Daddy Long Legs

 

 

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I'm currently on a kick to buy all of my all time favorite romantic movies and this is definitely one of them. I fell in love with this movie when I was a kid and have enjoyed watching it ever since. The dancing -- how could it not be great with Astaire and Caron? The music -- two fabulous songs came out of this movie: "Dream" and "Something's Gotta Give." The incomparable Thelma Ritter adds her wonderful presence. (Watching this film again, I suddenly realized that three of my favorite movies have her as a supporting player: Daddy Long Legs, All About Eve and Pillow Talk). And there's a wonderful dance sequence at the college gym called "Slue Foot."
If you are an Astaire fan or a fan of great musicals, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

Daddy Long Legs(released May/55) is a smart film that turns what could have had a very lecherous overtone of a plot into a winner in the home stretch.Astaire's 24 year old co-star,Leslie Caron, stars in her eighth American film and contributes more to the acting sequences than the dancing ones.
The story involves a rich American industrialist by the name of Jervis Pendleton III(Astaire).He is a rather distracted person with his love of dancing and music,which often gets under the skin of his assistant Griggs(Fred Clark), who tries to keep his empire running as smoothly as possible.On a diplomatic mission to Paris with others,the car they are in gets stuck.Jervis wanders off to get help and comes upon an orphanage.While there he is struck by the charm and exuberance of a teenage girl by the name of Julie Andre(Caron).He confronts the American ambassador with a plan to adopt the girl and to bring her to the States to be educated.The ambassador questions his real motivations and a compromise is reached when it is agreed just to sponsor her;a less offending and questionable course of action.Of course Jervis's motives ARE strictly honourable and it is set up that the only interaction he will have with the girl is to receive regular correspondence from her regarding her school work.Andre is of course ecstatic and attends a college in Massachusetts that the Pendletons have sponsored for years.She does well with her studies and sends Jervis regular letters;none of which get answered.Griggs has been intercepting them and giving them to his secretary Alicia(Thelma Ritter)who reads them and dutifully files them away.When Alicia can't take the poor Julie's feelings of rejection anymore she pressures Griggs who in turn finally talks with Jervis.Jervis who had completely forgotten about his charge finally sits down to read the letters.He is touched and attends the college under the pretense of visiting his niece,who is Julie's roommate.They get to dance together and Jervis by nights end is quite taken with her.When she graduates he sets her up in a penthouse apartment in Manhattan.Everything is quite platonic but the feelings between the two are obviously growing.The American ambassador from the beginning of the film happens to over hear and misconstrue a conversation the two are having on their terrace.He calls Jervis and confronts him about what he heard.Even though it was innocent Jervis finally realizes what it looks like and agrees to stop things before they go any further.He travels the world but Julie follows his every move,clipping newspapers.Still not knowing that Jervis is really her "Daddy Long Legs"/benefactor she again writes to him urgently for advice.Alicia can take no more and brings Julie back to NYC to see Jervis in person.Jervis realizes he can't fight what he feels any longer and agrees to see her.Julie is taken aback in that first moment but soon realizes things couldn't be better.The movie ends with the two embraced.
Filming started in early /54 only to be sidelined due to the death of his beloved wife Phyllis.Astaire wanted out of the project but it was agreed to postpone the filming for a few months to let him grieve.Astaire finally came back but still very much upset.He made it through the film and thankfully his dancing does not suffer in the least.He has a great moment near the beginning of the film where he is drumming to some bigband music(very proficiently I might add) and he does a nice routine away from the drum kit with drum sticks in hand.He next becomes a dream like representation of what Julie thinks an American millionaire would look like.Astaire is in a Texas outfit c/w hat and boots and his singing is overdubbed by the venerable talent of Thurl Ravenscroft(Tony the Tiger).Astaire then does a high energy kick up your heels swing dance with Caron and other dancers in the "Slu-Foot" number.Finally he sings his famous"Something's Gotta Give" to Caron,quite reminiscent of his Ginger days.Leslie Caron was discovered by Fred's friend Gene Kelly and the latter starred her in An American in Paris four years before,so Fred asked for her for this project.Caron had(dance wise)more of a ballet background and the musical numbers were geared to reflect that.Caron had trouble with some of the routines and conquered it through constant rehearsal.The trouble I found is her dancing generally comes off as quite stiff and uninspiring.She has an an entire 12 minute sequence in which to shine and the results are disappointing,to say the least.Her best moments come with Astaire in the "Slu-foot" number and in the finale of the film.It is evident the studio was trying to highlight Caron but a sequence like Caron thinking about her "Daddy Long Legs" at a blackboard at the orphanage are flat and could easily have been cut(with her ballet number)with no harm to the film whatsoever.
Costar Fred Clark as always provides good support in his role as Griggs,the over worked and frustrated secretary to Jervis.Thelma Ritter as Griggs' assistant Alicia also has some good moments on screen to help things along.
The movie I would give about a 3 1/2 star rating to.However the technical department is the area this particular release really shines in and bumps the rating up to a solid four.The 2:55:1 aspect ratio along with the absolute pristine and gorgeous transfer evident here is something to behold.It is absolutely gorgeous to look at.The DVD comes with some nice extras:there is additional commentary by Ken Barnes,Astaire's daughter Eva and songwriter Johnny Mercer,Fox movietone news footage of the Hollywood,New York and London premieres of the movie,still photos,the trailer and four repro lobby cards of the film.The DVD itself is in its own case and it is in turn covered by another matching outer sleeve.This is prevalent amongst Fox's recent "Marquee Musicals" collection series.
Finally,while the movie itself would only rate between 3 and four stars,the extras and print here bump it up to a solid four.The film can be uneven at times,due mainly to sequences unfortunately involving Astaires co star Leslie Caron.Astaire suffered personally through this film but his anguish does not come across on screen and his dancing is up to his usual standards.I can recommend this film and Astaire fans will find more than a few satisfying moments to relish.

Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron are wonderful in this film. They dance so beautifully and make a wonderful couple. Leslie's cotumes ar ebeautiful and elegant. It's a great story as well.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Enormously enjoyable Astaire musical
Fred Astaire made over thirty musicals, beginning with a brief role in DANCING LADY and ending in FINIAN'S RAINBOW, and this one is far from his best, but it does contain many... Read more

Published on Dec 27 2002 by Robert Moore

3.0 out of 5 stars When an irresistible force, such as Fred Astaire
meets an old immovable object like the average 20th Century Fox musical, something does give, at least for the three or four minutes it takes for Astaire and Leslie Caron to sing... Read more

Published on Jun 24 2002

4.0 out of 5 stars Yes, there's an age difference, but....
Fred Astaire has never been a dirty old man-- at least not on screen!! Though he was indeed 56 years old here and Caron was 22 years old (and playing 18), the film's approach to... Read more

Published on April 9 2002 by Chris Aldridge

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny, great, and nice movie....you should watch it!
Daddy Long Legs is a funny movie with ballet and tapdancing. (although not that many)The two main characters are Fred Astair and Leslie Caron. Read more

Published on Jan 2 2002 by RiMi

3.0 out of 5 stars A Dancin' Dirty Old Man?
You know, when I was a kid and first saw this on "Movie in the Morning", I just didn't like it; don't know why, just didn't. Well, the other night, I rented it. Read more

Published on Nov 30 2001 by Linda McDonnell

5.0 out of 5 stars A great film!
I highly recommend this film. It is very entertainng,
and has some great song and dance numbers.

Published on Nov 18 2001 by Rosella Ann Myles

4.0 out of 5 stars Stunningly Sweet
This stunningly sweet story will dazzle you and sweep you off your feet with romance, comedy, and beauty. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll always come back for more.

Published on Aug 17 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Fred's best post-Ginger movie
I realize that many Fred Astaire fans may not agree that DADDY LONG LEGS is his best film made without Ginger Rogers. But I stand by that opinion. Read more

Published on Feb 12 2001 by David J. Kucharski

3.0 out of 5 stars Forget the plot, enjoy the dances and music
This is Fred Astaire's only movie for 20th Century-Fox. He plays a millionaire who becomes secret benefactor to a French orphan (Leslie Caron) by sending her to an American... Read more

Published on May 4 2000 by Allen Smalling

4.0 out of 5 stars underated Astaire
This is probably one of Astairs most underated musicals. Sure it's "OLD FASHIONED", but it's charming none-the-less. Read more

Published on Sep 19 1999

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