Customer Reviews

It's Always Fair Weather [VHS]

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Standout production about three inseperable Army buddies with big plans who on their last drunken night together after World War II vow to reunite ten years later...and can't stand each other when they do.

This really is an overlooked diamond which deserves among all others the DVD treatment for its wonderful use of 2:35:1. There is one scene which particularly suffers from the pan and scan - the musical number in which the three pals sing and dance on a tri-split screen (each thinking the same thing about the others - `Once Upon A Time I Had Two Friends...' is the song). Compositions are great all around, though. Jazzy, upbeat musical numbers and some of the greatest dance steps Gene Kelly ever pulled off (the stellar one on the roller skates `I Like Myself' which is seen briefly by Jean Reno in THE PROFESSIONAL, and a great set in the beginning where the GI's tap dance with trash can lids on their feet are particularly amazing). Cyd Charrise kicks it up with a gym full of pugs in `Baby, You Knock Me Out' and Dolores Grey for my money gives the best performance in the awesome `Thanks A Lot But No Thanks,' alternately dynamiting and gunning down her suitors...it cracks me up every time.

And the story is smart and sweet too, touching on the endurance of real friendship, the benefit of hindsight, and the healing effects of true love. Granted, like a good horse it tends to sag a little in the middle, but it comes back kicking in the end. This one is a real classic. I love it too much to give it less than four stars, but it loses one for the pan and scan.

Besides Singin' in the Rain and 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (which always get good reviews), this is a forgotten gem. I like the movie because there is some cynicism in the characters that make their transformations that much more memorable. If you don't know the basic story line, it's about 3 guys who were the BEST of friends as war buddies, decide to meet years later, and have realized that through the passage of time...now they HATE each other. Of course, it's an MGM musical, so you should know how the ending turns out.
Gene Kelly proves again that he's not only a great dancer, but a great actor, although I do believe like the other reviews that Dan Dailey does the best acting job. Michael Kidd does a good job being the simplest of the three. And don't forget the ladies, especially Cyd Charisse--I don't think she ever does anything wrong.
2 musical sequences stand out-- one is when the 3 main characters are in 3 different locations and start singing a song and the dance choreography is the same for all of them--you see 3 different screens (so they are obviously in 3 different settings) which I think was unique in the 1950's. Just an amazing sequence that makes you realize why movies are great. And the 2nd is the Gene Kelly roller skating sequence, which I feel has a bigger emotional lift considering the circumstances in the movie than his "singin' in the rain" bit of the movie of the same title. The movie's not as good as "singin' in the rain" , but if you're looking for some great musicals that they don't make anymore, I think you'll enjoy the flick.

Absolutely phenomenal! Gene Kelly proves once again that he was THE master at what he did. In his song and dance number "I Like Myself", it's a wonder he didn't break a bone! The story is fun, the songs are great, dances are awesome... what more could you ask for? Dolores Gray's character (Madeline Bradville) made me laugh at how high maintenance she is. And yet she can hit someone over the head just as good as Michael Kidd (Angie Valentine). "Baby You Knock Me Out" is also a great song to listen for. It's one of those fun, girls could know a lot about guy stuff too. I strongly recommend everyone who is or isn't a Gene Kelly fan to watch this. If you don't know who he is, this movie and "Singin' in the Rain" are a good introduction to his phenomenal dance and vocal talents. It's a shame there aren't more people like him around...

This musical, oddly neglected, is in fact a worthy companion to "Singing in the Rain" and "The Bandwagon." Gene Kelly is his usual brilliant self, and the underrated Dan Dailey and Michael Kidd almost rival him in elegant hoofing. Not only their opening dance sequence employing garbage can tops, but also that terrific scene in a fancy restaurant where these three World War II war buddies are later reunited and privately sing of their disappointment in each other rival in wit anything in the aforementioned musicals. Moreover, the photography in both these scenes surely ranks among the most imaginative ever put on screen in the service of that elongated band-aid, Cinemascope. Cyd Charisse, always beautiful, is here at last given something to do. Her singing and dancing scene with the boxers in Stillman's Gym shows her at her cinematic best. Dolores Gray as a TV host is wonderfully over the top, and TV itself as a new medium comes in for a wonderfully insightful drubbing remarkably early in its career as the boob tube. Finally ,then, only one question arises - When will this film be released in widescreen on DVD?

