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By
NICK ZEGARAC
It's Always Fair Weather
(1955) is an ironically abysmal downer. For
although it combines the talents of Gene Kelly,
Dan Dailey and Michael Kidd (fleshed out with
cameos from Cyd Charisse and Dolores Gray) the
story of three ex-G.I.'s who start out as friends,
wind up bitter enemies, then reunite a decade
later as friends again is a cyclical and cynical
excursion best left undiscovered by most who are
not ardent fans of any of these gifted performers.
Newly released from active duty, bosom buddies,
Ted (Gene Kelly), Doug (Dan Dailey), and Angie
(Michael Kidd) part after indulging in some heavy
drinking at a local watering hole. Before they do,
Ted tears a ten dollar bill into three equal
portions giving one portion to each of his
friends.
The trio then vow to reunite ten years later.
Unfortunately, time alters their expectations of
life and one another. Ted becomes a professional
gambler, Doug an uppity advertising executive and
Angie, the crass owner of a Brooklyn restaurant
affectionately named the Cordon Bleu. The three
chums very quickly realize that they hate one
another. However, as fate would have it, Doug's ad
campaign brings them into a forced reunion on live
television. A pack of gangsters headed by Charlie
Culloran (Jay C. Flippen) close in on Ted while
the broadcast is taking place. But suddenly Angie
and Doug have had a change of heart and come to
the rescue – reigniting their respect for one
another and camaraderie shared during the war. The
musical numbers are rather flat and uninspired –
save Kelly's ‘I Like Myself' a bit of self-bravado
on roller skates that is excellently executed -
though rather gimmicky and cliché, considering
Fred Astaire already did about the same with
Ginger Rogers in Shall We Dance, two decades
earlier.
The anamorphic transfer on It's Always Fair
Weather is rather vibrant considering that the
film was shot in the rather lackluster Anscocolor
dye transfer process that has since proven to be
extremely susceptible to color fading. Flesh tones
seem a tad pasty and slightly too orange. Though
the Cinemascope image is soft at times, grain is
kept to a bare minimum except during dissolves and
fades (a characteristic inherent in all early
‘scope' productions). Fine details are nicely
realized. Blacks are rarely deep but overall the
image quality will not disappoint. The sound is a
5.1 remastering of early six track stereo. It's
bombastic in spots with a bit of grating high
pitch, but on the whole very well preserved.
Extras include a short featurette and some junket
materials from the period. Overall then, nicely
done. Still, It's Always Fair Weather is not
stellar Gene Kelly or vintage MGM musical a la the
glory days that only several years before seemed
to stretch on forever. Though MGM would produce
many more musicals before its final glorious fade
to black – It's Always Fair Weather is not one you
will likely remember very long after you've seen
it. |
