#it's always fair weather

[musicalfilm]

cyd charisse in it’s always fair weather (1955)

[crushongene]

It’s Always Fair Weather (1955)

FAIR WEATHER CHRISTMAS GREETINGS...from Hollywood find the cast of M-G-M's "It's Always Fair Weather" working telephones overtime with, left to right, Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Gene Kelly, Dolores Gray and Michael Kidd as the busy dialers. Kelly also co-directs the new musical with Stanley Donen. Arthur Freed is the producer.

[nine-frames]

“I like myself.”

It’s Always Fair Weather, 1955.

Dir. Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly | Writ. Betty Comden & Adolph Green | DOP Robert J. Bronner

[pygartheangel]

[byneddiedingo]

It's Always Fair Weather (Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen, 1955) Cast: Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Dolores Gray, Michael Kidd, David Burns, Jay C. Flippen. Screenplay: Betty Comden, Adolph Green. Cinematography: Robert J. Bronner. Art direction: Cedric Gibbons, Arthur Lonergan. Film editing: Adrienne Fazan. Music: André Previn, songs by André Previn, Betty Comden, Adolph Green. Since they satirized (albeit mildly) Hollywood and Broadway in their screenplays for Singin' in the Rain (Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen, 1952) and The Band Wagon (Vincente Minnelli, 1953), it seems almost inevitable that Betty Comden and Adolph Green should set their sights on television, and particularly TV advertising, in the screenplay for It's Always Fair Weather. Maybe it's just that television was seen as the enemy in Hollywood, but the last in their triad of MGM musicals of the 1950s seems a little sharper in tone than than the other two. The movie scores some nice hits on TV tearjerker shows like Ralph Edwards's This Is Your Life and on absurd commercials: The row of dancing soapboxes is a hit at the actual commercial in which a dancer wore a giant Old Gold cigarette pack. The unsentimental tone is there from the very beginning, when after a trio of just-demobilized GIs vows to reunite and celebrate their friendship ten years later, the film jumps ahead to a sour and disillusioning revelation of their midlife failures. Ted Riley (Gene Kelly) has become something of a lowlife, the manager of a boxer he won in a crap game; Angie Valentine (Michael Kidd) had wanted to become a famous chef, but runs a hamburger joint in Schenectady that he calls the Cordon Bleu; and Doug Hallerton (Dan Dailey), once an aspiring artist, is now an advertising executive with a sour stomach and an impending divorce. It all ends well, of course, with the help of a brainy TV producer played by Cyd Charisse and her feather-brained star played by Dolores Gray. Although André Previn's song score is only passable, it supports some fine production numbers staged by Kelly and Donen that take full advantage of the CinemaScope screen, like the trio in which Kelly, Dailey, and Kidd dance with garbage can lids on their feet, or the split-screen effect in which they perform a perfectly synchronized number with each in a different setting. Kelly gets one of his big solo numbers, a kind of echo of the celebrated "Singin' in the Rain" routine, but this time on roller skates, and Dailey, Charisse, and Gray also have good solos. (Kidd, better known as choreographer than performer, got shorted.) I think one reason that It's Always Fair Weather may not have the reputation of the other MGM musicals of the period is that when it came time to release it on television, the big numbers had to be chopped up, panned-and-scanned for small TV screens. Fortunately, it works well letterboxed on today's bigger, wider screens.

[crowdvscritic]

round up // JUNE 22

Big action! Twisty plots! They can only mean one thing: summer. Big blockbusters are back in theaters, and so am I! This month’s list of recommendations is on the short side, but there are still top 10 picks, including three movies fresh to the big screen or streaming.

June Crowd-Pleasers

1. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

The kind of blockbuster that is making people who aren’t passionate about movies to become passionate about this movie. I’ve talked with many in the last few weeks who have said they haven’t seen or don’t like the 1986 Top Gun or action movies in general, but they all left in love with this sequel. As one who is passionate about movies and loves Top Gun, I also gotta say it took my breath away. Be sure to see it on the big screen for the ultimate thrill ride. Crowd: 10/10 // Critic: 8/10

2. Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)

