WHAT: Easter Parade (1948, DCP)
WHEN: April 17, 2019 1 PM & 7:30 PM
WHERE: Pickwick Theatre, Park Ridge, IL
WHAT ELSE: Radio host Steve Darnall (“Those Were the Days”/90.9 FM) will be in the lobby at 6:30 PM with copies of the Nostalgia Digest.
Organist Jay Warren provides pre-show music at 7 PM.
Plus a FREE drawing for an Easter basket full of prizes! (Enter your name/email at the table in the lobby for a chance to win.)
HOW MUCH: $12/$10 advance or $8 for the 1 PM matinee. Advance tickets: Click Here!
“If Ginger Rogers gave Astaire someone to romance, and Eleanor Powell gave him someone to dance with, Judy Garland brings out his gladness of talent. Seldom did he seem so happy to perform.” ~ author Ethan Mordden
The happiest musical ever made is Irving Berlin’s Easter Parade! On Wednesday, April 17, 2019, the Pickwick Theatre Classic Film Series will proudly present Easter Parade (1948), starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire. This was their only pairing together, but thanks to MGM, it became a memorable one. It was the most successful film for MGM in 1948 and has gone on to become an Easter classic. “Too good to watch just at Eastertime,” wrote Leonard Maltin. Featuring seventeen songs by the legendary Irving Berlin, the film won an Academy Award for Best Musical Scoring.
During this period, MGM was making the best musicals in Hollywood. Producer Arthur Freed had a string of hits and was anxious to do a film using Irving Berlin’s extensive catalog of songs. Few movies had taken advantage of the Easter holiday (aside from religious films), so there was potential in a period film in which attention would be paid to the famous Easter parade on New York’s 5th Avenue. Irving Berlin accepted MGM’s offer (after first considering 20th Century Fox) primarily because he wanted to work with Judy Garland, who was then the biggest musical star at the studio. Studio head Louis B. Mayer had been insistent on buying the rights to the title song. In fact, there were multiple songs from Berlin’s repertoire that would be used– some ancient and some that were new and written specifically for the film.
Originally, Easter Parade was to star Judy Garland and Gene Kelly, as well as Cyd Charisse and possibly even Frank Sinatra. Vincente Minnelli, who had directed the two leads in The Pirate (1948), was originally scheduled to direct. As he was married to Judy at the time, it was decided to take him off the picture. The project was re-assigned to Chuck Walters, who had been the director on Good News (1947) and had earlier staged some musical numbers for Judy in 1943’s Girl Crazy. For Easter Parade, Robert Alton would direct the major dance numbers. The screenplay was written by the husband and wife team of Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich.
Gene Kelly had been rehearsing for Easter Parade for a month before he broke his ankle. It was Kelly who suggested Fred Astaire as his replacement, who at the time was in retirement after making Blue Skies (1946) with Bing Crosby. Arthur Freed sent Astaire the script. As with Berlin, the opportunity to work with Judy Garland could not be passed up; Garland was one of the great entertainers who brought a professionalism to every role. Interestingly, Astaire’s first film in Hollywood, Dancing Lady (1933), had been made at MGM.
Injury also caused dancer Cyd Charisse to pass on the role of Nadine. Instead, Ann Miller, who had been dating Louis B. Mayer (and insisted he had no involvement in the casting), tested and won the part. This was her big break, having worked previously at RKO and Columbia, where she was known as the Queen of the Bs. An accomplished dancer herself, Miller’s dream had always been to work with Fred Astaire. Finally, Peter Lawford, who had been at MGM since the early 1940s and had just appeared in Good News, was cast as Jonathan, the “fella with an umbrella.”
The original script had been conceived with Gene Kelly in mind, and the tone and attitude toward showbiz were slightly darker. With Fred Astaire now involved, Arthur Freed wanted to lighten the story up and make it more fun– a true musical comedy. He then assigned Sidney Sheldon to work on the Hackett and Goodrich script.
Set around 1914, Don Hewes (Astaire) is a nightclub performer with a ballroom act. When his partner, Nadine (Ann Miller), decides to leave him, Don determines to make a star out of the first girl he finds. He sees Hannah (Judy Garland) performing and assumes she is just a chorus dancer. He offers her a job in the hope of remaking her as a ballroom dancer. Inebriated, he leaves before he can discover her true talent as a singer. Under Don’s guidance, a star is born, but does he still carry the torch for Nadine? The plot can best be summed up as: Hannah loves Don who loves Nadine who loves Jonathan who loves Hannah.
