You'll Never Get Rich

I'm one of those for whom a second tier Fred Astaire film is still more enjoyable than just about anything without him. And there is no question that Fred is at his best in this one. Unfortunately, he just isn't given first-rate musical material around which to wrap his massive dancing abilities. His partner is the extraordinarily capable Rita Hayworth, who spent her teenage years as her father's dance partner in the years when she was both abused by him and when she looked completely Hispanic (plastic surgery, skin lightening, and dying her hair transformed Rita Cansino into Rita Hayworth). They really do make a nice couple, though Fred had the rare ability to make almost anyone look like they were born to dance with him.

The plot is fairly silly, but anyone who loves thirties and forties movies knows when to cut a film a bit of slack. The cast is not outstanding beyond Fred and Rita, with the notable exception of Robert Benchley. This was actually a crucial point in Benchley's career. He had throughout the thirties maintained a dual movie career as the star of a string of hysterically funny one reelers, in which Benchley instructed the public on "How to" do things, such as "How to Vote" or "How to Read." He actually made one of the first talking shorts still to be seen occasionally, "The Sex Life of a Polyp" (1928, a short that obviously couldn't have been made after 1934 and the imposition of the Code). Benchley also made a host of appearances in rather unimportant films during the decade. Starting with Hitchcock's FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, however, Benchley began appearing in much higher quality films, including such gems as THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR (in which he plays Ginger Rogers's nemesis) and I MARRIED A WITCH. Unfortunately, he died in 1945.

The film was also extremely crucial for the career of Fred Astaire. He had ended his mythic partnership with Ginger Rogers only two years earlier, and his two following films were both disappointments. SECOND CHORUS was probably the worst film in Astaire's career, and BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940, while containing many wonderful moments, teamed him with legendary tap dancer Eleanor Powell. Emending my statement above, these two did not mesh as dance partners. Powell was too individual a performer, and excelled as a solo dancer, not as part of a team. They also failed to generate any romantic chemistry. YOU'LL NEVER GET RICH, while not a massive success, nonetheless reestablished him as a romantic dance star, and made six more films before his "retirement" in 1946 (he broke it as a favor to Gene Kelly in 1948 when Kelly broke his leg and was unable to film EASTER PARADE--the film "unretired" Astaire and he went on to make ten more musicals before retiring as a dancer).

So, this won't be the greatest musical anyone has ever seen, but it certainly won't be the worst. No Astaire fan would dare to miss it.

