Royal Wedding (1951)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writers:

Alan Jay Lerner (story)
Alan Jay Lerner (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 March 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Plot:

Tom and Ellen Bowen are a brother and sister dance act whose show closes in New York. Their agent books...

Plot Keywords:

Dance | Royal Wedding | Dancing | Wedding | Steamship

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Fred Astaire	...	Tom Bowen
Jane Powell	...	Ellen Bowen
Peter Lawford	...	Lord John Brindale
Sarah Churchill	...	Anne Ashmond
Keenan Wynn	...	Irving Klinger / Edgar Klinger
Albert Sharpe	...	James Ashmond
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bea Allen	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Wilson Benge	...	Eddie (uncredited)
Margaret Bert	...	Ellen's maid (uncredited)
Francis Bethencourt	...	Charles Gordon (uncredited)
William Cabanne	...	Dick (uncredited)
Andre Charisse	...	Steward (uncredited)
Mae Clarke	...	Telephone operator #1 (uncredited)
Carmen Clifford	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Royal Attendant (uncredited)
Oliver Cross	...	Backstage guest (uncredited)
Joan Dale	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Jack Daley	...	Pop (uncredited)
Italia DeNubila	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Helen Dickson	...	Woman in Carriage with Lord John (uncredited)
Marietta Elliott	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Royal Attendant (uncredited)
James Fairfax	...	Harry (uncredited)
James Finlayson	...	Cabby (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Backstage guest (uncredited)
Alex Frazer	...	Chester (Tom's valet) (uncredited)
Jack Gargan	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Shirley Glickman	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Betty Hannon	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Jean Harrison	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Doreen Hayward	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
John Hedloe	...	Billy (uncredited)
James Horne Jr.	...	Young man (uncredited)
Marian Horosko	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Wendy Howard	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Tommy Hughes	...	Singing man (uncredited)
Charlotte Hunter	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Lucille Lamarr	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Janet Lavis	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Virginia Lee	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Judy Lenson	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Henri Letondal	...	Purser (uncredited)
Richard Lupino	...	Singing elevator boy (uncredited)
Stanley Mann	...	Cab driver (uncredited)
Svetlana McLe	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Sheila Meyers	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Phyllis Morris	...	Singing woman (uncredited)
Leonard Mudie	...	Singing doorman (uncredited)
Kerry O'Day	...	Linda (uncredited)
Jetsy Parker	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Onlooker on Street (uncredited)
Albert Pollet	...	Steward (uncredited)
John R. Reilly	...	Pete Cumberly (uncredited)
Shirley Jean Rickert	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Viola Roache	...	Sarah Ashmond (uncredited)
Pat Simms	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Military Officer on Street (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	Singing bobby (uncredited)
Dee Turnell	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Dorothy Tuttle	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Joan Vohs	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Dorothea Ward	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Pat Williams	...	Barbara (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Toasting drinker at bar (uncredited)
Helen Winston	...	Telephone operator #2 (uncredited)
Doris Wolcott	...	Dancer in Haiti number (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Drinker (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Donen

Writing credits
Alan Jay Lerner		(story)
Alan Jay Lerner		(screenplay)

Produced by
Arthur Freed	....	producer

Original Music by
Burton Lane
Albert Sendrey		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Robert H. Planck		(director of photography) (as Robert Planck)

Film Editing by
Albert Akst

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair designer
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer (as William J. Tuttle)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arvid Griffen	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Alfred E. Spencer	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Music Department
Johnny Green	....	musical director
Skip Martin	....	orchestrator
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator
Robert Franklyn	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Nick Castle	....	dances by
James Gooch	....	technicolor color consultant
Henri Jaffa	....	technicolor color consultant
Marilyn Christine	....	dance assistant (uncredited)
Dave Robel	....	dance assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1979) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• United American Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Inspired Productions (1996) (UK) (VHS)
• Parade Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Hollywood Classics (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Simitar Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• United American Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• United American Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• BCI Eclipse (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Simitar Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Take 2 Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Platinum Disc (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Omega Productions (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• BFS Entertainment & Multimedia Limited (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Bridgestone Multimedia (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Gotham Distribution (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Gotham Distribution (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• Inspired Productions (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Peter Pan Industries (PPI) (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Vidtape (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Emerald (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Passport Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Punto Zero (2008) (Italy) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)

Other Companies

• Western Electric  sound system

Also Known As:

Wedding Bells (UK)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Charles Walters was originally signed to direct the film, but he quit when Judy Garland replaced June Allyson, as he refused to work with Garland again after Summer Stock (1950).

Quotes:

James Ashmond: Do I look like a gentleman?
Tom Bowen: You look like a banker.
James Ashmond: But do I look like a gentleman?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Great Muppet Caper (1981)

Soundtrack:

YOU'RE ALL THE WORLD TO ME

You must see these great dancing sequences...

Of course, there is Fred Astaire's delightful, legendary, innovative dance on the ceiling and his dance with a hatrack in the gym, both of which are great. But then there are also his delightful partnerings with Jane Powell, playing his Adele Astaire-esque sister and dancing partner. These include the opening number, "Every Night At Seven," their cute little attempt to dance aboard a rocky boat, and the dynamite "How Could You Believe Me, etc." AND "I Left My Hat in Haiti." Powell, known mostly for her operetic soprano that never quite seems to match her speaking voice, (and which can also be heard in a few forgettable songs here) rivals Ginger Rogers in her ability to keep up with Astaire and match him every step of the way. Not to be missed if you love musicals, dancing in musicals, and/or Fred Astaire dancing in musicals.

As for the rest of the film, the plot is thin as expected but breezes along smoothly. The characterizations of the English are silly caricatures. (Alan Jay Lerner wrote the screenplay and lyrics, but remember, this was five years before "My Fair Lady") Keenan Wynn does okay with the double role of an American agent and his British twin counterpart, though. Peter Lawford is Powell's English honey bun. (In real life, Adele Astaire did leave dancing when she married an English lord) And yes, that is Sarah Churchill, Winston's daughter, as about the only romantic partner of Fred's on film that was his own age.