And it provides a showcase for the fashions of the day and the talents of rita hayworth and a bevy of models. Cover girl 1944 film good news 1947 film 2 on 1 jerome kern ira gershwin phil silvers joan mccracken june allyson b. The songs are by ira gershwin and jerome kern, with supporting actors phil silvers, lee bowman, otto kruger, and eve arden rounding out the superb cast. Rita hayworth and gene kelly star in one of the most lavish and. Cover girl is a 1944 movie in which hollywood embraces the business of fashion. Ive been watching cover girl since my early childhood, because i always fancied myself desperately in love with mister kelly. Gene kelly and frank sinatra if you knew susie duration. As tony thomas writes in the films of gene kelly, in the history of the hollywood musical cover girl marks a major turning point, a transitional point at which the longfamiliar concept of the film musical as a string of songs strung together by a skimpy plot gave way to a broader concept in which the musical sequences would form a part of the plot. Rita hayworth was, at the time, american gis favorite pinup, or at least a close second to betty grable. Love is better than ever gene kelly cameo appearance at 21 restaurant 1952 its a big country. Performed by gene kelly and rita hayworth dubbed by martha mears. In its freshness, cover girl also sowed the seeds for the sublime exuberance of the genres best works of the 1950s. Nov 22, 2016 nightclub dancer rusty hayworth has a happy life performing at her boyfriend dannys kelly club in brooklyn, but her whole world changes once she wins a prestigious cover girl contest.
Cast and crew credits for cover girl, 1944, directed by charles vidor, with rita hayworth, gene kelly, lee bowman, at turner classic movies. Old hollywood movies golden age of hollywood hollywood stars classic hollywood vintage movies old movies i movie movie stars movie theater. Mayer didnt have much use for him at his own studio. Cover girl 1944 was a lavish technicolor musical with a theatrical background, and showcased columbia pictures top star, rita hayworth and became much more than that due to the chemistry between rita hayworth and costar gene kelly, the innovative choreography of gene kelly and stanley donen, and the musical. Gene kelly was still a relative newcomer to hollywood, having scored big the previous year with judy garland in for me and my gal. Dec 15, 2010 gene kelly in cover girl 1944 alter ego dance sequence. Rent cover girl 1944 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Cover girl, gene kelly and rita hayworths breakout film. Released 1944, cover girl stars rita hayworth, gene kelly, eve arden, lee bowman the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 47 min, and received a score of out of 100 on metacritic, which assembled. The film tells the story of a chorus girl given a chance at. Kelly plays the owner of a small nightclub in brooklyn where rita is a featured dancer and phil silvers the comic. There is a typed slip on the back identifying the photo. Rusty parker wins a contest and becomes a celebrated cover girl. Nothing special at all, though a decent amount of charm, lush technicolour photography, and some clever choreography save it from mediocrity.
Cover girl 1944 when a man loves a woman percy sledge gene kelly my video cover girl percy sledge i heard this song while working on the last vid and immediately thought of this movie gene looked lovesick the whole movie. The masters of cinema series is proud to present the film for the first time on. Cover girl 1944 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Cover girl was a crucial turning point in gene kellys career. Cover girl, with rita hayworth and gene kelly, at the music hall her primitve man is seen at loews state theatre. Gene kelly reprised his role as danny mcguire in xanadu 1980, his last movie role. Selznick sold half of kelly s contract to metrogoldwynmayer for his first motion picture. Memorable quotes and exchanges from movies, tv series and more. Columbia borrowed the young gene kelly from mgm and gave him free rein with his own sections of the movie. Rita hayworth plays a smalltime performer in gene kelly s smalltime night club in brooklyn. This was gene kelly s breakthrough role, and that alone makes it memorable. It offers an opportunity to take a look at the modeling businesps, then burgeoning but still in its infancy. Feb, 2012 leslie brooks, eve arden, gene kelly and rita hayworth in cover girl 1944 directed by charles vidor with this picture, the forties musical seemed to have found a forwardlooking identity.
