I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Truly Dreadful Film

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The idea was to memorialize the long disbanded song and dance team of Fred and Adele Astaire, while taking advantage of the publicity associated with the recent marriage of Queen Elizabeth, to help dramatize the historic fact that Adele left the act, around age 35, to marry a British nobleman. Fred would play himself, and audiences would have to imagine that he was about 20 years younger. Who to cast as Adele? Vera-Ellen was briefly considered, but passed for June Allison, who soon discovered she was pregnant, thus replaced by the troubled Judy Garland, who was soon fired for being tardy. All these ladies were in their late 20s or early 30s, thus might be somewhat feasible younger sisters of Fred(Adele was actually older). But, the final choice became 21 y.o. Jane Powell: 30 years Fred's junior. Jane, of course, had established herself as a significant MGM star by that time, had a great singing voice, which typically overshadowed her also substantial dancing talent. This was her first role playing a full adult, as opposed to a teen, and she turned out to be a great partner for Fred. But, it would have been much more believable if she had been characterized as Fred's daughter, rather than sister! Now, who to cast as Fred's new love in the UK? Fred's character was a confirmed old bachelor. Ideally, a member of the British aristocracy was wanted, to increase the film appeal to Brits. Sarah Churchill, Winston's daughter, was chosen. This reportedly did seem to help draw British audiences. Being in her late 30s, she was reasonably old to be a likely romantic partner for Fred. However, she had no film charisma and had a mannish-looking face. It's unbelievable that Fred would get so excited about her as to dance on the ceiling and walls of his room in celebration! Fred appeared to have much more romantic chemistry with Jane than Sarah! Also, the idea of her training with Fred to be a chorus girl, at near age 40, sounds unpromising. As the director, I probably would have opted for Vera-Ellen in her place, with whom Fred had very recently costarred, in "Three Little Words", and would again costar the following year in "The Belle of New York". She was good looking and a top dancing talent, to realistically make Fred dance on his ceiling (He would levitate in the future film with her!). She also had a rather regal demeanor, later playing a princess. She was young enough to be a believable dancing starter, yet perhaps old enough to have a plausible romantic interest in Fred.The 4th lead was Peter Lawford. On the positive, he was bred a Brit, as suggested by his speech, and was popular with women viewers. He made a good looking couple with Jane. Both he and Jane are scripted as having an endless supply of potential girl or boyfriends, thus a potential union of an alpha male and a queen bee. Despite only rudimentary singing and dancing skills, he had been cast in several prior musicals, although he reportedly hated to have to sing or dance in them. According to Jane, he was also only minimally dedicated to his acting career. He worked out OK in his minimally demanding role. Often, the supporting actors in musicals help supply additional musical or comedic talent. However, with the multitalented charismatic Fred and Jane, this wasn't so essential here.The director was the famous Stanley Donen, who devised the apparatus for creating the illusion that Fred was dancing on the ceiling and walls of his room, while singing "You're All the World to Me". The cameraman had to be tied down, as he rotated with the room, in only 2 takes. Despite all the things going for this film, it languishes in relative obscurity compared to his previous hit "On the Town", and subsequent film "Singing in the Rain". Jane would again costar in his hit "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers".The team of Burton Lane and Alan Lerner composed the musical numbers, which weren't hit parade grade, but serviceable, especially with emphasis on dance. Lane had been a long time, though minor, composer for MGM. This was Lerner's first film role as the lyricist, being hired mainly on the strength of his "Brigadoon" play. His frequent composer partner, Fredrick Loewe, would rejoin him for several notable musicals in the future.In addition to Fred's dancing on the ceiling, there are several other unusual dance numbers. The scene where Fred and Jane are attempting to dance on the ship during a severe storm, causing the furniture and themselves to slide around, is fun. Fred's solo dance with his expensive, custom-made, coat & hat rack is also unusual and skilled, although I find Kelly's prior dance with assorted mops and brooms, in "Thousands Cheer", more interesting...The comedic vaudeville-styled number "How could you believe me.....", in which Jane plays a floozy to Fred's film flam man, is also quite good. Reminds us of "A Couple of Swells" with Fred and Judy, in "Easter Parade". Jane especially liked this, as it was her first chance to play other than a sweet goody goody girl. Made up as a sensuous Latino, in the colorful "I Left My Hat in Haiti", dancing with Fred, she is also out of her usual character, and fun to watch.

