Easter Parade

Hewes is in love with his dance partner Nadine Hale (Ann Miller), so he is distraught when she tells him that she has signed a contract to star in her own show. Hewes seeks comfort at a local club, where he drowns his sorrows and swears that he can take any young lady and turn her into a magnificent dancer, even someone like Hannah Brown (Judy Garland), one of the club's chorus girls. The following morning, he regrets asking Hannah to be his new partner, but when she shows up saying she quit her job to accept his offer, he has little choice but to fulfill his promise to her. Things don't go smoothly at first, as Hannah sometimes struggles to remember her left from her right, and Hewes tries to make a ballroom dancer out of her. Eventually, he figures out that he is trying to turn Hannah into another Nadine, and once he lets Hannah be Hannah the duo quickly becomes quite successful. Hannah, of course, falls in love with Hewes, and she is greatly troubled when Hannah & Hewes cross paths with the celebrated Nadine Hale. When Hannah learns that Nadine was Hewes' former partner as well as a woman he loved, she fears for her happiness as well as her career. Hewes did indeed start out hoping he could use Hannah to make Nadine jealous and thus win her back, but Hannah becomes more than his partner as the months go by. This romance doesn't come easy for either party, for a number of reasons, but their story is really quite wonderful.

Easter Parade is a joyous and uplifting film that showcases Garland's incredible acting ability and talent. The story is great, but the songs and dances are the most memorable aspects of the film. Astaire makes everything look easy, and the man can do more with a cane than I would ever have thought possible. Aside from his numerous routines with Garland, Astaire knocks the viewer dead with his solo "Steppin' Out With My Baby" number - famous for its "slow motion" dance which is still mighty cool no matter how unreal it looks in this day and age. Judy Garland is delightful through and through and lends her voice to many a beautiful song over the course of the film. She was not born to be a dancer, but she more than holds her own beside Fred Astaire, and one can only admire the level of commitment she brought with her to this film. "A Couple of Swells" is a particularly unforgettable number featuring the tandem of Astaire and Garland. Lest we forget Ann Miller, I have to say her two big dance numbers are amazing, especially the highly energetic "Shakin' the Blues Away." I wish I could describe all of the amazing performances in this movie, but I would need much more time and space to do so.

Easter Parade is, quite simply, one of the most impressive and entertaining movie musicals ever made. Garland and Astaire are magical in this, the only movie they made together, and the age difference between the two stars completely disappears when they are together, thus making the romantic aspect of this film work very well indeed. I've seen Easter Parade a number of times, and I think my level of enjoyment actually increases with each and every viewing.