The associate producer on the film was Roger Edens, who supervised the musical arrangements. A pianist himself, Edens had been at MGM since 1935 and was a back-up for Arthur Freed. It was Edens who had trained Judy’s voice when she first came to MGM. As an arranger, his great talent was knowing which songs would fit each performer and what was right for their character. All the songs used in the film were Irving Berlin tunes. Even the background music in the film came from Berlin shows. Some of the most memorable songs include Judy singing “I Want to Go Back to Michigan” in the dive where she is working, the “It Only Happens When I Dance With You” love theme, which Berlin wrote specifically for Judy, “Shakin’ the Blues Away,” which was Ann Miller’s big solo, and the title song, “Easter Parade.” (The song “Easter Parade” had originally been a hit in 1933, but its melody went all the way back to 1917 when it was published under the title “Smile and Show Your Dimple.”)
A Belgian poster for Easter Parade.
Although Garland received top billing, an argument could be made that this is Fred Astaire’s movie. Fred’s opening “Drum Crazy” solo in the department store (with the boy watching) is one of the best numbers in the film. Although conceived with Gene Kelly in mind, Astaire could really play the drums! Additionally, one of the most entertaining scenes is Astaire’s “Steppin’ Out With My Baby.” The technical gimmick of this sequence is Fred dancing in slow motion while the chorus behind him moves in regular time. Astaire had experimented with slow motion earlier in Carefree (1938), which was one of the six Irving Berlin-scored films he appeared in. A more direct reference to Fred’s glorious RKO period comes during his ballroom dance with Judy. She is wearing a feathered dress that is causing a bit of a problem for Fred. This recalls Ginger Rogers’ feathered dress in Top Hat‘s “Cheek to Cheek” number. Another high point is the duet “A Couple of Swells,” performed with Fred and Judy dressed as two tramps. This classic number, which shows off their comic timing, is indicative of how much fun was had in the making of the film. For Judy, it would be one of the few happy working experiences at MGM– a studio that pushed her mercilessly.
The costumes in Easter Parade were all designed by Irene (who had been a costume designer since the 1930s and had designed Ginger Rogers’ gowns in 1937’s Shall We Dance). The clothes are of the period (1912-1914) yet still feel contemporary to 1948. Astaire was always very dapper onscreen, so it was a bit of a challenge for him to dress down and look the part of a hobo!
Easter Parade was a huge success when it was released. It soon became the highest-grossing film for MGM that year. The popularity can be attributed to the chemistry amongst the cast and the arrangement of the songs. The Berlin songs resonate because of how well they are staged. (Although few would cite Peter Lawford’s “A Fella with an Umbrella” novelty number as the high point, it was for some inexplicable reason Irving Berlin’s favorite song in the movie!) Easter Parade was a success because of the Hollywood system, specifically the Arthur Freed unit at MGM. The film was shot and choreographed by a director who had the camera in mind. It was produced by someone who understood the needs of the songwriter, the vocal arranger, and the orchestrator. And it starred a cast of supremely talented performers who took pride in what they were making. For instance, when Judy was disappointed with the film’s original ending, feeling it was too abrupt, she protested to the studio bosses. It was important to her because it was her face that was up on the screen for millions to see. Her complaint initially fell on deaf ears until Irving Berlin stood up in her defense and got the ending changed to the version we now know.
Easter Parade is our first Fred Astaire film at the Pickwick Theatre Classic Film Series, so we would like to see a big crowd come out and support it. It’s a film that appeals to a certain generation, in particular, but its ebullience and total professionalism should appeal to audiences of all ages. It’s a song and dance extravaganza in beautiful Technicolor. These movies were scripted as musical comedies, so the best way to see them is with a large audience; the shared experience of laughter can’t be recreated at home while watching it. We invite you to stroll down Prospect Avenue with Fred and Judy! This is a wonderful film to see before Easter Sunday.
May your holiday be filled with bonnets, baskets, and Irving Berlin!
~MCH