One of the last MGM musicals, "It's Always Fair Weather" came and went very quickly in theatres. The story of three GI's who go off to war swearing eternal friendship, only to find themselves disliking one another when they're reunited ten years later, is not so great. But when the adventures of the trio lead them to sing and dance, the movie catches fire, and it becomes a delight. Along the way, Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey and Michael Kidd perform some amazing dances (one with garbage can lids stuck to their feet) that are among the few musical numbers ever to realise the full potential of CinemaScope. Cyd Charisse is Kelly's love interest, who has an interest in boxing; she dances in a gym to "Lady, You Knock Me Out" with a bunch of grizzled boxers. Imitating their moves as she dances, Charisse never looked so feminine, and rarely looked so appealing.

The vastly underrated Dolores Gray is hysterically funny as an egotistical TV hostess who reunites the GI's for her show; her "Thanks A Lot, But No Thanks" production number has to be seen to be believed. Gray once understudied Ethel Merman, and for this reviewer's money, she was the better singer by far. Ethel's brassiness pales besides Gray's, and Gray's voice has gorgeous warm viola and cello-like notes to boot. Her "Music Is Better Than Words" is something any singer would be proud to have pulled off. It doesn't hurt Gray's appeal in her numbers that she looked a lot like Lana Turner.

The famous high point of the proceedings is Kelly's dance on roller skates to "I Like Myself". Kelly had long wanted to do such a dance, but he wanted to dispense with the usual movie-skating tricks- wheels welded in place, wires, etc. The number is rapturously in love with the possibilites he discovered in skating- there are long glides followed by tap-dancing followed by more glides, all without a cut, to prove that no trick work was going on. There's even one slyly funny moment when he skates along the edge of a sidewalk, to be confronted with the obstacle of a fire hydrant. Of course, he evades it by lifting a leg over it.

You're not going to be crazy about every second of the movie, but when everyone stops talking and the so-so plot stops for a number, you're going to feel like you got double your money's worth on this one. Fair warning- just buy it instead of renting it. It'll grow on you, and you'll find yourself watching it repeatedly- even if you do some fast-forwarding at times.

In my opinion, this, along with "Singin' in the Rain" (of course) and "The Three Musketeers" are Kelly's best works! This movie starts out right after the war, with three buddies vowing to be freinds for life. A bet brings them together 10 years later for a reunion, where they find that they have all sold out their dreams to "reality." As they rediscover their youthful idealism, they renew their friendship--voila! Happy ending! This film contains Kelly's second best dance number of all time (after, of course, the umbrella number in SITR)--while escaping from some gangsters, he ducks into a roller rink, and emerges absent-mindedly still wearing skates. When crowds of people on the street begin to stare at this guy singing and skating down the streets of Brooklyn, he just gives a shrug and starts an all-out "hey look what I can do" dance on the skates that leaves you yelling "more!" The other highlight has Cyd Charisse dancing with a gang of pugs in Stillman's gym to the tune of "Baby, You Knock me Out," and she will, too! Added to that, you've got dancers Dan Daily and Michael Kid (who also choreographed "Hello Dolly" and "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" among many others) joining Kelly in a great drunken stomp-dance with trash can lids on their feet! I think this was the last good movie musical ever made, before Hollywood had to settle for just filming stage musicals. My only regret is that this film is not letterboxed, and this badly spoils what was a concentrated effort on Kelly and Donan's part to fill up that troublesome "panovision" size screen. Some of the dance numbers really suffer from this, although fortunately not the roller-skate number.

At last, It's Always Fair Weather is available in proper widescreen in a beautifully remastered DVD. It was worth waiting for. I've always had a lot of affection for this under-rated MGM musical. While recognizing its faults, there is quite a lot to recommend this end-of-an-era production from the great Arthur Freed MGM musical unit.

