Royal Wedding (1951)
If it weren’t for one dance number, no one would really remember Royal Wedding. It would be one of those mid-50s musicals Fred Astaire made without Ginger Rogers that didn’t really stand out, like Silk Stockings or The Belle of New York. However, it does have that one dance number and it’s been immortalized forever. After Fred sings “You’re All the World to Me”, he places a photo of his lady love on the end table. He feels so happy and full of love, nothing can contain him. He dances around the room, up the walls, and finally upside down on the ceiling!
Fred Astaire and Jane Powell play siblings with no family resemblance who travel around performing together. It must have been amusing for Fred to take on this role, since he got his start performing with his sister. When they go to England, they both find that love is more powerful than work. Jane falls for Peter Lawford, and Fred falls for Sarah Churchill. Both romances feel a little flat, and one can’t help but think the movie would have been better if Fred and Jane weren’t siblings; after a couple of meaningless flings in Europe, they realize they’ve been in love with each other all along.
In addition to Fred dancing on the ceiling – which is still impressive to this day – there’s another charming number where he dances with a hat rack as a partner. These two numbers serve a very valuable purpose: Fred Astaire needs no dance partner. As cute as it was to have a “Fred & Ginger” label roll off the tongue, he didn’t need Ginger Rogers. He didn’t need anyone. He could mesmerize audiences simply by dancing with a hat rack. And without a hat rack, he could really let his hair down and dance upside down on the ceiling. It’s funny, really. Why bother putting women in his movies anymore? To see him prove that point, rent Royal Wedding.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There’s one song where the cruise ship tilts back and forth , and that will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "john S" for posting!
More Fred Astaire movies here!
Fred Astaire and Jane Powell play siblings with no family resemblance who travel around performing together. It must have been amusing for Fred to take on this role, since he got his start performing with his sister. When they go to England, they both find that love is more powerful than work. Jane falls for Peter Lawford, and Fred falls for Sarah Churchill. Both romances feel a little flat, and one can’t help but think the movie would have been better if Fred and Jane weren’t siblings; after a couple of meaningless flings in Europe, they realize they’ve been in love with each other all along.
In addition to Fred dancing on the ceiling – which is still impressive to this day – there’s another charming number where he dances with a hat rack as a partner. These two numbers serve a very valuable purpose: Fred Astaire needs no dance partner. As cute as it was to have a “Fred & Ginger” label roll off the tongue, he didn’t need Ginger Rogers. He didn’t need anyone. He could mesmerize audiences simply by dancing with a hat rack. And without a hat rack, he could really let his hair down and dance upside down on the ceiling. It’s funny, really. Why bother putting women in his movies anymore? To see him prove that point, rent Royal Wedding.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There’s one song where the cruise ship tilts back and forth , and that will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "john S" for posting!
More Fred Astaire movies here!