-the-walls-and-ceiling routine are terrific and well-worth seeing. The glamour and exquisite costumes we associate with a Fred Astaire musical are missing and the whole thing has a low-budget feel to it. For Fred's fans only.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Sappy but....
Added 1/28/2009
The story is as sappy as one could hope for in a musical: a sister and brother song and dance team are performing in London when Elizabeth II gets married. But ignore the story. P.S. The royal wedding doesn't figure into it. Moreover, it could give a viewer diabetes.
Jane Powell and Fred Astaire make this film worth seeing. I've never been a fan of Astaire's. I knew he was one of the greatest American dancers ever, but he always looked like the perfect lounge lizard, with his slicked back, patent leather hair and the tophat and tails. He isn't that at all in this movie.
There are three dance numbers worth seeing here: (1) The best by far is Powell and Astaire's on stage duet of "How Could You Believe Me..." (2) Astaire's "I Lost My Hat in Haiti" (3) Astaire's marvelous and famous dance on the walls and ceiling of his hotel room. In none of these is Astaire in his usual film attire.
The rest of the cast I could do without, Churchill's daughter's tepid and unbelievable romance with Astaire and Peter Lawford's nasal courting of Powell. Ugh. There's spme nice color film of the royal weddng coaches going through the streets of London, but stay for the three dances.
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cute film, great dancing
Added 1/6/2009
we purchased a few 'wedding' themed films as a group activity for the bridesmaids, this was a particularly cute film. beautiful dancing, classic happy ending...everything you need for a good girls night in.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Dancing On The Ceiling The Main High Point
Added 4/18/2009
This movie features some of the most famous dance scenes by Fred Astaire, such as the one where he dances on the walls and ceiling.
That particularly dance is impressive because the special-effects made it look realistic. Kudos to the filmmakers for doing that in a film that is 55 years old. Astaire also did a clever number earlier with a hat rack and did two entertaining dances with Jane Powell.
The dancing was the only good thing in the film. Most of the story deals with romances between Powell and Peter Lawford and Astaire and Sarah Churchill. The latter look a little old for the normal young-romance type angles viewers are used to seeing in films. Facially, Fred looked like he had been ill. He just didn't look good. Powell looked fine but her soprano voice almost broke my TV tube. It was brutal.
Still, it's tough to totally knock any movie in which Astaire demonstrates his incredible dancing skills.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Royal Weddning
Added 2/19/2009
The video works on only one DVD player, the one that is not in my classroom. It sticks at multiple places and of course at the part I want to show my classes. I use this in my Physics class and I never know if it is going to work or not. The return method I could not fiqure out. So I stuck with it and when I need it next year, I'll decide to buy another copy that hopefully might work.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Fred Astaire deserved better
Added 2/11/2009
A brother-sister dance team go to England to perform at the time of Princess Elizabeth's wedding. Both siblings are devoted to the act and claim to have no interest in romance, but (surprise!) they both find true love in London.
Fred Astaire and Jane Powell star as the dancers and he outshines her at every turn. Fred is always dazzlingly charismatic, while she's not in his league as a dancer and lacks his screen presence. Another odd casting choice is Winston Churchill's daughter and Maggie Smith-look-alike, Sarah as Fred's love interest; she spoils the movie because she has no visible talent or charm and there's no chemistry between them. The story is predictable and dull, with several forgettable vaudeville performances.
Only Fred's impeccable solo dances save the movie from being a total disaster; his famous coat rack dance and the amazing dance-on-the-walls-and-ceiling routine are terrific and well-worth seeing. The glamour and exquisite costumes we associate with a Fred Astaire musical are missing and the whole thing has a low-budget feel to it. For Fred's fans only.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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