It's Always Fair Weather (1955)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

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 | Gangster | Friendship | Ceiling Light Fixture | Post WWII

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Betty Arlen	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Phil Arnold	...	Butch - Assistant at Stillman's Gym (uncredited)
Sybil Bacon	...	Woman on Skates (uncredited)
Al Bain	...	Fighter (uncredited)
Jimmy Baird	...	Child Dancer (uncredited)
Tom Bernard	...	Page (uncredited)
Madge Blake	...	Mrs. Stamper (uncredited)
Eugene Borden	...	Italian Chef (uncredited)
Sven Hugo Borg	...	Svenson - Masseur (uncredited)
Paul Bryar	...	Carl (maitre d' at the Torquoise) (uncredited)
Benny Burt	...	Larry - Costumer (uncredited)
Jimmy Casino	...	Boy on Skates (uncredited)
John Cliff	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Linda Danson	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Gary Diamond	...	Child Dancer (uncredited)
Marietta Elliott	...	Wife (uncredited)
Alex Gerry	...	Mr. Stamper (uncredited)
Frank Gerstle	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Culloran's thug (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Street Extra. Roller Skating Number (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Charlie's Henchman (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Father in Montage / Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Johnny Kern	...	Mug (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Costume company manager (uncredited)
Henry Kulky	...	Drunk in Bar (uncredited)
Peter Leeds	...	Mr. Trasker (uncredited)
Luana Lee	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Lou Lubin	...	Lefty Louie, Gym Trainer (uncredited)
Herbert Lytton	...	Doctor at Fight Weigh-In (uncredited)
Hal March	...	Rocky Heldon (uncredited)
Nancy Matthews	...	Child Dancer (uncredited)
Paul Maxey	...	Mr. Fielding (uncredited)
Frank Mitchell	...	Taxicab Driver (uncredited)
Steve Mitchell	...	Kid Mariacchi (uncredited)
Ben Moselle	...	Mug (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Street Extra, Roller Skating Number (uncredited)
Frank Nelson	...	Midnight with Madeleine Announcer (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Christian Pasques	...	Child Dancer (uncredited)
Gerald Pierce	...	Page (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Party waiter (uncredited)
Almira Sessions	...	Longwood House manager (uncredited)
Jeanne Shores	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Dick Simmons	...	Mr. Grigman (uncredited)
Ralph Smiley	...	Waiter (uncredited)
J. Lewis Smith	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Gloria Stone	...	Wife (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Georgie (Kid Mariachi's handler) (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Renata Vanni	...	Mother (uncredited)
Herb Vigran	...	Nashby ('Sports Herald' reporter) (uncredited)
Tito Vuolo	...	Silvio (uncredited)
Jeri Weil	...	Child Dancer (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Butch McSween (uncredited)
Terry Wilson	...	Charlie's Henchman (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Roy (TV director) (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Donen
Gene Kelly

Writing credits
Betty Comden		(story and screenplay) and
Adolph Green		(story and screenplay)

Produced by
Arthur Freed	....	producer
Roger Edens	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Robert J. Bronner		(director of photography) (as Robert Bronner)

Film Editing by
Adrienne Fazan

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons
Arthur Lonergan

Set Decoration by
Hugh Hunt
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Helen Rose

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair styles
William Tuttle	....	makeup creator

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Jennings	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Wesley C. Miller	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects
Irving G. Ries	....	special effects

Editorial Department
Alvord Eiseman	....	color consultant

Music Department
Jeff Alexander	....	vocal supervisor
Stanley Donen	....	musical numbers
Gene Kelly	....	musical numbers
André Previn	....	conductor
André Previn	....	music arranger
Robert Tucker	....	vocal supervisor
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Stanley Donen	....	dances by
Gene Kelly	....	dances by

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (made by) (as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)

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:

Betty Comden and Adolph Green originally conceived this musical as a sequel to their smash, On the Town (1949), having the new film reunite Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin. The concept was changed somewhat because was Mr. Sinatra was unavailable to reprise his role.

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:

Jackie Leighton: But, Ted, aren't you in terrible danger?
Ted Riley: Yeah. Yeah, I'm in terrible danger. I'm in danger of believing that look on your face.

Movie Connections:

Featured in That's Dancing! (1985)

Soundtrack:

Saturation-Wise

"Boys, don't be like me, live clean, use Klenzrite."

It's Always Fair Weather has a somewhat ironic title, because it's not like most every other M-G-M musical in that things don't always turn out perfectly. I believe that its darker-than-average humour (for that time at least) contributed to its being ahead of its time. For instance, the plot has to do with a friendship not being the same after ten years, a boxing match being fixed, a jaded woman (Charisse), a corporation sell-out (Dailey), and a "small-time operator" (Kelly). The numbers, though, are typically excellent, particularly the dance in the beginning where the trio is drunk, Cyd's Baby You Knock Me Out, and Kelly's famous I Like Myself, in which he tap dances on rollerskates! Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen's choreography is nothing short of dazzling. And yes, Gene's smile could still melt stone. Cyd Charisse is great and beautiful as always, too bad she had only one number. So go see It's Always Fair Weather, just don't expect anything real fluffy.