You'll Never Get Rich

Infobox Film | name = You'll Never Get Rich


caption =You'll Never Get Rich DVD cover
director = Sidney Lanfield
producer = Samuel Bischoff
writer = Michael Fessier
Ernest Pagano
starring =Fred Astaire
Rita Hayworth
Robert Benchley
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Columbia Pictures
released = September 25, 1941 (U.S. release)
runtime = 88 min.
language = English
budget =
imdb_id = 0034409

"You'll Never Get Rich" (Columbia Pictures) is a 1941 Hollywood musical comedy film with a wartime theme starring Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Robert Benchley, Cliff Nazarro, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The film was directed by Sidney Lanfield.

This was Hayworth's first starring role in a big budgeted film from her home studio Columbia Pictures. While the film was in production Life Magazine put her on its cover, and featured inside a photo of Hayworth kneeling on a bed in a nightgown, which soon became one of the most widely distributed pin-ups of all time. Hayworth, a talented and sensual dancer of astonishing natural grace and beauty, cooperated enthusiastically with Astaire's intense rehearsal habits, and was later to remark: "I guess the only jewels in my life are the pictures I made with Fred Astaire". The picture was very successful at the box office, turning Hayworth into a major star, and provided a welcome boost to Astaire who felt his career had flagged since breaking with Ginger Rogers.

One of the film's songs: "Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song.

Key songs/dance routines:

Dance director was Robert Alton, Astaire's second-most-frequent choreographic collaborator after Hermes Pan. As Astaire generally choreographed his own and his partner's routines, Alton concentrated on the choruses. The choreography explores a diverse range of musical rhythms some of which are artfully juxtaposed in Cole Porter's score.

* "Rehearsal Duet": Short but virtuosic tap number with Astaire and Hayworth dancing side by side.

* "Boogie Barcarolle": Porter number which, not unlike Robert Russell Bennett's "Waltz In Swing Time" from Swing Time, overlays two very different musical rhythms. Astaire leads the chorus which includes Hayworth in an exhilarating and, for Astaire, unusual routine.

* "Shootin' The Works For Uncle Sam": Song and dance number where Astaire and chorus march through a train station. The choreography expresses the notion that Broadway-style dance rehearsals and army camp drills have much in common. The music and dance contrast march and jazz rhythms.

* "Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye": Haunting and melancholy Porter standard introduced by the Four Tones - an African-American quartet (lead singer Lucius "Dusty" Brooks, Leon Buck, Rudolph Hunter, and John Porter) - followed by a short Astaire solo, and all executed in the unrealistic - for its time - setting of an unsegregated guard house. Astaire also made a successful recording of this number with Decca in September 1941, backed in this instance by the Delta Rhythm Boys.

* "March Milastaire (A-Stairable Rag)": Another Porter number contrasting march and jazz rhythms, danced in a "tour de force" tap solo by Astaire, who expresses his sudden joy of being in love by using his taps to make as much noise as possible. This time the purely instrumental African-American backing group comprised the twenty-year-old Chico Hamilton on drums, Buddy Collette (clarinet), Red Mack (trumpet), Alfred Grant (guitar) and Joe Comfort (jug).

* "So Near and Yet So Far": Porter's rumba melody is set to lyrics (sung by Astaire), which sum up the nature of Hayworth's irresistible allure. Astaire, clearly inspired by Hayworth's exceptional Latin dance pedigree, delivers his first on-screen synthesis of Latin-American and ballroom dance steps in a celebrated romantic partnering.

* "The Wedding Cake Walk": Liltin' Martha Tilton's rendition of this cheerful song is followed by a routine involving Astaire, Hayworth and a large chorus, the former pair ending up dancing on a wedding cake in the shape of a tank.

External links

*imdb title | id=0034409 | title=You'll Never Get Rich

References

*John Mueller: "Astaire Dancing - The Musical Films of Fred Astaire", Knopf 1985, ISBN 0-394-51654-0.