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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dancing as an Equal, July 17, 2004
This review is from: Let's Dance [VHS] (VHS Tape)
It was with mixed expectations that I bought and watched this movie. One reviewer said Betty was no Ginger and another said Betty was so good you watched her instead of Fred. As a long- time lover of musicals I must agree with the latter opinion. Fred's other partners (Ginger, Judy and Cyd come to mind) were women who made it their business to blend as smoothly as possible into Fred's style, highlighting his moves so that you were more liable to watch him than his women. They knew how to disappear (as women did in those days)into the male's technique. But Betty does it differently. She dances with Fred as an equal and because she is so darned good, you do indeed watch her instead of him. It's almost as if he had the flu the entire movie. His cocky swagger and seductive smile are missing. His solo pieces are half-assed and his partnered dances make him seem thrown for a loss. He appears to not know how to dance with a woman who takes up the same space he does. Had Betty been Gene or Donald, there would have been no problem; Fred would have known how to relate. You can see the proof of this in the Cowboy number where Betty is a cowpoke. That being said, a sickly Fred is better than almost anyone else on a good day. I had to laugh when the greatgrandma calls Astaire "young man." Fred looked 40 at age 20 and 40 at age 60! Betty is delightful in this movie. I didn't remember how beautiful she was. Ginger danced as if she practiced hard and has finally got it just right. Betty is a natural who expresses joy in every step and so looks spontaneous. The movie's worth watching, esp for the opening number. Betty acts better than Grable or Lana Turner, substituting their saccarine flavor with genuine sweetness. Her "over the top" behavior in other movies gives one pause. This came to define her and serious roles were then denied her. Pity. One wonders why she undermined herself as an actress in that way. Perhaps she never knew she was that good. What did "blond bombshells" do back then? What they were told, I'm sure. There was Mae West and Marilyn, two who attempted to carve their own path through Hollywood and both succeeded but at great cost. Betty shoulda been a contender, and this movie shows it.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Mixed Bag, November 21, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Let's Dance [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Fred Astaire and Betty Hutton team up for this "good, but not great" type of movie. On the positive side, Astaire and Hutton are energetic and delightful as a pair of former lovers trying to keep Hutton's son out of the hands of his great-grandmother.The supporting cast is fine, and the script is both witty and moving at the same time. However, this film has one fatel flaw that has kept it from becoming better known. The songs and dances just aren't that good. AND THIS IS A MUSICAL! Astaire is alright during "Jack and the Beanstock" and the "Piano Dance," but it's not comparable to his work in "Swing Time" or "Funny Face." The rest of the songs and dances are just awful, strange, since this material was done by the usualy reliable Frank Loesser. All in all, this movie can entertain an audience, but never make them stand up and say: "Wow, that was fantastic." And that is the difference between a good movie and a great one.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Heart-warming, funny and, of course, great dancing!, February 19, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Let's Dance [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Fred Astaire is superb as a dancer and comedian in this enchanting comedy. Betty Hutton is hilarious as the comedic would-be partner of Astaire. Astair's "piano dance" is the outstanding favorite of this film. However, Hutton's song and dance routine which ends with her jumping into a lake with her backside smoldering will have you in stitches. I highly recommend this heart warming film for whole families.
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