By all accounts, making the film was not a happy experience for most of the participants and some of this tension shows. But, given the fairly cynical premise of the storyline, this does not always work against the finished product. It is certainly different from the frothy concoctions of An American In Paris and Singin' In The Rain, but being different is never necessarily a bad thing. And the film seems to capture the changing mood of the times when musicals were quickly falling out of favor and television was just beginning to be a major presence in everyone's lives.

This is a Gene Kelly film and everyone else is strictly support. Being a huge Gene Kelly fan, this is not a problem for me. But even in supporting roles, the rest of the cast is pretty impressive. Cyd Charisse was seldom more gorgeous or slinky but she gets a good run for her money by the incredible Delores Gray who is both comic and sexy. Kelly has two dancing partners who have no trouble keeping up with him - tall, lanky and immensely likeable Dan Daily and short, intense and extremely talented Michael Kidd. The numbers where the three of them dance together - particularly the famous dustbin lid routine - are among the best performances by male dancers in an MGM musical. Cyd Charisse gets a fabulous solo in a boxers' gym. But, like everyone else, I really regret the lack of a Kelly/Charisse dance duet. There was really no need for that omission. But unexpected joy is to be had from Delores Gray's numbers. And, of course, the best of all is Gene Kelly's solo on rollerskates - right up there with his "Singin' In The Rain" number. (Some observers have commented that the lyrics to his song "I Like Myself" are too true to be good.)

The songs themselves are ok if not especially memorable. The Comden and Green lyrics have their usual wit and just a bit of an edge. Andre Previn's music is bright and slightly jazzy, if not the usual sort of movie musical melodies. The direction by Kelly and Stanley Donen makes clever use of the widescreen of several occasions. On this new DVD, the film looks and sounds great. I suppose all that's really missing is that elusive extra special "oomph" factor. But it's still a very good film - much better than some detractors would have you believe.

There are also a few nice extras on the DVD. It's Always Fair Weather is not one of the best of the MGM musicals, but it's also a long way from being the worst.

Maybe I have a special affection because it has been so neglected over the years. I first caught it years ago in a revival theatre in New York. When it finally was shown on TV it was pan and scanned! GOD AWFUL. Never watch the VHS of this film. Seeing only two wonderful dancers when there are three is very frustrating. Thank goodness for Turner Classics for showing it properly (my copy from TCM is almost always in the machine)
Can't wait for the extras. Too bad MGM waited so long for the release. It would have been wonderful to hear the cast and Adolph Greene do commentary. Are Michael Kidd, Cyd Charisse and Betty Compton doing any? That would be nice.
Trust me and the other raters of this movie. This is a real treat.

Personally this isn't my favorite Gene Kelly movie but it's still worth a watch. This was supposed to be a follow-up to the movie On The Town. Gene Kelly even wanted his original co-stars from On the Town which were Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin. The movie stars Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Michael Kidd, Cyd Charisse, and Dolores Gray.

The movie is about three WWII buddies that decide to meet in 10 years for a reunion. Well the date finally comes and they have nothing common. They end up fighting as well. Well Cyd Charisse comes along and as a surprise she puts them on a TV show that she works for. Dolores Gray is the host of the TV show. Then the action begins. Some of the numbers are great in this movie and they include:

March, March- This is the clip where you see the three men in their war days. Also later on in this number, they go to NYC and dance with trash can lids on their feet. A very neat number.

Why Are We Here?- This is a very funny number. All three men sing this to the tune of "The Blue Danube Waltz." Personal favorite!

Music Is Better Than Words- Dolores Gray sing this number as a rehersal number for her show.

Stillman's Gym- A male chorus of boxers sing this song.

Baby, You Knock Me Out- Cyd Charisse sings (really dubbed) and dances to this number! A real stand out! One of my top-favorites of the movie!

Once Upon a Time- All three men sing to this. Another favorite!

Situation Wise- Dan Dailey sings and dances to this.

