Cover Girl (1944)

Rusty Parker wins a contest and becomes a celebrated cover girl; this endangers her romance with dancing mentor Danny.

Director:

Charles Vidor

Writers:

Virginia Van Upp (screenplay), Marion Parsonnet (adaptation),

Stars:

Rita Hayworth, Gene Kelly, Lee Bowman

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rita Hayworth	...	Rusty Parker / Maribelle Hicks (flashback sequence)
Gene Kelly	...	Danny McGuire
Lee Bowman	...	Noel Wheaton
Phil Silvers	...	Genius
Jinx Falkenburg	...	Jinx Falkenburg
Leslie Brooks	...	Maurine Martin
Eve Arden	...	Cornelia Jackson
Otto Kruger	...	John Coudair
Jess Barker	...	Coudair as a Young Man
Anita Colby	...	Miss Colby
Curt Bois	...	Chef at Danny McGuire's
Jean Colleran	...	Cover Girl: American Magazine
Francine Counihan	...	Cover Girl: American Home
Helen Mueller	...	Cover Girl: Collier's Magazine
Cecilia Meagher	...	Cover Girl: Coronet

Storyline

Rusty Parker, a red-headed leggy dancer at Danny McGuire's Night Club in Brooklyn, wants to be a successful Broadway star. She enters a contest to be a 'Cover Girl' as a stepping-stone in her career. She reminds the publisher, John Coudair, of his lost love, showgirl Maribelle Hicks. He was engaged to Maribelle, although his wealthy society mother made fun of her. Maribelle left John at the altar when she saw the piano at her wedding. It reminded her of the piano-player she truly loved. Rusty is Maribelle's granddaughter and there are musical sequences with Maribelle dancing to songs from the beginning of the 20th century. Rusty lands on the cover of her grandmother's former fiancé's magazine (as a bride). She is pursued by Coudair's pal, the wealthy theatrical producer, Noel Wheaton. He produces a lavish musical to star Rusty, surrounded by real cover girls of the mid 1940's. Rusty runs down a huge spiral into the arms of dozens of men who seem clumsy next to her ethereal dancing. ...

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Plot Keywords:

cover girl | magazine | contest | 1940s | pearl | 

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Taglines:

A Mirthful, Magical Musical !

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 March 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Modelka

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song "Put Me To the Test" was a complete reworking of an instrumental used in the 1937 Fred Astaire musical A Damsel in Distress The lyrics for it had already been written by Ira Gershwin, and the original melody by his brother George, but because the song had already been heard only as an instrumental in that film, George Gershwin's melody was discarded in favor of a new one by Jerome Kern when "Cover Girl" was made, and Ira Gershwin's lyrics to the song were finally heard.

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Goofs

The guests at the 1904 wedding are the same people, wearing the same clothes and hairstyles, as the guests at the 1944 wedding. Of particular note are the young girl wearing a giant red flower as a hat, and the white-haired old lady with white boa feathers on the side of her head.

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Quotes

Pop - Doorman: Say, maybe if you'd had a horse under ya' over there in North Africa instead of one of them there tanks, you wouldn't have got shot up the way you was and sent home... Where'd it get ya', Danny?
Danny McGuire: In Libya.
Pop - Doorman: Well, it don't show a bit.

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Connections

Referenced in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)

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Soundtracks

"LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY"
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Performed by Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Martha Mears)

User Reviews

Cover Girl Shines

"Cover Girl" is the best musical Rita Hayworth ever made. Ms. Hayworth will always be remembered for "Gilda", however, the next movie would be "Cover Girl". The story is great. It is about a dancer who wants to be a cover girl and makes it big in show business. She does it without the help of her talented dancer/director boyfriend (Gene Kelly). Mr. Kelly is given the chance to choreograph the musical numbers. The dances are spectacular. It is fun to see Phil Silvers, a comic, do the musical numbers with Ms. Hayworth and Mr. Kelly.

The supporting cast is perfect. Lee Bowman is given a chance to be an interesting third wheel, the other boyfriend.