Apparently Rescue Rangers was a TV show starring Chip and Dale in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s—that means nothing to me. What does mean something to me: John Mulaney and Andy Samberg teaming up to voice animated chipmunks and inviting their pals (like Will Arnett, Keegan Michael-Key, Chris Parnell, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, J.K. Simmons, and—wait, Steve Curtis Chapman?) to join this hilarious Who Framed Roger Rabbit?-style adventure. Now make Aunt-Man, you cowards! Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8/10

3. Double Feature—Police Action Thrillers: Chaos (2005) + Copshop (2021)

Fun fact about me: I’ll watch Jason Statham in pretty much anything, and…I’m pretty much on my way to doing that. Chaos (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 6/10) is one of the most watchable action B-movies he’s been in (and believe me, “watchable” is higher praise for his canon than you’d think—you can only remake The Italian Job so many times). Statham, Ryan Phillippe, and Wesley Snipes lead a twisty bank robbery plot that may surprise you even with its hackneyed setup. That’s also true for Copshop (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10), which is a twisty prison break plot Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo, and Alexis Louder turn into something fun. Pair these movies together for an afternoon of action comfort food.

4. Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

Look, we can sit around and pick at its flaws, but that is not this review. Here are three things I loved about this movie (which is part of a franchise you know I love):

Dominion is by far the most intellectually curious of the World movies, asking big questions about ethics in science, how we cope with impending disaster, and our responsibility to each other. These are all-time questions but feel especially relevant to our time in how they're presented, and I don’t think any Jurassic movie has been this curious since ’93.

It reunited my Avengers (Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill) and gave them appropriate and consistent arcs for each of them, not just cameos! Even better, it let Goldblum be Goldblum, which was my biggest wish for this movie.

It featured some of the most fun set pieces of the World series: That chase in Malta! A triple giant dino fight! Scary locust! Even better, homages to the past and the fresh-to-the-franchise ideas were in balance.

Maybe another day I will write about the things that did not work, but I'm still reveling in the Dern and dinos at the moment. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10

5. Runaway Jury (2003)

2003: My dad dragged me to see this in theaters though I insisted I wasn't interested. To this day it is still only one of two movies I've ever fallen asleep during at the cinema. (The other was Master and Commander, which I did want to see. Apparently 2003 was a bad year for holding my attention.)

Father's Day 2022: Finally finished it with Dad! Though I’m feeling validated this movie was not for a pre-teen me, it’s quite fun for adults who understand of how juries work. Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman are competing to chew the most scenery, and John Cusack and Rachel Weisz may or may not be your classic John Grisham heroes to root for in this twisty conspiracy plot. PSA: I am ready for John Cusack to make a comeback at anytime. If you have any influence in the matter, I appreciate you using it to make whatever we're watching better. All team-ups with Joan welcome. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8/10

June Critic Picks

1. It’s Always Fair Weather (1953)

I don’t care what you say—Gene Kelly’s tap dance in roller skates here confirms my love for the terrible-yet-delightful Xanadu. The Turner Classic Movies intro informed me this was pitched as a sequel to On the Town but was reworked when Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin were unavailable. Knowing this does make me wish the OG team could’ve reunited for that vision—the other two guys felt like filler, not like a part of a true ensemble—but I’m such a sucker for Kelly and Cyd Charisse that their dancing and the fun premise covers those weaknesses. Crowd: 7/10 // Critic: 7.5/10

2. And the Oscar Goes to… Podcast

TCM host Jacqueline Stewart is putting together a podcast about pivotal Oscar ceremonies? You don’t have to tell me twice to subscribe. Listen for insight on how the Academy Awards overlap with politics, social change, the history of film in in 1940, 1957, 1973, 2002, and more.

3. Margin Call (2011)

I can’t pretend I understand all the economic, um, stuff in this inspired-by-the-2008-financial-collapse drama, but I do understand the power of a top-notch cast to create suspense even with a clueless audience. Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, and more will get you invested even if you’re like me and have zero interest in Wall Street. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10 

4. Good Reads

A miscellaneous Round Up of links that appeared in my inbox and Twitter feed I’m happy to put in yours.

