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By
NICK ZEGARAC
Originally intended as a
reunion vehicle for Gene Kelly and Judy Garland,
Charles Walter's "Easter Parade" (1948) is an
outstanding example of MGM's great facility for
creating musical confections of sheer beauty and
immeasurable delight. After Kelly fractured his
ankle during a rehearsal he telephoned, the then
retired, Fred Astaire to replace him. The decision
to cast Astaire proved fortuitous as it brought
back to the screen one of the legends of dance and
proved the perfect segue for Astaire's dancing
career in another two decades of cinema
entertainment.
Astaire plays Don Hewes, a demanding perfectionist
whose artistic bubble is burst when partner,
Nadine Hale (Ann Miller) decides to dump him to
venture into a solo Broadway show. Determined to
restart his career, Don takes a lowly waitress
from the chorus, Hannah Brown (Judy Garland) and
transforms her into his ideal dancing partner. At
first, only seeing Hannah as a cheapened shadow of
Nadine, Don begins to realize that his new protégé
may not only become a more accomplished dancer but
also his new love interest. A romantic hook of
sorts materializes in the form of a slightly
stuffy, though nevertheless studly man about town,
Jonathan Harrow III (Peter Lawford). Using
Jonathan as a sounding board, Hannah attempts to
delve more deeply into Don's preceding
relationship with Nadine, while Nadine makes for
Jonathan with much effort, but modest results.
Multi-talented Jules Munshin delivers a marvelous
cameo as the haughty and exclusive waiter of a
fashionable New York restaurant, Francois.
Resident MGM supporting actor, Clinton Sundberg is
both engaging and sympathetic as Hannah's former
employer, Mike.
The score for "Easter Parade" is vintage Irving
Berlin. Besides the title tune there are sublime
musical moments in Judy's rendition of "Michigan"
and "Better Luck Next Time," as well as the duets
she shares with Fred Astaire during the montage
sequence. Lawford proves he has an ample singing
voice in "Fella With an Umbrella," while Astaire
confirms his place of genius in the realm of dance
with "Steppin' Out With My Baby." All in all, an
elegant delight that is never short of a sincere
smile and rollicking good time.
Warner's DVD is, in a word, outstanding! Employing
their ultra-resolution film restoration process,
the results on this disc are breathtaking. The
Technicolor print is so rich and vibrant, images
appear to burst forth from the screen with a rare
and refined third dimensionality. Blacks are rich,
deep and solid. Whites are crisp, but never
blooming. The audio has been impeccably
remastered. Extras include the loving bio on Judy
Garland, "By Myself," as well as a comprehensive
documentary on the making of the film, poignant
audio commentaries by Ava Astaire and Jonathan
Fricke, and, of course, the deleted musical gem,
Mr. Monotony (previously available on LD and the
DVD of That's Entertainment III). |
