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You Were Never Lovelier

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You Were Never Lovelier(released Nov/42)stars Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth in their second and last collaboration together.It is a lovely and enchanting picture,filled with romance,a myriad of mix ups,with a boy meets girl,loses girl,regains girl and larger than life characters,more typical of an Astaire/Rogers film.I think it is the closest he would ever get to capturing that same kind of spark on film.In this one Rita now looks a little more confident than she did in You'll never Get Rich.
The plot involves hoofer Fred who has come to Buenos Aires for a change of scenery and to get a job at a club owned by one Eduardo Acuna.He can`t for the life of him get any alone time with Mr Acuna until a band leader friend of his working for the club(Xavier Cugat) gets him a job singing with the band.At the gig he goes outside for some fresh air as does Rita.It`s not love at first sight for either of them as Fred makes a disparaging remark about her father.He in turn returns inside to finally speak to Mr Acuna and says Rita acts like a cold refrigerator.How embarrassed he is when he is told she is his daughter.He`s just insulted two Acuna`s in one evening!
Fred the next day returns to Acuna`s office to apologize but still can`t get a foot in the door.When Acuna`s male receptionist leaves the room Acuna shouts out an order over the intercom to get a delivery boy to take some orchids to his home.Mr Acuna had just gotten one daughter recently married off and he has two younger daughters chomping at the bit to wed also,but Rita is holding up the works.Acuna is secretly writing love notes from an unknown admirer and sending them to his daughter along with orchids to get her in the mood.
Fred shakes his head and decides to do the job but when he does Rita takes him for her secret admirer and she falls hard for him.Fred has been ambivalent about Rita up until this but he is slowly starting to warm up to the idea of his love for her.We all know it`s inevitable and just a matter of time,all but Fred of course.Fred returns Acuna`s change to him and the two don`t exactly hit it off.
At home Acuna learns of Rita`s affections towards Fred.Acuna naturally wants what he thinks is best for her and Fred is not part of the deal.He persuades/leans on Fred to make himself uninteresting to her.The more Fred tries to cut things short the more the two get closer.One night at a party for Acuna`s 25th wedding anniversary,which Fred was invited to by Rita and her god mother,not by Acuna himself,Acuna and Fred have words in his home office.Acuna orders Fred to leave town the next day,which Fred reluctantly agrees is the best thing.The whole affair and mix ups have gotten to him anyways.Acuna says he will write a lovely farewell note to his daughter so at least his daughter won`t linger with a bad memory of Fred.
Fred leaves the office,but in the meantime his wife enters and overhears him talking back out loud what he just wrote in the note.Immediately she assumes he has had an affair with Rita`s godmother.All heck breaks loose as Acuna becomes coy,not wanting to reveal the truth in front of his daughter.Fred hears about the ruckus and goes back in to explain that the note was intended for his daughter and nothing more than that.Fred also plays it coy,getting Acuna out of a big jam but not letting the entire truth out about her fathers intentions nor his real feelings towards Rita.Rita walks out in disgust.
At a tete a`tete Fred and Acuna have later,Acuna has now finally reversed his feelings for him,for what he did for him.He now heartily approves of him staying and actively pursuing his daughter.With a little song,music and finally dancing Rita,is won over and the two live happily ever after.
The last dance number representing the two finally joining as one really cements the Astaire/Rogers feel of the film.Rita does a great job in her footwork with Fred and Fred has some terrific solo work off and on,especially his debut hoofing for Acuna in his office.I gasped,as Fred threw an umbrella perfectly against a wall which fell beautifully into a stand on the floor below.This trick would be used to greater effect later in Funny Face.Fred`s other co-star Adolphe Menjou is an absolute delight.Adolphe was a veteran of both silent and sound pictures and was always a great supporting actor in everything he did,and this is no exception.He brings just the right dynamic in his portrayal of the manipulative and domineering father.Tune smith Jerome Kern is on hand for the music but the only two memorable songs are I`m Old Fashioned and Dearly Beloved.Xavier Cugat and his band are on hand to provide more than enough Latin flavour for two movies.
Technically the film looks clear and crisp and in much better shape than the Astaire/Hayworth predecessor You`ll Never Get Rich.There are no extras.
All in all a very good film showing some of that Astaire/Rogers sparkle from less than 10 years before,with the same romanticism,plot and dancing one would expect from those films.This is the best of the two Rita/Fred collaborations.Recommended.4-4 1/2 stars.