Gene kelly about to dance with his own reflection to the song alter ego in cover girl. Cover girl is pleasant and likeable enough, but in comparison to the other great movie musicals of the time it just feels dated, even forgettable. Come for rita hayworth, stay for gene kelly dancing with his astral projectionsubconscious. It is about a dancer who wants to be a cover girl and makes it big in show business. Some film historians date the moment the three of them push back from the counter and start to. Its hard to imagine a man who performed on broadway and in some of the most iconic movie musicals in history saying he never wanted to be a dancer. Aug 23, 2012 gene kellys stunning talent and grace made him one of the greatest dancers of all time. Xanadu is a 1980 american musical fantasy film written by richard christian danus and marc reid rubel, and directed by robert greenwald. Then the stars were in alignment, and the movie began, though costumes. She does it without the help of her talented dancerdirector boyfriend gene kelly. Cover girl is a 1944 american technicolor musical film starring rita hayworth and gene kelly. Cover girl is a midlevel musical with some memorable song and dance numbers put me to the test and cover girl. Frank sinatra, betty garrett, gene kelly and esther williams in take me out to the ball game 1949 duration.
The film stars olivia newtonjohn, gene kelly in his final film role, and michael beck, and features music by newtonjohn, electric light orchestra, cliff richard, and the tubes. Cover girl, with rita hayworth and gene kelly, at the. What is it about gene kelly that can make any plot for any movie work. Dance partner and love interest, gene kelly who also served as an uncredited choreographer with stanley donen becomes jealous when her rising celebrity clashes with his ambition. In truth, the film has a banal and predictable premise.
The 36year gap between films, from 1944 to 1980, is the longest gap in film history for a movie character played in two separate films by the same actor. One hundred years ago today, a dance legend was born. Cover girl 1944 song and tap dance featuring two of the best, gene kelly and rita hayworth. Gene kelly biography, movie highlights and photos allmovie. Rent cover girl 1944 starring rita hayworth and gene kelly on dvd and bluray. Rita hayworth and gene kelly star in this technicolor musical laced with wartime escapism. Gene kelly was loaned out to do it when mgm boss l. Notes about cover girl, 1944, directed by charles vidor, with rita hayworth, gene kelly, lee bowman, available from turner classic movies. Hayworth will always be remembered for gilda, however, the next movie would be cover girl. After cover girl, mgm would never allow kelly to act in another studios picture as long as he was on contract.
With rita hayworth, gene kelly, lee bowman, phil silvers. Gene kelly in cover girl 1944 alter ego dance sequence. Rita hayworth plays chorus line dancer rusty parker. Cover girl 1944 a lavish technicolor musical with a theatrical background, cover girl 1944 was a showcase for columbias top star, rita hayworth. He is best known for anchors aweigh 1945, on the town 1949, an american in paris 1951, and especially singin in the rain 1952. Cover girl also became rita hayworths signature film for the gis and their pinup fantasies during world war ii. He is probably best known today for his performances in musicals, notably an american in paris 1951 and singin in the rain 1952. Gene kelly, american dancer, actor, choreographer, and motionpicture director whose athletic style of dancing, combined with classical ballet technique, transformed the movie musical. Cover girl is a musical film made in 1944, directed by charles vidor and starring rita hayworth, gene kelly and a young phil silvers.
One of the most lavish and successful hollywood musicals of the 1940s, charles vidor s cover girl is a breathtaking spectacle that established its stars rita hayworth gilda, the lady from. Along with fred astaire, gene kelly was the most successful songanddance man in film history, a towering figure in the development and enduring success of the movie musical. Thanks to its jerome kernira gershwinyip harburg score and the luminescence of stars rita hayworth and gene kelly, cover girl has taken on a legendary status in recent years. Cover girl 1944 movie clip open, show must go on fleshy technicolor opening with a song by jerome kern and ira gershwin, featuring star rita hayworth and supporting player leslie brooks, from cover girl, 1944, also starring gene kelly. When she enters a contest and is selected as the cover girl, she attains instant fame. Topflight dancers such as gene kelly and fred astaire were not the worlds greatest actors, but their dancing is why you go to see them. Kelly starts to prove himself a master of dance with his alterego number.
