It's Always Fair Weather (1955)

Directors:

Stanley Donen
Gene Kelly

Writers:

Betty Comden (story) and
Adolph Green (story)

Release Date:

2 September 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy | Musical

Plot:

Three soldiers meet 10 years after their last meeting in New York again, and find out, that they have litte in common now.

Plot Keywords:

Bar | Friendship | Gangster | Trapdoor | Face Punch

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Gene Kelly	...	Ted Riley
Dan Dailey	...	Doug Hallerton
Cyd Charisse	...	Jackie Leighton
Dolores Gray	...	Madeline Bradville
Michael Kidd	...	Angie Valentine
David Burns	...	Tim
Jay C. Flippen	...	Charles Z. Culloran

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System) (35 mm optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System) (35 mm magnetic prints)

Certification:

Australia:G | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:S

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

From the André Previn, Betty Comden and Adolph Green score, three numbers have been restored on the DVD from Warner Home Video: footage of a Gene Kelly-Cyd Charisse comic-hoofing duet, "Love Is Nothing but a Racket;" film of Michael Kidd entertaining his three movie kids with "Jack and the Space Giants;" and audio of Dolores Gray's "I Thought They Would Never Leave." Also included as a DVD extra is some previously unseen material from the famed garbage-pale dance, "The Binge," teaming Kelly, Kidd and Dan Dailey.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the opening montage of the three soldiers returning home in 1945 after the war, there is a shot of an ocean liner in New York harbor. The ship is the Italian liner Andrea Doria, which did not make its maiden voyage until 1953 (and which sank after a collision in 1956). Also, if the Doria is meant to be the ship the men are returning home on, it is facing the wrong way, headed out of the harbor instead of into it.

Quotes:

Doug Hallerton: There must be some more dignified way to sell Klenzrite... like you, taking a bath in it, stark naked in Macy's window.

Movie Connections:

References I Dream of Jeanie (1952)

Soundtrack:

Saturation-Wise

"I Like Myself": Well, I Liked Everybody ELSE.

I found this movie to be pretty entertaining, but it needed a bit more of the supporting players and a LOT less of Gene Kelly. I've never found him that appealing, and it doesn't surprise me that he ordered the removal of amazing dancer Michael Kidd's solo number - and nearly did the same to Dan Dailey. I'm glad Donen prevailed and Dailey's number stayed in; he's a pleasure to watch. Most song-and-dance men are small, wiry fellows; it is SO nice to see a big, tall man who can dance with the best of them. In the "Up In Smoke" number, I noticed that his timing was right in tune with Kidd's; it was Kelly who was out of sync. As for the women: Dolores Gray's parody of a "Queen- for- a- Day" type host was simply FABULOUS - you can't play that kind of a character straight! - but Cyd Charisse seemed out of place as the program director. (Maybe I've got too strong a memory of her as the slinky siren in "Singin' in the Rain"?) Finally I've never liked the dance number on roller skates, however difficult it might be: Kelly is supposed to be crowing about the girl, but instead he's singing a valentine to HIMSELF. I'm glad you like yourself, Gene; I'm going to rewind to Dan Dailey's "Situation-Wise".