Easter Parade (1948)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Charles Walters

Writers:

Frances Goodrich (story) &
Albert Hackett (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 July 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The Happiest Musical Ever Made is Irving Berlin's Easter Parade

Plot:

Don Hewes and Nadine Hale are a dancing team, but she decides to start a career on her own. So he takes the next dancer he meets...

Plot Keywords:

Easter | Dance | Ziegfeld Follies | Vaudeville | Fashion Show

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Judy Garland	...	Hannah Brown
Fred Astaire	...	Don Hewes
Peter Lawford	...	Jonathan Harrow III
Ann Miller	...	Nadine Hale
Jules Munshin	...	Headwaiter François
Clinton Sundberg	...	Mike the Bartender
Richard Beavers	...	Singer ("The Girl on the Magazine Cover")
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Albright	...	Western Union Messenger (uncredited)
Lola Albright	...	Hat Model / Showgirl (uncredited)
Shirley Ballard	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Jimmy Bates	...	Boy (uncredited)
Hal Bell	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Margaret Bert	...	Florist (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Diner at Rooftop Show (uncredited)
Peter Chong	...	Sam - Don's Valet (uncredited)
Jimmie Dodd	...	Cabby (uncredited)
Dolores Donlon	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Fern Eggen	...	Salesgirl (uncredited)
Harry Fox	...	Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Sig Frohlich	...	Callboy (uncredited)
June Gale	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Ruth Hall	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Backstage Well-Wisher / Diner at Rooftop Show (uncredited)
Hector and His Pals	...	Themselves (uncredited)
Helene Heigh	...	Hat Shop Owner (uncredited)
Shep Houghton	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Marjorie Jackson	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Patricia Jackson	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Bob Jellison	...	Drugstore Patron (uncredited)
Doris Kemper	...	Anna - Backstage Maid (uncredited)
Gail Langford	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Joi Lansing	...	Hat Model / Showgirl (uncredited)
Nolan Leary	...	Drugstore Clerk (uncredited)
Jeni Le Gon	...	Essie, Nadine's Maid (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Diner in Restaurant (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Drugstore Patron (uncredited)
George Noisom	...	Western Union Messenger (uncredited)
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Dick Paxton	...	Western Union Messenger (uncredited)
Albert Pollet	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Angi O. Poulis	...	Peddler (uncredited)
Bobbie Priest	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Jean Romer	...	Twin Showgirl (uncredited)
Lynne Romer	...	Twin Showgirl (uncredited)
Ralph Sanford	...	Hotel Detective (uncredited)
Sara Shane	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Dick Simmons	...	Al - Ziegfeld Aide (uncredited)
Dee Turnell	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Benay Venuta	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
Patricia Walker	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Johnny Walsh	...	Western Union Messenger (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Marty, Piano Player (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Walters

Writing credits
Frances Goodrich		(story) &
Albert Hackett		(story)
Sidney Sheldon		(screenplay) &
Frances Goodrich		(screenplay) &
Albert Hackett		(screenplay)
Guy Bolton		uncredited

Produced by
Arthur Freed	....	producer
Roger Edens	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.		(director of photography) (as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
Albert Akst

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Irene		(costumes: women)
Valles		(costumes: men)

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup designer
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair styles designer
Dorothy Ponedel	....	key makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Al Shenberg	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carl 'Major' Roup	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Wallace Worsley Jr.	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Arthur Krams	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
James Brock	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Borland	....	grip (uncredited)
Ed Hubbell	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Sam Leavitt	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera: Technicolor (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo Arnaud	....	orchestration
Irving Berlin	....	composer: music and lyrics
Johnny Green	....	musical director
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestration
Robert Tucker	....	vocal arrangements
Van Cleave	....	orchestration
Sidney Cutner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Roger Edens	....	composer: music cues (uncredited)
Robert Franklyn	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Conrad Salinger	....	composer: music cues (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Henri Jaffa	....	associate technicolor color director
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Fred Astaire	....	choreographer (uncredited)
Leslie H. Martinson	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Charles Walters	....	choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Irving Berlin's Easter Parade (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #12947) | South Korea:All | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

This picture, which began its run nationally on July 8, 1948, was the second-biggest moneymaking film of the year, directly after the Crosby-Hope-Lamour Road to Rio (1947), which was launched nationally on Christmas Day of 1947. The critical and financial success of the Garland-Astaire pairing chiefly "made up" for the mixed reviews and poor box office (except in a few large cities) of Judy Garland's prior musical, The Pirate (1948), which had opened nationally on June 11, only a month before her frolic with Mr. Astaire was seen by moviegoers.

Goofs:

Continuity: Waiter in Mike's bar appears at the end of the bar, then when the camera changes shots, the waiter comes up to the opposite end of the bar.

Quotes:

Don Hewes: Why didn't you tell me I was in love with you?

Movie Connections:

Featured in The American Film Institute Salute to Fred Astaire (1981) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Steppin' Out with My Baby

One Of The Best Musicals Of The Classic Era

I don't know why I haven't checked this out on DVD yet. I imagine it looks spectacular, because even the VHS looked super. I'm talking about the Technicolor. Man, those Technicolor films in the '40s were beautiful, as this certainly is.

For entertainment, you get Fred Astaire dancing, Judy Garland singing, Ann Miller dancing, and Peter Lawford singing. I didn't think Lawford could sing, but he's not bad here. The other talent must have elevated his.

Astaire consistently amazed audiences with his innovative dance routines and smooth style. He does a number here in a toy store that is really something! Miller also gives us a good tap number and Garland's songs are all winners.

This movie is more vehicle for those above-mentioned stars than it is in telling some profound the story. The story is not much, but who cares? It's the dancing, singing, the incredible costumes, overall color, nice people and just plain feel-good musical atmosphere that makes this a popular film, even to this day.