I Like Myself- Gene Kelly sings this and dances on roller skates. A great number. I think you should see this movie for this number!

Thanks a Lot, But No Thanks- Another favorite! This is a real stand out! Dolores Gray sings this number and is great! It's a shame she came to Hollywood when musicals were fading because I think she would have been a big musical star on the screen!

The Time for Parting- This is the theme song of the movie really. The three men sing this when they have to go.

As for DVD extras,

New 16x 9 widescreen transfer in 2.55:1 aspect ratio with soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1
New featurette It's Always Fair Weather: Going Out on a High Note
3 outtake musical numbers:
The Binge/Trashcan Dance (alternate takes)
Jack and the Space Giants (with Michael Kidd)
Love Is Nothing but a Racket (with Gene Kelly & Cyd Charisse)
Two segments from The MGM Parade featuring Cyd Charisse and Gene Kelly
2 classic MGM cartoons:
Deputy Droopy
Good Will to Men [16x9 2.4:1]
Audio-only bonus: I Thought They'd Never Leave outtake featuring Dolores Grey's unused vocal
Theatrical trailer
Languages: English & Français
Subtitles: English, Français & Español (feature film only)

Overall It's Always Fair Weather is an enjoyable movie but sometimes I find it rather silly. The movie is kinda bitter due to the plot. I think the great thing about this movie is the cast. Everyone is really great in their roles. If you enjoy Gene Kelly or Cyd Charisse I say rent it. This is one of the last musicals MGM made and it's a treasure in it's own way.

When the new DVD gets released I'll be first in line to view a copy, and I'll head for the deleted scenes, for IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER has always puzzled moviegoers, especially those who like the work of the Freed Unit, for its generally sour tone and seemingly slapdash narrative line. Dance lovers have always wondered why Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse never get to dance together (for example), for certainly it seems like a classic definition of a missed opportunity. Was there some original, longer version of the movie in which they shared a dance number? Such are the dreams of a disappointed cinephile, and now, thanks to the DVD revolution we find out, yes, there was, and now perhaps we will get to see it.

The plot puzzles in other ways too. It's set up so that, after a brief prologue set in 1945, the whole action of the movie is crowded into a 16 hour period--approximately. The three veterans meet at Ted's Bar at noon, it takes them about an hour to get thoroughly disenchanted with each other, and then they meet again late at night for the broadcast of "Midnight with Madeline." We know how Gene Kelly spends the intervening hours (canoodling with Cyd Charisse and discovering his pug is planning to throw the big fight, then running from the Mob), and we also know what Dan Dailey has been doing (getting drunk and insulting everyone at the advertising agency); but when Michael Kidd shows his face at the broadcast it's almost like we don't even recognize him, he's been absent from the movie for so long. We know from surrounding dialogue that Dolores Gray has kept him busy all day and all evening, but it's not the same as show not tell. Well, now we find out there's a deleted scene with Michael Kidd in it . . . Hope it answers all my questions!

Is the movie too sour? It was a brave move, to suggest that the realities of US 1950s had clouded the sunny optimism of 1945, and you can almost feel the filmmakers congratulating themselves for their chic pessimism; the movie has the weary glamor of Sartre and De Beuavoir sitting around Les Deux Magots wearing berets and bemoaning the atom bomb and Algerian affairs. Is Dolores Gray too camp? It seems to me she represents something of the horror with which American men viewed women in the media--phony, sexed-up, willing to sell their souls for a bit of evanescent popularity. Even the runs and trills in Gray's voice, from high octave squeaks to low rumbles as of a pokey steam engine, seem totally artificial, designed to allure, to vamp, to deceive. The movie is all about deceit--Dan Dailey deceiving himself that not going to Europe and becoming an ad man was a smart thing to do; Michael Kidd giving up his dreams of Cordon Bleu haute cuisine and opening up a burger joint (pathetically enough, called the "Cordon Bleu") in Schnectady, New York, a "comical" name milked in the movie so that every time it's pronounced the audience is expected to hoot.