Xanadu * (1980, Michael Beck, Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, Matt Lattanzi) – Classic Movie Review 3163

Director Robert Greenwald’s 1980 musical comedy Xanadu is shamelessly camp and often hilariously misjudged and inept. Michael Beck is all at sea as penniless young artist Sonny Malone, who finds his muse in the cute Kira (Olivia Newton-John) and meets rich clarinetist Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly), a philanthropic man definitely wealthy and kind enough to provide the money for a disco.

There’s nothing particularly wrong in principle with the idea of the idea of reworking of the daffy 1947 movie Down to Earth with Rita Hayworth, Larry Parks, Roland Culver and Edward Everett Horton or with the casting of the three popular stars. But in the event, it’s Richard Christian Danus and Marc Reid Rubel’s screenplay and the performances that prove the main problems.

Beck and Newton-John are likeable but they give disappointingly flat and lifeless performances and an awkward-seeming Kelly is simply trying too hard, like a popular old uncle at a kid’s party trying to seem hip when everybody would like him just being himself.

On the other hand, the numbers (choreographed by Kenny Ortega and Jerry Trent) are as lively as possible, there’s a catchy Electric Light Orchestra title tune, and Olivia has a couple of passable ballads in ‘Magic’ (written by John Farrar) and ‘Suddenly’ (by her and Cliff Richard).

Kelly uses his character name (Danny McGuire) from his 1944 old movie Cover Girl, the soundtrack features the heavenly voices of Wilfrid Hyde White (as Zeus) and Coral Browne (as Hera) and there is also a cartoon sequence by Don Bluth to look forward to.

In the right mood, its fake glitter is kitsch and tarnished enough to make the movie quite a hoot. Not many people paid to see it in a cinema but, after all these years, it’s quite fun on TV.

It is Matt Lattanzi’s debut, as Young Danny McGuire / Xanadu dancer. While filming Xanadu, Lattanzi met Olivia Newton-John, whom he married in December 1984. The couple, who had one daughter, Chloe Rose Lattanzi, born 17 January 1986, announced their divorce on 24 April 1995. Both re-married, Lattanzi to Cindy Jessup, and Newton-John to John Easterling, founder and president of the Amazon Herb Company.

Also in the cast are James Sloyan, Dmitra Arliss, Katie Hanley, Fred McCarren, Ren Woods, Ira Newborn, Bebe Drake, Marty Davis, Mickey McMeel, Lise Lang, Jo Ann Harris and Sandahl Bergman.

Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included five number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and two Billboard 200 number one albums.

She died of cancer at her Santa Ynez Valley home in California, aged 73, on 8 August 2022.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3163

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