Wedding Bells (1951)
"Royal Wedding" (original title)

Tom and Ellen Bowen are a brother and sister dance act whose show closes in New York. Their agent books them in London for the same period as the Royal Wedding. They travel by ship where ... See full summary »

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writers:

Alan Jay Lerner (story), Alan Jay Lerner (screenplay)

Stars:

Fred Astaire, Jane Powell, Peter Lawford

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Fred Astaire	...	Tom Bowen
Jane Powell	...	Ellen Bowen
Peter Lawford	...	Lord John Brindale
Sarah Churchill	...	Anne Ashmond
Keenan Wynn	...	Irving Klinger / Edgar Klinger
Albert Sharpe	...	James Ashmond

Storyline

Tom and Ellen Bowen are a brother and sister dance act whose show closes in New York. Their agent books them in London for the same period as the Royal Wedding. They travel by ship where Ellen meets and becomes involved with Lord John Brindale. This causes her to miss a rehearsal. Tom (Astaire) uses the time to dance with a hat rack and gym equipment. Later Tom and Ellen attempt a graceful dance number as the ship rolls. Upon arrival Tom holds auditions and meets Sara. There is much indecision by the siblings about their romantic partners even though they are in-the-clouds. Tom dances on the walls and ceiling of his hotel room. All ends well in this light musical. By the way, there is a vaudeville-style dance number in their show that features slapstick. It's a hoot.

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Plot Keywords:

dance | royal wedding | wedding | dancing | telephone | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 March 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mariage royal

Filming Locations:

Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,590,920 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The shop name "Harridge's" is an amalgamation of "Harrod's" and "Claridge's"

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Goofs

London streets have American fire hydrants. Also the same London bus drives backwards and forwards across the set.

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Quotes

Chester: Have you ever considered getting married, sir?
Tom Bowen: I was engaged once.
Chester: What happened?
Tom Bowen: The girl changed her mind at the last minute.

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Connections

Referenced in The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (2001)

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Soundtracks

"THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE"
Music by Burton Lane
Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Sung by Jane Powell

User Reviews

You must see these great dancing sequences...

Of course, there is Fred Astaire's delightful, legendary, innovative dance on the ceiling and his dance with a hatrack in the gym, both of which are great. But then there are also his delightful partnerings with Jane Powell, playing his Adele Astaire-esque sister and dancing partner. These include the opening number, "Every Night At Seven," their cute little attempt to dance aboard a rocky boat, and the dynamite "How Could You Believe Me, etc." AND "I Left My Hat in Haiti." Powell, known mostly for her operetic soprano that never quite seems to match her speaking voice, (and which can also be heard in a few forgettable songs here) rivals Ginger Rogers in her ability to keep up with Astaire and match him every step of the way. Not to be missed if you love musicals, dancing in musicals, and/or Fred Astaire dancing in musicals.

As for the rest of the film, the plot is thin as expected but breezes along smoothly. The characterizations of the English are silly caricatures. (Alan Jay Lerner wrote the screenplay and lyrics, but remember, this was five years before "My Fair Lady") Keenan Wynn does okay with the double role of an American agent and his British twin counterpart, though. Peter Lawford is Powell's English honey bun. (In real life, Adele Astaire did leave dancing when she married an English lord) And yes, that is Sarah Churchill, Winston's daughter, as about the only romantic partner of Fred's on film that was his own age.