“The Jonas Brothers Are 'Better' Than They've Ever Been: 'We're Having the Time of Our Lives,’” People.com (2022) - I’ve never felt more seen than when People listed 100 reasons to love American and made the Jonas Brothers #1 

“The 25 Most Quintessential 1980s Soundtracks, From Top Gun and Footloose to Do the Right Thing and Repo Man,” Variety.com (2022) - Because no other decade has done soundtracks like the ‘80s 

“A New Golden Age Emerges for O.G. Film Stars,” HollywoodReporter.com (2022) - A follow-up of my recommendations of Top Gun: Maverick and Jurassic World Dominion 

“Labor Exploitation, Explained by Minions,” Vox.com (2022) - This is a little ridiculous—few things in life deserve to be analyzed less than the Minions—but it’s so well-written I couldn’t help but get a kick out of it 

“What Would You Like to Know?” Vulture.com (2022) - You know I wouldn’t scroll past a Joe Alwyn profile 

“I’m Not Afraid of Stephen King Books Because I Know Maine Isn’t Real,” McSweeneys.net (2022) 

“The Lord of the Rings Hobbit Stars Reunite for 'Smash It Out of the Park' Dinner,” EW.com (2022) - My heart!

5. Letter From an Unknown Woman (1948)

Joan Fontaine strikes again! Here she’s a lovesick groupie of a handsome pianist (Louis Jourdan) who basically wills a relationship with him into existence. It’s a tragic romance that will make you swoon over their affair and the gowns. Another entry on my Letterboxd list “’40s Gals Just Trying to Live Their Best Lives BUT SOCIETY.” Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10

Also this June…

My Best Picture Project continues slowly but surely with How Green Was My Valley, aka the film that beat Citizen Kane for Best Picture. If this kind of movie isn’t your cup of tea, this especially slow-paced drama won’t be for you. But if historical family dramas make you feel warm and cozy, it’s worth checking out. Read my Crowd and Critic reviews.

On SO IT’S A SHOW?, Kyla and I released a new episode the HBO sitcom(?) The Comeback. What real life lawsuit may have inspired a storyline on the show? Is it possible for a show to be cringier than the character of April Nardini on Gilmore Girls? (Spoiler alert: Yes.) And what on Earth is the “that” no one wants to see? Get the documentary crew ready to follow us on our journey!

And in ep. 123, Lorelai is comparing Rory’s new apartment to an Irish memoir and a ‘70s sitcom—you know, like you do all the time. How were we introduced to these references by two modern sitcoms? What do Harry Potter actors have to do with Angela’s Ashes? Can you still go to the Sanford and Son junkyard? And are Rory’s new digs with Paris really as bad as the homes Lorelai is referencing?

[whatamigonnawatchtoday]

It's Always Fair Weather

1955. Satirical Musical

By Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen

Starring: Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Dolores Gray, Michael Kidd, David Burns, Jay C. Flippen, Steve Mitchell, Hal March, Paul Maxey, Peter Leeds, Alex Gerry, Madge Blake, Wilson Wood...

Country: United States

Language: English

[fabiansociety]

the criterion channel has an MGM musical collection that they're featuring for december, and it's a very odd collection of movies, with an equally odd video essay introducing them. the movies aren't bad, but they're very focused on judy garland and gene kelly's lesser known work—so they've got For Me and My Gal and The Harvey Girls but not, say, Singin' In The Rain; It's Always Fair Weather and not On the Town.

there's some good stuff in there, but it feels like they threw this category together to highlight movies they already had in the collection rather than because those movies made a coherent or essential group. Summer Stock is in here! I like Judy Garland, but it's such an inessential film that the film essayist doesn't even mention it. he goes on about Meet Me In Saint Louis at length instead, which i can't fault, but you can't *watch* Meet Me In Saint Louis on the criterion channel

still, though; it might get more people to watch It's Always Fair Weather, and that's never a bad thing

[mydarkmaterials]

[fritzes]

the amount of respect I have for andy roddick only grows every day

[anamericansinger]

.

[variousqueerthings]

cannot believe a movie from 1955 isnt on any streaming or torrenting or archiving space i know, im being bullied by the internet

[mostlydaydreaming]

Cyd Charisse & Gene Kelly in Its Always Fair Weather (1955)

[playitagin]

2008-Cyd Charisse

Cyd Charisse (born Tula Ellice Finklea; March 8, 1922 – June 17, 2008)[1][2] was an American dancer and actress.

musicalfilm

[lesbiancolumbo]

@redactedmatopoeia i tried to send this to you via ask but you can't link videos in there. anyways have you seen this one...... cyd and i cannot stress this enough charisse

[tomsmusictaste]