You'll Never Get Rich(released Sept/41)is a better than average vehicle for Mr.Astaire,and is one of two films he would make for Columbia and with the same artist,Rita Hayworth.After having just finished working with the Artie Shaw band and Burgess Meredith in Second Chorus,he was on hiatus and out playing golf when three offers came in,two from Columbia(this and You Were Never Lovelier) and one from Paramount,Holiday Inn.Upon "Rich's" release the film did great box office and assuaged "moaning minnie"(Fred's sister Adele's 'endearing' term for her brother)that all was still good in the Astaire universe.
The plot involves Astaire as dancer Robert Curtis who works for company owner Martin Cortland(the ever amusing Robert Benchley).Cortland has a wandering eye and his 15 year marriage is always a divorce away as he showers bauble's on every new chorus girl that catches his eye.Rita Hayworth as Sheila Withrop is just such a new dancer in the company and Cortland buys a bauble for her.However his wife,due to a flustered mix up of Cortland's own making,is on to his newest "tryst".His excuses t his wife are getting lamer and they are now starting to put Robert into harm's way.In fact when Robert is enlisted to help Cortland weasel his way out of his predicament with Sheila and wifey,Robert is eventually "threatened" with a gun by Sheila's boyfriend so Robert decides enough is enough and he enlists in the army.
Robert isn't exactly GI and gets on the wrong side of the sargent more often than not.One day he spies Sheila on the base and from then on he is hell bent on seeing her no matter the consequences.At one point he even goes to the extent of stealing a captains uniform and arriving at the home in which she is staying at in the camp.His act is soon outed as he finds out Sheila's boyfriend is a real captain.As a result of this and other faux pauxs he seems to spend more time in the guard house than out.Through it all the two fall in love,Robert of course before Sheila but Sheila comes on strong in the end.
Robert's old boss Cortland comes to the camp wanting to put a show on.Of course he enlists the aid of his old pal Robert...a for-free and talented performer.There is more,as Cortland has found a new ingenue and wants HER in the lead instead of Sheila.But Robert is insistent on Sheila and it is around this time Sheila has freely admitted her affection for Robert.But a bracelet in Robert's apartment off base(he has to go AWOL to get there)with the initials of Cortland's ingenue,is found by Sheila.She wants nothing to do with him from that moment and this infuriates Robert to do a little blackmailing of his own starting with sicking Cortland's wife on his old boss.
The big show comes and Robert,unbeknownst to Sheila,has planted a real preacher into the show to marry them.When Sheila finds out she is beside herself.In the end Cortland comes clean with what exactly has been going on,revealing to Sheila it was HE who planted the bracelet meant for the ingenue and that Robert had nothing to do with any of it.Robert and Sheila live happily ever after.
There is nothing terribly inspiring with the plot,but there are some good sight gags off and on and Rita and Fred have some good chemistry together.There is also nothing inspiring about the music either,coming from Cole porter no less,but Fred as always could sing the New York phone book and it would sound great.During their first meeting Rita was awfully shy about working with Mr Astaire and Fred put Rita at ease as much as he could,such as talking about her father who he knew from vaudeville.Fred would say later that Rita was one of the fastest on the uptake of all of his partner's when it came to learning a dance routine.A few rehearsals,a break for lunch and when they returned she would have it nailed.Rita was terribly shy off camera but Fred was amazed that when that camera rolled this alter ego,so to speak,popped out of her and she became the actress we all see now.It's what brought her to the attention of studio owner Cohn in the first place.It was a pleasant shoot all around and Fred enjoyed working with Robert Benchley too.The feeling was quite mutual.Watch for a cameo appearance by Buster Keaton's long time associate Harold Goodwin in the scene in the house where Astaire gets outed as not a real captain.
Technically speaking the movie is generally clear and crisp but the film does show its age and has a few rough spots throughout and needs a good remastering.Having said that,the film stock in the 40s during wartime was not of the highest grade and many films of this period have the same problems,especially graininess.There are no extras except the trailers.
All in all not a great Astaire entry but an above average film with lots of humour throughout,and as usual no one could touch the peerless Mr Astaire with his terpsichorean feats of wonder.The film did so well the second one with Hayworth was a natural result.Recommended.

"You'll Never Get Rich" is the first of two musicals Fred Astaire made with Columbia's resident bombshell - Rita Hayworth and although it's light, breezy and brimming to the ceiling with comedy and music - ironically, there's not much for the lovely Ms. Hayworth to do, except tap one solo and dance all too briefly in a contrived song with Astaire. The plot focuses on Astaire's employer - Robert Benchley, whose roving eye gets him in perpetual hot water with his wife. Currently, his eye is on Sheila (Hayworth). But an unlikely affair begins, then stops, then starts up again when Sheila realizes she's falling in love - not with Benchley, but Astaire. How's it end? - with music, fun and good humor; all main staples of the Hollywood film musical at its zenith.
TRANSFER: Well, considering the pure garbage Columbia has been giving classic film buffs of late (Talk of the Town, You Can't Take It With You, The Awful Truth) this DVD is looking pretty snappy! The gray scale is accurately rendered - though several scenes look as though second or third generation film elements were used instead of an original camera negative. There is a definite grain structure to this presentation. Apart from that, the usual aliasing, edge enhancement and pixelization that has accompanied many Columbia titles is thankfully absent herein. The audio is MONO but very nicely balanced and - for its vintage - natural sounding.
EXTRAS: ONLY A COUPLE OF THEATRICAL TRAILERS!!!
BOTTOM LINE: The follow up to this movie (You Were Never Lovelier) is far more engaging musical entertainment but this film showcases Astaire's tapping at some of its very best and it's refreshing to see the lovely Ms. Hayworth in fine comedic and dancing form! Recommended.