It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Let’s Dance (1950) – Musical #456

Studio:
Paramount Pictures

Director:
Norman Z. McLeod

Starring:
Betty Hutton, Fred Astaire, Roland Young, Ruth Warrick, Lucille Watson, Gregory Moffett, Barton MacLane, Shepperd Strudwick, Melville Cooper, Harold Huber, George Zucco, Peggy Badley, Nana Bryant (uncredited), James Burke (uncredited), Bess Flowers (uncredited),

Plot:
During World War II, Kitty McNeil (Hutton) and Donald Elwood (Astaire) were a musical act that performed in USO shows. Donald was in love with Kitty, but she had already married a serviceman, so the two split up the act. The film fast-forwards to 1950 and we learn that Kitty’s husband was killed in the war, and she lives with his stuffy family in Boston. Kitty doesn’t like how his family wants her to raise her son, Richie (Moffett), and would like to leave. But her grandmother-in-law, Serena (Watson), won’t allow her to take her son with her and insists that they raise him. Kitty and her son run away to New York City so she can find work, and she reconnects with Donald. Donald and his nightclub coworkers help Kitty and Richie build a new life.

Trivia:
• One of two films with Peggy Badley. This was her last film role.
• Frank Loesser wrote the song “Tunnel of Love” originally for the film “Neptune’s Daughter” (1949), but it wasn’t used in the film.
• Working title “Little Boy Blue.”

Highlights:
• Fred Astaire’s piano dance.
• Fred Astaire and Lucille Watson sharing a short dance.
• The Technicolor cinematography
• Edith Head costumes

Notable Songs:
• “Can’t Stop Talking About Him” performed by Betty Hutton and Fred Astaire
• “Piano Dance” danced by Fred Astaire
• “Jack and the Beanstalk” performed by Fred Astaire
• “Oh Them Dudes” performed by Fred Astaire and Betty Hutton
• ‘Why Fight the Feeling” danced by Fred Astaire and Betty Hutton

My review:

The first and last time I watched LET’S DANCE (1950) was in 2011 via a crummy upload on YouTube (which is now long gone), and I hadn’t seen it since.

“I don’t really know what happened to that film. It opened big and just seemed to come and go. Anyway, I liked it,” Fred Astaire wrote, summing up how this film has gone under-discussed and under-seen for years.

Imagine how thrilled I was to see Kino Lorber is releasing this film on DVD – and does it look amazing!

The film begins during World War II with Kitty McNeil (Betty Hutton) and Donald Elwood (Fred Astaire) performing in a USO show. After the show, however, they split up their act because Kitty is married and Donald is in love with her. The film goes forward to current day of 1950. Kitty is a war widow with a young son, Ritchie, and living with her husband’s stuffy family in Boston. Kitty is tired of living their restrictive life, and her parenting differs from her grandmother-in-law (Lucille Watson). When she expresses that she wants to leave their home, her husband’s family tells Kitty that she’s welcome to leave but her son as to stay with them. Kitty and her son run away to New York City, where she accidentally runs into Donald again and he helps her get a job at the nightclub where he works. The workers at the nightclub rally around Kitty and her son, as they take an active part in their lives and try to help keep them together. All the while, Kitty’s in-law’s lawyers are looking for them.

In her autobiography, Hutton said LET’S DANCE (1950) was more tranquil than her other films. While there are a couple of zany moments, this is a more low key story compared to other Hutton vehicles.

I really enjoyed this revisit of LET’S DANCE (1950). It’s colorful, sweet, heartwarming and has some wonderful songs written by Frank Loesser. With Fred Astaire and Betty Hutton in the leads, you know there is dynamite entertainment in this film.

I will admit that Fred Astaire and Betty Hutton are a unique pairing, and their teaming may seem like an interesting choice today. But to that point, Fred Astaire was paired with almost every top musical star, from Rita Hayworth to Jane Powell, and Hutton was one of the top stars of her era.

In both of their autobiographies, Hutton and Astaire speak well of each other and enjoyed working together.

“Working with Betty Hutton keeps anybody moving,” Astaire wrote. “She’s so talented and conscientious that if you don’t watch yourself you feel you’re standing still and letting her do all the work.”

I know that Betty Hutton isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoy her films in general and this film is no exception. As Hutton noted, LET’S DANCE, is a more subdued performance.

With top billing, this film is really is more of a Betty Hutton film with fewer Fred Astaire dance numbers. Despite that, there are still some great Fred Astaire dance numbers, particularly the “Piano Dance.” In that number, Astaire starts off acting like a ballet dancer and then begins dancing on top of the piano and sliding under it. While all of his dances are athletic, this one is particularly includes some acrobatics. There is another tender, charming moment when Fred Astaire and Lucille Watson share a dance to a tune on a music box. It’s brief, sweet and unexpected.

Other numbers I enjoyed with Astaire and Hutton together include “Can’t Stop Talking About Him” and “The Tunnel of Love.” “Tunnel of Love” may be the most fun – it’s high energy and has fun costume design with all the performers in blue.

Astaire said he especially liked the “Oh, Them Dudes” number where they sing and dance as old cow hands.

The film is also chockful of great actors. Ruth Warrick is wasted, but lovely. Lucille Watson is wonderful as her usual stern, tough as nails character who comes through with a heart of gold. Roland Young is also adorable but wasted. My favorite was Harold Huber playing a French chef. Huber usually plays a hood, so it was fun to see him in this role, caring about a small child. Barton MacLane as the nightclub owner caring about the child is also great. All of these unlikely characters in a nightclub worried about a small child is a highlight of the film.

The new Kino Lorber BluRay is gorgeous. The color looks vibrant and clear, and Hutton looks great in Technicolor with her blonde hair and peaches n’ cream complexion.

Overall, this is just a really sweet, enjoyable musical that is thankfully now accessible!

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