Easter Parade (1948, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire)

Published

5 years ago

November 15, 2018

When, after rehearsing for a month, Gene Kelly broke his ankle playing touch football in his back yard, MGM producer Arthur Freed called Fred Astaire out of retirement to star in this musical about which Monthly Film Bulletin wrote, ‘Irving Berlin melodies, versatile dancing and gay (sic) humour, linked by a slender plot, are put over with a zest and skill which lovers of musical comedy will love.’

The slim but eminently suitable screenplay provided by Sidney Sheldon, Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett perfectly cast Astaire as a song-and-dance star who loses his partner Ann Miller to a new show, and in a fit of pique, announces that he will choose a chorus girl at random and make her his partner. He selects Judy Garland to play Galatea to his Pygmalion and, naturally, hard work and a few setbacks result in his protege making good – and falling in love with him. Astaire, after some not unexpected misunderstandings with Miller, finally finds true love lies with Garland…

production details
USA | 107 minutes | 1948

Director: Charles Walters
Writers: Sidney Sheldon, Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, from a story by Goodrich and Hackett

cast
Judy Garland as Hannah Brown
Fred Astaire as Don Hewes
Peter Lawford as Jonathan Harrow III
Ann Miller as Nadine Hale
Jules Munshin as Headwaiter François
Clinton Sundberg as Mike the Bartender
Richard Beavers as Singer (“The Girl on the Magazine Cover”)
Lola Albright as Hat Model / Showgirl (uncredited)
Shirley Ballard as Showgirl (uncredited)
Edward Biby as Audience Member (uncredited)
June Gale as Minor Role (uncredited)
Gail Langford as Showgirl (uncredited)
Joi Lansing as Hat Model / Showgirl (uncredited)
Robert Emmett O’Connor as Policeman (uncredited)