Let's Dance (1950)

Donald Elwood meets after the war his former USO partner, Kitty McNeil, who is now a rich widow with a little child. She tries to evade her paternal grandmother, who wants her to live in a ... See full summary »

Director:

Norman Z. McLeod (as Norman McLeod)

Writers:

Dane Lussier (additional dialogue), Allan Scott

Stars:

Betty Hutton, Fred Astaire, Roland Young

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Betty Hutton	...	Kitty McNeil
Fred Astaire	...	Donald Elwood
Roland Young	...	Edmund Pohlwhistle
Ruth Warrick	...	Carola Everett
Lucile Watson	...	Serena Everett
Gregory Moffett	...	Richard 'Richie' Everett
Barton MacLane	...	Larry Channock
Shepperd Strudwick	...	Timothy Bryant
Melville Cooper	...	Charles Wagstaffe
Harold Huber	...	Marcel
George Zucco	...	Judge Mackenzie
Peggy Badley	...	Bubbles Malone
Virginia Toland	...	Elsie

Storyline

Donald Elwood meets after the war his former USO partner, Kitty McNeil, who is now a rich widow with a little child. She tries to evade her paternal grandmother, who wants her to live in a way according to the customs of her dead husband's class.

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Plot Keywords:

grandmother | widow | tunnel of love | marriage proposal | horse race | 

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Taglines:

A Musical Dream Come True! The Perfect Song and Dance Pair!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Composer-lyricist Frank Loesser was an old hand at writing specialty material for Betty Hutton, which required songs that could be performed at her signature breakneck speed. For this occasion, Loesser provided the especially manic "Can't Stop Talking About Him," which opens the film. In a send-up of Hutton's clarion belt, the song begins with an air raid siren that merges into a sustained note from Hutton.

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Connections

Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Fred Astaire (1981)

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Soundtracks

Can't Stop Talking About Him
(uncredited)
Written by Frank Loesser
Performed by Betty Hutton and Fred Astaire

User Reviews

Let's Dance - But Not Too Much.....

This film was hurried into production to take advantage of Fred Astaire's availability, part of the agreement MGM signed with Paramount in order to get Betty Hutton on loan to do "Annie Get Your Gun" at Metro. It is such standard fare that it pales when one thinks of Hutton's great triumph earlier in the year with "Annie." She and Fred Astaire were poorly matched given his sophistication and her frenetic singing and dancing. If only the musical comedy had some decent songs it could have gotten by on those alone. Unfortunately, there are few songs and they are mostly unforgettable, save Astair's dance routine on, over and under a grand piano and with a hat rack. There is a comedy song and dance number, "Them Thar Dudes" in which the two stars dress up as a couple of western dudes - both with fake mustaches - and sing and dance a fun and funny number. However, Astaire looks positively pained having to slum as low as this while Hutton steals the song because it is up her alley. There is an embarrassing number for Hutton when she starts singing a love song while her dress - in the rear - gets overheated. This film shows how brilliant Hutton was when she was given good material. The most accessible, direct and embracing singing voice of her time, Betty Hutton always surpassed her material when singing but, as with this film, was given to slapstick and overacting when clearly a director did not have control over her. Such is the fate of this film.

The film is engaging because it has at its core the old "mother running with her child from the evil relatives while the Knight is on his way and may or may not make it in time" plot. Because of the material Hutton comes off as Hutton while Astaire suffers badly, saved the minute he begins to tap his feet or open his mouth to sing. Two legends in a mediocre film make it a must see if you are a fan of either or both of the legends.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 November 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Let's Dance

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1