After their resounding success in "You'll Never Get Rich" it remained kismet that Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth would reunite for another glossy film musical. The project; "You Were Never Lovelier" is a valiant successor to the aforementioned and, in truth, excels beyond the expectations of their previous venture. Astaire plays a penniless hoofer from New York who, through a series of mishaps, comes to the attention of Senior Acuna (Adolph Menjou) while on a vacation in Buenos Aires. Acuna has just married off his oldest daughter and, as his family tradition dictates, the rest of his daughters must get married in sequential order. The two youngest daughters are already fixed with a pair of tennis beaux, but the eldest unmarried daughter, Maria (Hayworth) is not only an ice princess of the highest order, but refuses to marry under any circumstance. That is, until she begins receiving orchids from an unknown admirer. The score by Jerome Kern is magnificent; the poignant 'Dearly Beloved', the jazzy 'Shorty George' and the classy 'I'm Old Fashion'. The latter two songs are danced by Astaire and Hayworth with such polish and finesse that it's impossible not to marvel at their grace and style.
THE TRANSFER: Outstanding. While "You'll Never Get Rich" suffered from an overall dated appearance, "You Were Never Lovelier" appears to have been the benefactor of a digital restoration at some point. It's black and white picture is stunning and smooth. There are brief and minor occasions where fine details slightly shimmer, but these do not distract from your visual pleasure. Fine detail is fully realized. There is a resounding absence of age related artifacts. Digital anomalies are not an issue. The audio is mono but exceptionally well balanced - at times sounding very close to having a stereo spread.
EXTRAS: Sorry, none!
BOTTOM LINE: "You Were Never Lovelier" has certainly never looked more lovely than in its DVD incarnation. An absolute must have for your library!

After their resounding success in "You'll Never Get Rich" it was kismet that Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth would reunite for another glossy film musical. The project; "You Were Never Lovelier" is a valiant successor to the aforementioned and, in truth, excels beyond the expectations of that previous venture. Astaire plays a penniless hoofer from New York who, through a series of mishaps, comes to the attention of South American tycoon, Senior Acuna (Adolph Menjou) while on a vacation in Buenos Aires. Acuna has just married off his oldest daughter and, as his family tradition dictates, the rest of his daughters must get married in sequential order. The two youngest daughters are already fixed with a pair of tennis beaux, but the eldest unmarried daughter, Maria (Hayworth) is not only an ice princess of the highest order, but refuses to marry under any circumstance. That is, until she begins receiving orchids from an unknown admirer.

The score by Jerome Kern is magnificent; the poignant `Dearly Beloved', the jazzy `Shorty George' and the classy `I'm Old Fashion'. The latter two songs are danced by Astaire and Hayworth with such polish and finesse that it's impossible not to marvel at their grace and style.

Columbia Tristar's transfer of "You Were Never Lovelier" is outstanding. While "You'll Never Get Rich" suffered from an overall dated appearance, "You Were Never Lovelier" appears to have been the benefactor of a digital restoration at some point. It's black and white picture is stunning and smooth. There are brief and minor occasions where fine details slightly shimmer, but these do not distract from your visual pleasure. Fine detail is fully realized. There is a resounding absence of age related artifacts. Digital anomalies are not an issue. The audio is mono but exceptionally well balanced - at times sounding very close to having a stereo spread.

EXTRAS: Sorry, none!

BOTTOM LINE: "You Were Never Lovelier" has certainly never looked more lovely than in its DVD incarnation. An absolute must have for your library!

I bought this film on laser disc years ago & have watched it at least a dozen times & never tire of watching it - from beginning to end. Starting with Jerome Kern's exquisite melodies (Dearly Beloved is one of those classics that was covered by just about every great jazz group), it's crammed with the finest talent Hollywood, in its prime, had to offer. Astaire never danced better - solo or with Rita. The number with the cane in Acuna's office is absolutely thrilling - hair-raising in its virtuosity & dexterity. I've repeated the Shorty George dance track a dozen times in a row. It gets better each time. Makes you want to dance. Rita really was never lovelier (no one was) - how could one woman be so regal & beautiful & sexy & a sensational dancer all at the same time? What else? Cugat's funny, his band is fabulous & you get to see him do one of his signature caricatures (of Menjou - another one they broke the mold of). It just doesn't get any better than this.

