Product Details

• Actors: Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Adolphe Menjou, Isobel Elsom, Leslie Brooks
• Directors: William A. Seiter
• Writers: Carlos A. Olivari, Delmer Daves, Ernest Pagano, Michael Fessier, Sixto Pondal Ríos
• Producers: Louis F. Edelman
• Format: Black & White, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Subtitles: English, Japanese
• Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
• Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
  PLEASE NOTE: Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click .
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: May 25, 2004
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001LJCRA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,771 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "You Were Never Lovelier" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The devil is in the details when it comes to this effervescent Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth musical. The slight storyline is a hook upon which to hang dance sequences, bits of humor, and songs by Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer. Set in Buenos Aires, it's a remake of an Argentine feature from the previous year and followed You'll Never Get Rich. Astaire stars as a professional hoofer and Hayworth is Adolphe Menjou's second oldest daughter. The wealthy businessman won't let his youngest daughters marry until Maria (Hayworth) ties the knot. She couldn't care less--until a case of mistaken identity leads her to believe that Robert (Astaire) is in love with her (he's just looking for a job at her father's club). Highlights include a tap dance set to "Shorty George" and the Oscar®-nominated "Dearly Beloved," which is sung by both leads (with Hayworth dubbed by Nan Wynn). --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

A remake of an Argentine film 'the Gay Senorita , YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER was a follow-up to the 1942 hit You'll Never Get Rich , and marked the last screen pairing of Astaire and Hayworth. In YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER, she proves once again to be a stunning dancer, especially in 'shorty George and I m Old Fashioned, a sensuous moonlit duet with Astaire that is the high point of the film. LikeAstaire, Hayworth was a perfectionist and they spent days going over each number. It was difficult to find sufficient rehearsal space on Columbia's stages, so the studio rented a funeral parlor at a nearby Hollywood cemetery. Every time a funeral came through, rehearsals would stop until the last of the mourners had left! Their perfectionism paid off, however, in elegant and precise dance sequences. The score received an Academy Award(r) nomination, along with nominations for Best Sound and BestSong ( Dearly Beloved ) by Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer. Hayworth wanted to do her own singing, but her voice was dubbed by Nan Wynna well-kept secret at the time. Nevertheless, Hayworth has goneon record saying that YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER was the favorite of all her films, second only to You'll Never Get Rich .

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 106 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars OUTSTANDING TRANSFER OF A SPARKLING MUSICAL! May 25, 2004

By Nix Pix

Format:DVD

After their resounding success in "You'll Never Get Rich" it remained kismet that Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth would reunite for another glossy film musical. The project; "You Were Never Lovelier" is a valiant successor to the aforementioned and, in truth, excels beyond the expectations of their previous venture. Astaire plays a penniless hoofer from New York who, through a series of mishaps, comes to the attention of Senior Acuna (Adolph Menjou) while on a vacation in Buenos Aires. Acuna has just married off his oldest daughter and, as his family tradition dictates, the rest of his daughters must get married in sequential order. The two youngest daughters are already fixed with a pair of tennis beaux, but the eldest unmarried daughter, Maria (Hayworth) is not only an ice princess of the highest order, but refuses to marry under any circumstance. That is, until she begins receiving orchids from an unknown admirer. The score by Jerome Kern is magnificent; the poignant `Dearly Beloved', the jazzy `Shorty George' and the classy `I'm Old Fashion'. The latter two songs are danced by Astaire and Hayworth with such polish and finesse that it's impossible not to marvel at their grace and style.
THE TRANSFER: Outstanding. While "You'll Never Get Rich" suffered from an overall dated appearance, "You Were Never Lovelier" appears to have been the benefactor of a digital restoration at some point. It's black and white picture is stunning and smooth. There are brief and minor occasions where fine details slightly shimmer, but these do not distract from your visual pleasure. Fine detail is fully realized. There is a resounding absence of age related artifacts. Digital anomalies are not an issue. The audio is mono but exceptionally well balanced - at times sounding very close to having a stereo spread.
EXTRAS: Sorry, none!
BOTTOM LINE: "You Were Never Lovelier" has certainly never looked more lovely than in its DVD incarnation. An absolute must have for your library!

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer...And "I'm Old Fashioned" April 3, 2006

By C. O. DeRiemer TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:DVD

In some of Fred Astaire's movies there's only one excellent reason to watch, and that's to watch Fred Astaire. In You Were Never Lovelier there are three other excellent reasons. Rita Hayworth. Jerome Kern. Johnny Mercer. The four of them have concocted a romantic and funny South American fable that features some great dancing by both Astaire and Hayworth and some memorable songs by Kern and Mercer.

