VHS : You Were Never Lovelier (B&W)

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Rating:

- Living Up To Its Title: Never More Lovelier Than On DVD
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!

Rating:

- OUTSTANDING TRANSFER OF A SPARKLING MUSICAL!
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!

Rating:

- Classic Hollywood musical
A delightful comedic pairing of the ever-babilicious Rita Hayworth and the ever-dashing Fred Astaire... A followup to their earlier hit, "You'll Never Be Rich." The pacing on this film is great -- it hardly drags at all, has a great ensemble and some genuinely funny routines. The action is set in Argentina (although there's nary a bad accent to be heard in the entire film), and Latin bandleader Xavier Cugat provides all the musical backup. He also gets a BIG speaking part -- if you really want to see Cugie in full swing, this movie is the one to check out! His vocalist, the renowned Miguelito Valdes is also featured in a number at the film's start... Astaire, of course, is also a wonder to behold; these songs aren't his best, but he still shines while performing them! Recommended.

Rating:

- One of the very best musicals ever!
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.

Rating:

- Lush & elegant in B&W.
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.

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