As almost a dress rehearsal for the musical number singin in the rain performed eight years later, cover girl features gene kelly s character sings such lyrics as, what if it rains and it pours. He is best known for anchors aweigh 1945, on the town 1949, an american in paris 1951, and. Gene kelly 19121996 was an american dancer, actor, singer, director, producer and choreographer whose work in motion pictures spans from 1942 to 1996. Vintage original 1944 cover girl movie still photo gene. Born august 23, 1912, in pittsburgh, pa, he initially studied economics, funding his education by working alternately as a soda jerk and a brick layer. The lavish technicolor extravaganza cover girl 1944 is a landmark in hollywood musical history. The photo measures 8 x 10 and is on thick photo paper. Gene kelly full list of movies and tv shows in theaters, in production and upcoming films. It is my understanding that he demurred against brigadoon because he realized it required semioperatic singing.
Hayworth had made two films with astaire that she treasured. The film tells the story of a chorus girl given a chance at stardom when she is offered an opportunity to be a highly paid cover girl. Gene kelly, along with fred astaire, was never a vocalist. He was given complete control for the first time, and he ran with it, choreographing his own songs, remodeling soundstages to fit his dances, the whole deal. Gene kelly dances with jerry of tom and jerry in anchors aweigh 1945, an iconic performance, which changed at least one critics opinion of kelly s skills. The film was directed by charles vidor, and was one of the most popular musicals of the war years. Gene kelly s stunning talent and grace made him one of the greatest dancers of all time. Cast included rita hayworth, gene kelly, les bowman, and phil silvers. For cover girl 1944, columbia was looking for a singer and dancer to play rita hayworths love interest, and mgm lent gene kelly for the picture. He is probably best known today for his performances in musicals, notably an american in paris 1951 and singin in the rain 1952 kelly made his hollywood film debut in for me and my gal 1942, costarring with judy garland. You are bidding on an original vintage cover girl photo.
The 38 hottest celebrity dads gene with his wife actress betsy blair who was brilliant in the movie marty with ernest borgnine who won an academy award for his role in it. But defying normal expectations was just gene kelly. Kelly made his hollywood film debut in for me and my gal. A nonmgm musical which was hugely successful at the box office, the movie features songs by jerome kern and ira gershwin and was one of. Cover girl is a 1944 american technicolor comedy musical film starring rita hayworth and gene kelly. Gene kelly with wife betsy blair and their daughter kerry at an ice follies performance, father knows best.
Vintage original 1944 cover girl movie still photo gene kelly. And virtually every nook and corner is draped with beautiful girls. Arriving in hollywood from broadway in the 1940s, gene kelly seemed in many ways to be the opposite of the previous decades dance icon, fred astaire. More interesting than the films musical elements is its existence as a breakout movie for both gene kelly and rita hayworth. Rita hayworth as rusty parker is the cover girl du jourshes one of the dancing girls in danny mcguires club, the most special one according to danny gene kelly and pretty much anyone who comes across her. Cover girl is the best musical rita hayworth ever made. Thanks to its jerome kernira gershwinyip harburg score and the luminescence of stars rita hayworth and gene kelly, cover girl. That it became much more than that is due to the chemistry between hayworth and costar gene kelly, the innovative choreography of kelly and stanley donen, and the musical score by jerome kern and ira gershwin, which yielded at least one standard. Along with performerp801fred astairefredastaire, gene kelly was the most successful songanddance man in film history, a towering figure in the development and enduring success of the movie musical. As usual in kelly films, there is a wonderful trick dance in cover girl 1944, a columbia pictures presentation directed by charles vidor, that was years, years ahead of its time. He was able to deliver a song on key and with conviction. He does very well with cover girl and singing in the rain.
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