This was a very middle of the road movie from Gene Kelly but it was this spectacular dance routine (I understand filmed in one take) is the reason I have this 1955 movie in my film library. I saw this movie as a kid and never forgot this routine. Charisse is more than splendid. She really knocked me out! Thanks for posting this truly great number.
@SwingAge22 Yeah, it's a pretty terrible movie as a whole, but it's got three memorable numbers - this one of course, the impressive number with Kelly tap dancing on roller skates, and the campy parody of Marilyn Monroe, "Thanks a Lot But No Thanks". I guess it proves that even in musicals the story is most important.
@DFDalton1962 Actually I liked the movie. It seemed to drift away from many of the conventions of the musical genre up till that time. Dreary and uncomfortable....not so happy. I agree with you that the musical numbers are the strong part of the movie. I like Dolores Gray's "Thanks a Lot" number the best and much more so than MM's "Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend" which is tame by comparison. "Thanks A lot" is sexy and funny yet cynical. It works well with the overall theme of the film.
Fred Astaire called Charisse "Beautiful Dynamite"... Bang-on description Mr. Astaire. And the most gorgeous legs in the business. If I dare say so, she was a real dame, a real woman. She defines these attributes succinctly: unabashedly sexy and complete class. Every number she has performed heats the screen, whether romantic or hot. I don't think there will be another like her, in our lifetime.
@bubblebubbleblip They did. The number, "Love is Nothing But a Racket", was cut out of the movie. It was set in the wardrobe room of a TV studio, and had Kelly and Charisse doing a bunch of comic dancing and costume changes. It was up on YouTube for a while before being taken down; must have been an extra on the DVD.
she is so skinny, that skirt is so well made its made to look like a pencil but it's lose at the back to allow leg kicks, and got those heel, she was truly amazing (:
She wasn't actually that skinny...the picture is distorted...squeezed for some bizarre reason even though the wide-screen format clearly fits on youtube.
Rent the DVD and they all look their normal weight and height...
@dannybex I just found your comment and had to share that I saw this film on TV back in the mid-1970's, when Cinemascope films were not yet letter-boxed, and that illusion of Ms. Charisse being skinny was further exaggerated because the entire wide screen picture was squeezed into the square TV frame. It was particularly hilarious at 00:22 when she does that slinky walk towards the camera in that tight skirt. On TV she looked like a 7-foot knife!!
@JAMIEFLJARVIS actually, that skirt is what I remembered from having seen this clip as a young boy. pretty crazy you should mention the same thing. Look into Rick Owens designs, clearly influenced by this way of cutting clothes in old hollywood glamour style.
Perfect as always!!!!!
andreiliver 5 months ago
This was a very middle of the road movie from Gene Kelly but it was this spectacular dance routine (I understand filmed in one take) is the reason I have this 1955 movie in my film library. I saw this movie as a kid and never forgot this routine. Charisse is more than splendid. She really knocked me out! Thanks for posting this truly great number.
SwingAge22 7 months ago
@SwingAge22 Yeah, it's a pretty terrible movie as a whole, but it's got three memorable numbers - this one of course, the impressive number with Kelly tap dancing on roller skates, and the campy parody of Marilyn Monroe, "Thanks a Lot But No Thanks". I guess it proves that even in musicals the story is most important.
DFDalton1962 3 months ago
@DFDalton1962 Actually I liked the movie. It seemed to drift away from many of the conventions of the musical genre up till that time. Dreary and uncomfortable....not so happy. I agree with you that the musical numbers are the strong part of the movie. I like Dolores Gray's "Thanks a Lot" number the best and much more so than MM's "Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend" which is tame by comparison. "Thanks A lot" is sexy and funny yet cynical. It works well with the overall theme of the film.
dar101ia 3 months ago
Who cares what Fred Astaire said, all you had to do was look yourself and you saw Cydamite, now you get GaGa.
MrFalconford 1 year ago
I want that skirt!
Christa613 1 year ago
Fred Astaire called Charisse "Beautiful Dynamite"... Bang-on description Mr. Astaire. And the most gorgeous legs in the business. If I dare say so, she was a real dame, a real woman. She defines these attributes succinctly: unabashedly sexy and complete class. Every number she has performed heats the screen, whether romantic or hot. I don't think there will be another like her, in our lifetime.
c3cubed 1 year ago 14
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c3cubed 1 year ago
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c3cubed 1 year ago
Anybody who thinks that dancers aren't athletes should watch Charisse being lifted up and over that boxing ring rope starting at 1:14.
And I know it's hard to believe, but sometimes, "thin" isn't "anorexic" or "bulimic". Sometimes "thin" means "fit and healthy"!
flamingvans 1 year ago 4
o man i love that movie. i wish that cyd and gene had done a dance together though.
i love the part at 0:59
bubblebubbleblip 1 year ago
@bubblebubbleblip They did. The number, "Love is Nothing But a Racket", was cut out of the movie. It was set in the wardrobe room of a TV studio, and had Kelly and Charisse doing a bunch of comic dancing and costume changes. It was up on YouTube for a while before being taken down; must have been an extra on the DVD.
flamingvans 1 year ago
Sincerously,spectacular and elegant
Merovingix 1 year ago
she must not weigh that much hahaha
Tyler69Sacks 1 year ago
Best part of the whole film; forget Gene Kelly on roller skates. Love 1:32 forward!
(And yeah, the picture is stretched by letterboxing, the DVD looks much better.)
dougvdotcom 2 years ago 4
she is so skinny, that skirt is so well made its made to look like a pencil but it's lose at the back to allow leg kicks, and got those heel, she was truly amazing (:
JAMIEFLJARVIS 2 years ago 17
She wasn't actually that skinny...the picture is distorted...squeezed for some bizarre reason even though the wide-screen format clearly fits on youtube.
Rent the DVD and they all look their normal weight and height...
dannybex 2 years ago 2
@dannybex I just found your comment and had to share that I saw this film on TV back in the mid-1970's, when Cinemascope films were not yet letter-boxed, and that illusion of Ms. Charisse being skinny was further exaggerated because the entire wide screen picture was squeezed into the square TV frame. It was particularly hilarious at 00:22 when she does that slinky walk towards the camera in that tight skirt. On TV she looked like a 7-foot knife!!
mca1218 1 year ago
@JAMIEFLJARVIS she looks skinny because the picture is squeezed, distorted for some bizarre reason. There's probably a better version on youtube....
dannybex 1 year ago
@JAMIEFLJARVIS actually, that skirt is what I remembered from having seen this clip as a young boy. pretty crazy you should mention the same thing. Look into Rick Owens designs, clearly influenced by this way of cutting clothes in old hollywood glamour style.
arasharfa 2 months ago
its always fair weather
jdpotc123 3 years ago
What movie is this from?
eepghd 3 years ago
It's always fair weather.
BOW1KELLY 2 years ago
thanks. i've since seen it twice and love it. she's too cute. and gene kelly on the roller blades. it's like heaven.
eepghd 2 years ago