The print I saw for "Royal Wedding" was super-ugly and dark. Apparently the film is in the public domain and lots of lousy copies are out there--including the streaming version from Netflix. My advice is to see if the copy from MGM/Turner Entertainment is better--it should be.As for the film, the casting is quite odd. There is a 30 years difference in the age of Fred Astaire and his on-screen 'sister' Jane Powell. Because of this, the chemistry seems a bit odd and you can't help but being taken out of the moment. Too bad they couldn't have gotten Eleanor Powell out of retirement, as she was as close to Astaire's talents as any woman alive and she was much closer in age to him. Seeing these two amazing dancers together would have been a treat, as she was a match for his athleticism and ability to tap.The film is a re-written account of the life of Astaire and his real life sister, Adele. They were a huge act in the 20s and 30s and much of the film is taken from their lives--including her romance with a British Lord. Of course, being a Hollywood film, it's also stuffed with lots of polish and subplots--and the real story is only a starting point! But considering most folks watch films like this only to watch Fred dance, who cares?! As for the dancing, the film has some very nice numbers. My favorite is the very famous scene where he dances up the walls and on the ceiling in his hotel room--quite the stunt. He also had a nice dance with a hat tree! While the dancing isn't as spectacular, I also enjoyed "How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life". This song and dance number with Powell had amazingly funny lyrics and is the complete antithesis of what you'd expect from the classy and polished Astaire. While it sure ain't subtle, it is entertaining. As for the rest of the songs and Powell's dancing, they are pleasant but unremarkable. Clearly, the focus is on Fred's dancing in this film.As for my summary, I certainly wouldn't consider this to be among Fred Astaire's best. This doesn't mean it's bad--but considering how amazingly perfect his films of the 30s were (such as "Top Hot" and "The Gay Divorcée"), this doesn't mean "Royal Wedding" is a bad film--it's quite enjoyable and has some great moments. Just don't watch it off Netflix or on a horrible public domain copy.By the way, this film has one of the creepiest lines in movie history when, near the end of the film, Fred and Jane tell their handler (Keenan Wynn) that "We wanna get married". They don't, thank goodness, mean to EACH OTHER (ewww) but I could see someone thinking that!

In the decade following his triumphal comeback in 1948's Easter Parade, Fred Astaire played a succession of slight variations on essentially the same character: a lifelong bachelor and a successful Broadway hoofer putting on a show, who finds time for romance with a woman half his age. Here, he and Jane Powell play a brother-sister song and dance act who separately find romance while on tour in London. The parallel romantic story lines are pretty tame and familiar stuff, and anyway, this sort of movie flies or fails on its musical numbers and this movie has a few famous ones. Fred does an elaborate dance number using a hat rack for a partner when his sister fails to show up for a shipboard rehearsal; the two dance on a rocking ship to comedic effect in a parallel to an actual event in Astaire's life; and Astaire dances on the walls and ceiling of his hotel room in the most famous number in the movie. The latter was a technical marvel at the time, requiring the cameras and crew to be bolted to a rotating frame which moved with the room as it rotated, giving the illusion that the room and camera were standing still on the ground as Astaire went up the walls and across the ceiling! A few of the stage numbers are pretty good, too, although the film loses momentum when the dancing stops. Jane Powell holds her own alongside Astaire in their numbers together, although be warned: her song numbers come from the Jeanette MacDonald school of film vocals and can leave your ears ringing from their shrillness. Enjoy the production numbers and don't expect much in between and you will not be disappointed.

ROYAL WEDDING has been finally been remastered after the terrible public domain copy that's been out for years. An thank goodness, as this is one of Freds best. Cute story of brother and sister act who get caught up in nice romantic plots. This movie is highly underrated and should be seen by every musical lover. All the songs fit well into the story, even though the numbers within the show don't make sense. What is the show about, anyway? No matter. That's not the point. Fred is always great with no exception here. The big surprise is Jane Powell. She's terrific and it's her best film. Wonderful voice and her dancing is top notch. Watch them especially in HOW COULD YOU BELIEVE ME....number. Sensational. People have been very critical of Sarah Churchill. She was a good co-star for Fred as she was more his age. If she seemed a bit stiff perhaps that's the way she was directed. She was English and the English are very cool and collect. She reminded me a bit of Deborah Kerr. Anyway, she was just fine in her limited role. Peter Lawford, was...well Peter Lawford. Keenan Wynn was his usual self in his upteenth supporting role. I think he made more movies than any other actor at MGM. The DVD has two wonderful specials, an interview with Stanley Donnen and the casting of Ellen in the film. I know Judy Garland was supposed to have been Fred's sister, but to tell you the truth, as good as Garland was, she would not have been right for this role. I'm sure she was fired for good reasons. Now I'm a Judy Garland fan, but after SUMMER STOCK, she was through, and rightly so. The only drawback to this terrific musical is that the use of rear projection is quite jarring. Too bad they didn't make a trip to good old London. Regardlaess, this is a great, great show and don't miss it.