You Were Never Lovelier **** (1942, Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Adolphe Menjou) – Classic Movie Review 4712

Director William A Seiter’s lovely and delightful 1942 Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth musical is the follow-up to their previous year’s hit musical You’ll Never Get Rich (1941). Adolphe Menjou co-stars as Eduardo Acuña, a rich Argentine hotelier who tries to spark the romantic interest of his beautiful daughter Maria (Rita Hayworth) in any man so she will fall in love and get married. Maria’s two younger sisters need her top marry, so they can, by the family tradition.

Maria hasn’t found a bloke, so dad sends his daughter flowers and love letters, creating a mystery fella for her to fall in love with. When Broadway hoofer Robert Davis (Fred Astaire) appears on the scene seeking work, Maria falls for him, but dad does not approve of him.

Though this is a complicated set-up, there is just the merest whisper of a plot in the screenplay by Michael Fessier, Ernest Pagano and Delmer Daves, while Xavier Cugat and his Latin American orchestra are a matter of particular taste. But, when perfect partners Astaire and Hayworth dance, the film is heaven. The songs by Jerome Kern (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics) give it a huge lift, especially ‘You Were Never Lovelier’, ‘Shorty George’, ‘Dearly Beloved’, ‘Wedding in the Spring’ and ‘I’m Old-Fashioned’.

It is the sweetest piece of escapism from the middle of World War Two and, happily, there is not a hint of the war for once. Ted Tetzlaff films nicely, but in black and white when colour would be Lovelier.

Hayworth’s singing is dubbed by Nan Wynn.

The story is by Carlos Olivari and Sixto Póndal Ríos. The choreography is by Val Raset. Also in the cast are Leslie Brooks, Adele Mara, Isobel Elsom, Gus Schilling, Larry Parks and Barbara Brown.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4712

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