You Were Never Lovelier
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Adolphe Menjou, Fred Astaire, Isobel Elsom, Leslie Brooks (II), Rita HayworthBrand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Japanese (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Black & White, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 97 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-05-25
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Movie Reviews of You Were Never Lovelier
Movie Review: "now we can be secretly engaged and tell everybody !!!"
Summary: 5 Stars
You Were Never Lovelier boasts terrific song and dance numbers performed by Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth; and the acting is very convincing throughout the picture. The cinematography and the choreography shine--especially in those dance scenes. Fred Astaire is in excellent form here; and even if he isn't dancing with Ginger Rogers you'll see quite a match in Rita Heyworth! The script was well written and there's just enough comic relief (especially by Gus Schilling as Mr. Acuña's assistant) to make the film truly and completely enjoyable. The quality of the print is excellent, too.
When the action starts, we meet a famous American dancer who is temporarily down and out, Robert 'Bob' Davis (Fred Astaire); he is Buenos Aires, Argentina on vacation. When Robert loses just a bit too much money at the racetrack, Bob must find work fast--and he goes to a hotel in Buenos Aires owned by the stuffy and highly irritable Eduardo Acuña (Adolph Menjou). Unfortunately once again, Robert can't even get by Acuña's assistant, Fernando (Gus Schilling); and that certainly leaves Robert in a jam. How will he get to Mr. Acuña and apply for a job in the hotel nightclub with Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra?
At the same time, things are heating up in the Acuña household. The eldest of four daughters, Julia (Catherine Craig), is marrying--and now according to Acuña tradition the very independent minded second oldest daughter, Maria, must marry next. This causes much angst for Maria's two younger sisters, Cecy (Leslie Brooks) and Lita (Adele Mara) because they have already chosen the men they wish to marry--but their weddings cannot take place until Maria, who will not rush, gets married first. Through a few mistaken identities and misunderstandings, however, Eduardo Acuña unwittingly sets up the man he can't stand, Robert Davis, to pose as the fellow who has been sending dozens of beautiful orchids to Maria. In actuality, Eduardo has been sending those orchids to his daughter Maria all along, preparing her for a suitor that he himself deems worthy of Maria. Eduardo is callous, too--even when he sees that Maria has true feelings for Robert, he thinks nothing of telling Robert to get out of Argentina and fly home. Acuña wants Robert to break Maria's heart and tell her that he only wanted her for the job at Acuña's hotel nightclub, which, of course, is very far from true because Robert and Maria are in love.
What happens next is anybody's guess, although perhaps you can see the resolution coming anyway in spite of a few unexpected plot twists near the end of the film. In any event, prepare to be dazzled with superlative song and dance scenes; I won't forget them anytime soon! Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra are also featured brilliantly; I love their performances in this film as well. Look also for Barbara Brown as Eduardo's wife Delfina Acuña; and Isobel Elsom plays Maria Castro very well.
The DVD doesn't come with any extras. I would have liked something but I'm afraid we come up empty.
You Were Never Lovelier is a classic and the dancing is impeccable--after all, who can beat Fred Astaire at dancing? Rita Hayworth dances magnificently as well. I highly recommend this for fans of the actors in this movie; and of course people who enjoy classic movie musicals will not be disappointed.
Summary of You Were Never Lovelier
YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER - DVD MovieThe devil is in the details when it comes to this effervescent Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth musical. The slight storyline is a hook upon which to hang dance sequences, bits of humor, and songs by Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer. Set in Buenos Aires, it's a remake of an Argentine feature from the previous year and followed You'll Never Get Rich. Astaire stars as a professional hoofer and Hayworth is Adolphe Menjou's second oldest daughter. The wealthy businessman won't let his youngest daughters marry until Maria (Hayworth) ties the knot. She couldn't care less--until a case of mistaken identity leads her to believe that Robert (Astaire) is in love with her (he's just looking for a job at her father's club). Highlights include a tap dance set to "Shorty George" and the Oscar®-nominated "Dearly Beloved," which is sung by both leads (with Hayworth dubbed by Nan Wynn). --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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