Royal Wedding

• Title:  Royal Wedding
• Director:  Stanley Donen
• Date:  1951
• Studio:  MGM
• Genre:  Musical, Romance
• Cast:  Fred Astaire, Jane Powell, Peter Lawford, Sarah Churchill, Keenan Wynn
• Format:  Standard, Technicolor
• DVD:  R1, NTSC

"Do I look like a gentleman?" -- Jaime, Anne's father
"Jaime, you look like a banker." -- Tom
"But do I look like a gentleman?" -- Jaime

Tom (Astaire) and Ellen (Powell) Bowen are a brother-sister Broadway act, with a hit show, "Every Night at Seven".  Their show is so successful that their agent gets a call from England, an offer for the two to open their show in London in time for the summer Royal Wedding (of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip).  Aboard the steamer ship bound for the UK, Ellen meets Lord John Brindale (Lawford), and the two begin to date once the ship reaches England.  Meanwhile, on the first day of casting and rehearsals in London, Tom bumps into Anne Ashmond (Sarah Churchill), and they also begin to date.  Eventually, the show, "Every Night at Seven" also opens in London.  Tom has one of  his contacts check out Anne's American fiance' who had returned to Chicago then failed to contact her - turns out he's now married.  This frees up Anne, and she proposes to Tom.  Meanwhile, Lord Brindale has also proposed to Ellen.  At first, Tom and Ellen are reluctant to marry and break up the act.  However, with "wedding fever" in the air because of  the Royal Wedding, they quickly change their minds and the film ends with the double wedding of  Tom and Anne and Ellen and John.

Royal Wedding seems, in part, to be drawn from parallels to Astaire's own real life -- he got his start first in vaudeville and then on Broadway, with his sister Adelle as his dance partner.  When she left the stage to marry, he wasn't sure what to do, before someone (thankfully!) suggested Hollywood, and the rest, as they say is history.  But by having Powell and Astaire playing brother and sister, rather than having them romantically linked, there's a playful side to this film that is enjoyable.  Some of  the scenes between the two are quite fun, and more of  their teasing and kidding each other could have vastly improved the film. The problem with the film is that MGM and Arthur Freed apparently love to play with toys and don't know when to put them away.  In one number, Astaire dances with a coat rack / hat stand and various pieces of  gym equipment in the steamer ship's gymnasium while waiting for Ellen to show for rehearsal.  In another, the floor Ellen and Tom are dancing on tilts wildly as the ship navigates rough waters.  And, finally, this is the film where Astaire dances on the walls and ceiling of  a room (as well as Anne's photo).  Astaire was a gifted, fluid, and graceful dancer -- yet in the "dance on the ceiling" routine, he looks uncomfortable and like he can barely manage the moves -- it's painful to watch.  Astaire doesn't need tricks - I wish MGM would just let the man dance in his later films (this is also why I much prefer Astaire's early work, especially when he was paired with Ginger Rogers).

Also, my copy of  this film is in horrible shape.  There's a "outdoor" scene between Powell and Lord Brindale which is very muddy and overly red.  Some restoration work wouldn't come amiss at all.

Finally, Powell sings three solos in this film -- and she can't sing.  I just don't enjoy her singing voice at all.  I will say, though, that her few dance scenes with Astaire, despite make-up and costumes that seem designed to make both her and Astaire look terrible, are good.  I  do think Jane has better chemistry with Astaire than Eleanor Powell did.  The Astiare/Powell brother/sister act is fun.

List of  Musical  Numbers

• "Every Night at Seven"  -- Astaire, Vocals; Astaire and Powell, Dance
• Musical number and dance, no vocals (Astaire dances with hat stand, gym equipment)
• "How Could You Believe I Love You"/"I'm a Liar" - Astaire and Powell, vocals and dance
• "You're the World to Me" -- Astaire with Anne's photo, dances on walls, ceiling
• "I Left My Hat in Haiti" -- Astaire, vocals and dance segues to production number
• "Lovely Day for a Wedding" -- Background

Recommendation:  It's OK, but disappointing

Rating:  3 of  5

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