Not one of the classic MGM musicals but it has heavyweight talent: Fred Astaire, Stanley Donen, Arthur Freed, Alan Jay Lerner. Astaire's co-star is Jane Powell, not the most charismatic musical star, but she tries really hard - she's like Debbie Reynolds only not quite as charismatic.None of the songs are particularly classics but there are a couple of strong routines - two Astaire solos (especially the one where he dances on the roof and ceiling) and a fun vaudeville one between Astaire and Powell. The main problem with this is Lerner's script - the plot as Astaire and Powell as a brother and sister team who both find romance in England while watching the 1947 Royal Wedding of Prince Phillip and Princess Elizabeth. Both fall in love, he with Sarah Churchill (Winston's daughter and you can tell but she isn't bad and can dance quite well), she with Peter Lawford (they hint that Powell is a bit of a party girl which is kind of interesting). So what's the conflict? Well, both go "maybe we shouldn't get married it might ruin our careers", then they go "no we change our mind" and everyone winds up together. Er... that's not much of a plot.
Nonetheless, pretty and cheerful. Why is this out of copyright? Did someone forget to fill in the right form or something?
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