Customer Reviews

Easter Parade [Import]

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have always enjoyed this movie...if you enjoy musicals, it is a must Garland/Astaire....what a combination. I love it and know you will to...

Very good quality DVD. The Blu-Ray is just coming out now but this one has all the bells and whistles you can ask for at a much lower price point. Good value.

Ce film est tout simplement extraordinaire. Il m'a aussi été livré rapidement et conforme a la description du produit. Je recommeande ce film a tous els cinéphiles !!

If I could design my own musical, it would come out looking and sounding a lot like Easter Parade. After all, my perfect musical would absolutely have to star Judy Garland, I would want the two best dancers of the world in it - Fred Astaire and Ann Miller, Irving Berlin would supply all of the music, I would pack as much singing and dancing as possible into it, and there would have to be a significant degree of comedy alongside a wonderful romantic plot. I would not, however, include Peter Lawford in my cast, although Lawford isn't too terribly irritating in Easter Parade (and even seems to stay sober throughout the whole film). Gene Kelly was supposed to star opposite Judy Garland here, but an injury prevented him from making the movie. I do not mean to slight Gene Kelly at all, but I just can't imagine anyone other than Fred Astaire, who came out of retirement to take Kelly's place, in the role of Don Hewes. There are only a handful of stars talented enough to share the spotlight equally with Judy Garland, and Astaire is definitely in that select group. His presence is felt immediately, as he sings, dances, and drums his way through the opening scenes, and never fades throughout the entire 104 minutes of the film.

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.

How can you go wrong with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire? Excellent film and one I am glad I added to my collection.

Don Hews (Fred Astaire), a song and dance man gets a new contract, he finds out the he is being jilted by the girl he had an understanding with Nadine Hale (Ann Miller); she decides to go off on her own with a different contract and more than willing to also go with their mutual friend Johnny Harlow (Peter Lawford). In an effort to replace his dance partner and save face, Don finds a quick replacement Hannah Brown (Judy Garland) from his local bar. Can she fill the bill and does Don really know what he wants?

Lots (17) of great Irving Berlin songs. Lots of tap dancing.

Can't tell you of all the years I enjoyed this and similar movies. As with many things you can not go home again. Now I see the mechanics and the mismatch of characters to story. Now the film takes effort to get through. They seem to be straining to stay in formula as the story was originally designed for Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse not much too old Fred Astaire and too young Judy Garland.

One redeeming thing about the Special edition DVD is that the voiceover commentary by Astaire's daughter gave the film meaning and made it easer to watch.

A fantastic musical. A sure-fine collectable that they couldn't ever make a remake of. This has many classic songs I once sung in choir; unforgettables such as "Stepping Out with My Baby" and more. The plot is one about a dancer who just lost his partner to another. He decides to show her how he really did turn her into a star by taking any girl--and doing just that. He picks Judy Garland, a nightclub singer, and turns her into a dancer, sure enough. She falls in love with him, but he still wants to get his old partner back. In the end, though, he realizes how in love he is with her and takes her out for the "Easter parade," singing the title song. You should see it if you love Judy's singing and Fred Astair's wonderful 5 star tap dancing! Enjoy!

I absolutly LOVE this movie! I watched it daily for about 2 weeks straight and still love it. I love the chemistry between Garland and Astaire, the upbeat songs and dance numbers. It had me humming the tunes all day especially "Steppin Out with my Baby" and "Easter Parade". Maybe it was because it was the first movie I had seen with Fred Astaire, but I think that this is my all time favorite movie with him in it, and I absolutly love Judy Garland. A magnificent team and it shows in the quality of the film. It is a must see for people of all ages and not just at Easter Time!

I watched this film weekly, sometimes daily, when I was a kid. This is the Judy Garland I remember. I love her comic timing, I think she's genuinely funny and doesn't take herself too seriously.

My favorite, most dashing Fred Astaire is in Top Hat, but I kinda like this friendly, more asexual rapport he establishes with Judy. They look very comfortable together, like they really like each other and are having fun with their scenes. Everything runs so smoothly they make it look easy.

I always liked Ann Miller's in your face attitude, but I learned to admire her even more when I heard that while doing the "Shaking the Blues Away" number she was recovering from an accident that had resulted in a miscarriage and an injury to her back. Such courage and resilience!

It's a bit dated, but still great fun and all the musical numbers are unforgettable.

I thought that "Easter Parade" was very funny. It includes several must-see dance numbers including "Shakin' the Blues Away" (by Ann Miller), "Steppin' Out With My Baby"(by Fred Astaire), "Drum Crazy" (by Fred Astaire), and 'A Couple of Swells" (by Judy Garland and Fred Astaire). A must-see!