I think many people were surprised to learn that Hayworth, one of the screen's most beautiful pin-up girls, began as a dancer herself (and under a Latin name, yet). They were probably further surprised to learn that after Astaire and Rogers' stellar partnership, he would be able to find further success following the whirlwind RKO cycle. This movie, a Columbia baby rather than an RKO, comes awfully close to the same light and airy style of the earlier series- right down to the silky b/w photography. And the mistaken identity plot (SPOILER?!) does have an original flavor regarding the gimmick behind nightclub owner Adolphe Menjou: Hayworth plays his gorgeous daughter- the second oldest of four but the only one unattached, and the father's rule is that the girls marry in order of age. The oldest has just married, and Rita is next to be, but by refusing to fall in love under duress, she upsets the matrimonial apple cart. (The whole notion of her being 'frigid' or 'cold' is utter nonsense, but that was the Hollywood stereotype of an alluring and independent woman back then.) Enter Astaire, and some beautiful dance duets- including the tap-happy "Shorty George" and the stunning ballroom turn "I'm Old Fashioned (radiantly staged in a moonlit garden and showing Hayworth off in a fluid black evening gown.)" Hayworth certainly echoes the title of the film, and she and Astaire made for beautiful music in this second of their two films together.

I highly recommend this film. It has romance, drama, and some comedy. Also the dance number done by Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth are so beautiful. It's well worth seeing.

Musicals were very popular back in the 40's and this one is no exception. Flawless dancing and singing from beginning to end. The plot goes like this: Rita Hayworth's father wants his daughter to cheer up and starts sending her love letters, pretending he's a young man who is interested in her. Confussion follows and Fred Astaire, who works for Rita's father, is mistaken for the one writing the love letters. The trouble is, he soon finds himself falling in love with the young woman. Get this film on a cold, rainy day and it will brighten up your life!

If it were ever possible for audiences to forget that Fred Astaire ever graced the dance floor with Ginger Rogers, it would have to be the film "You Were Never Lovelier." Featuring the stunning Rita Hayworth, I believe it is the better of the Astaire/Hayworth collaborations, the other being "You'll Never Get Rich."

A little note about the plot, it's another one of those stories driven by mistaken identities that incessantly frustrate the audience and makes them wonder "Why won't anybody speak up?", but somehow the magnificent cast manages to pull it off quite well. The story does not lag, but moves along at a good pace. Anyway, it does make way for some delightful musical numbers such as Astaire's unforgettable solo for Acuna in Acuna's office (preluded by Astaire declaring "I hate dancing, but you're gonna watch me dance and you're gonna like it. Hit it, boys!"), Astaire and Hayworth dancing to "I'm Old-Fashioned" in the garden and to "Shorty George" later on during a rehearsal. These two prove that they are in excellent form and have left us a truly satisfying film. If you're a die-hard, Astaire/Rogers fanatic, you'll still like this film. "You Were Never Lovelier" definitely has more substance than the old RKO films. The only regret I have about these two is that Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth should have made more films together.

You Were Never Lovelier is a light, romantic musical with a great cast and wonderful songs. Hayworth plays Maria, a beautiful young girl whose family wants her to marry. Her father, in an effort to get her in the right state of mind for love, starts sending her flowers and notes purporting to be from a secret admirer, hoping to melt her "refrigerated" heart. Astaire, who plays a dancer (naturally *g*), gets mixed up in her father's deceit--lies and misunderstandings follow. Never fear, all ends well (but of course!). The supporting characters are perfect and add to the atmosphere of the film and make it even more enjoyable. I especially liked the very gay secretary who plays his part to perfection.

Hayworth is in top form dancing in the numbers "I'm Old Fashioned" and "Shorty George". I was more than impressed by her beauty and grace. Astaire's best part in the film is when he does a difficult dance number in Maria's father's office and makes it look easy, as per usual.

If you love Fred Astaire musicals you'll love this movie! Like many of his films there are many great songs you can sing along to and dance scenes that continue to amaze. Fred Astaire plays a man who gets put in a sticky situation, with Rita Hayworth, which in turn leads to love and trouble. Singing and dancing his way through he ends up on top. If you are a true fan you will love this movie, and if this is a first you'll be hooked for life.