Eduardo Acuna (Adolphe Menjou), a wealthy Buenos Aires businessman, has four beautiful daughters, and in the Acuna family they must marry in age order. The eldest fulfills her responsibilities and the two youngest have beaus they're now anxious to share vows with. But the second eldest, Maria (Rita Hayworth) is in no hurry. She wants romance and charm and the men she meets are just panting boys. Then she sees Robert Davis (Fred Astaire), a very charming, down-on-his-luck dancer, singing Dearly Beloved at her elder sister's wedding. He tries to chat her up; she stares him down. Then the plot intervenes. Before long she knows what she wants. Robert knows what he wants. Eduardo Acuna knows what he doesn't want...a down-on-his-luck dancer in the family. From then on it's songs, dances, romance and misunderstandings, which moves into songs, dances and romance. The plot feels sluggish at times and there's way too much Xavier Cugat and his orchestra, but Astaire and Hayworth are at their peak, Kern has written some memorable melodies and few could top Mercer at lyric writing, none in Hollywood.

Hayworth not only was a gorgeous creature, she was a gifted dancer; many think she was the best Astaire worked with. Technically, she not only handled the steps Astaire created, she did so without a hint of effort. After you've watched the dances a couple of times, go back and watch again, but this time concentrate on her face and her hand and arm action. She gives every indication of being utterly relaxed and enjoying herself, even in the fast tap routines. She seems naturally to find the most graceful attitude for an extended arm, a turn of her head, a raised hand. She may not be quite as good as Astaire, but she's good enough.

Among the stand-out routines are:

--The Audition Dance. Robert shows up at Acuna's office and demands a chance to show his stuff as a dancer. From there Astaire takes off on a fast tap routine that takes him all over the floor, onto Acuna's desk, the sofa and chairs. He works into the dance a cane, a rug, the drapes and Acuna's head.

--I'm Old Fashioned. This is probably the best romantic wooing dance Astaire did. It's all fluid motion and spontaneous recognition, danced on the elegant, polished outdoor landing of Acuna's mansion. Rita Hayworth is a vision, and matches him step for step. We move from Maria declaring with humor and assurance that Robert's the man for her, to Robert's protestation that he's just a guy from Omaha, Nebraska, to the dance that brings them closer and closer together until we know through the dance that a love match has just happened. The funny exit through the doors and back into the living-room, bumping into each other, each giving way, bumping again and then going in together arm in arm hits just the right note. The dance works so well in part because Kern and Mercer came up with a classic:

I'm old fashioned,

I love the moonlight,

I love the old fashioned things.

The sound of rain

Upon a window pane,

The starry song that April sings.

This year's fancies

Are passing fancies

But sighing sighs, holding hands,

These my heart understands.

I'm old fashioned

But I don't mind it.

That's how I want to be,

As long as you agree,

To stay old fashioned with me.

--The Shorty George. This fast tap routine starts out with Maria visiting Robert at a rehearsal. He sings The Shorty George and she takes a couple of lines. He looks surprised that she knows the song. He starts to dance and invites her to join him. Hayworth stays right with Astaire and looks like she's having the time of her life.

--You Were Never Lovelier. Robert declares his feelings for Maria, but more misunderstandings occur. Finally, everything is resolved. Robert shakes off some knight's armor he was wearing (there is sort of a reason) and appears below Maria's bedroom window in black tie. She rushes down...and off they go dancing while all the members of the Acuna family look on approvingly. And the Johnny Mercer lyrics and Jerome Kern music brings us to the happy end:

You were never lovelier, you were never so fair;

Dreams were never lovelier,

Pardon me if I stare.

Down the sky the moonbeams fly to light your face;

I can only say they chose the proper place.

You were never lovelier, and to coin a new phrase,

I was never luckier

In my palmiest days.

Make a note, and you can quote me, honor bright,

You were never lovelier than you are tonight.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth shine in this great musical February 7, 1999

By A Customer

Format:VHS Tape

If you love Fred Astaire musicals you'll love this movie! Like many of his films there are many great songs you can sing along to and dance scenes that continue to amaze. Fred Astaire plays a man who gets put in a sticky situation, with Rita Hayworth, which in turn leads to love and trouble. Singing and dancing his way through he ends up on top. If you are a true fan you will love this movie, and if this is a first you'll be hooked for life.