Let's Dance

Let's Dance finds Fred Astaire teamed with Betty Hutton professionally in an act. And the plot of the story revolves around Astaire trying to make it a romantic partnership as well.

In fact he announces to the audience at a USO show during World War II that he'd like to marry his partner. Small problem though Hutton tells Astaire in the dressing room. She's already slightly married some months earlier in a whirlwind romance. The act gets broken up as well.

Flash forward to five years later. Hutton is a war widow raising her young son Gregory Moffett in some affluent Boston surroundings presided over by her husband's mother Lucile Watson. Watson is a wealthy WASP dowager who's just about gotten used to the fact that her son married an entertainer, but she insists that her grand kid be raised as a proper Bostonian. Not for Betty who's bored stiff with polite society. She takes off with Moffett.

In New York she hooks up again with Fred, but it's romantic rocky road with a couple of detours for Fred it's Ruth Warrick and for Betty, Sheppard Strudwick.

I don't think that there was any surprise that there was no demand for the return of the team of Astaire and Hutton. They perform their numbers well although I agree with other reviewers that the film is tilted for Betty from the gitgo. The fact that this was her home studio of Paramount no doubt helped there. I do agree that composer Frank Loesser having dealt with Betty before wrote for her. He had already given her I Wish I Didn't Love You So from The Perils of Pauline. Loesser himself was getting his songwriting career into high gear. He had just had a big Broadway smash in Where's Charley and would the following year have his biggest hit of all with Guys and Dolls.

Nothing here was nominated for an Academy Award. Can't Stop Talking About Him is Betty's best number, definitely in her style. Fred looks a little silly trying to keep up with her. He's shown to best advantage in the piano dance, dancing on a Steinway and in a hoedown western style dance number with Betty in Them Dudes Were Doing Our Dance.

Some interesting casting here. Two guys who usually were villains in films play good guys with Barton MacLane as the gruff, but kindly club owner where Astaire and Hutton are playing and George Zucco as the judge before whom the custody battle is fought. Lucile Watson is her usual imperious self and has a crack legal team at her disposal with Roland Young and Melville Cooper.

Let's Dance was a good film for Betty Hutton. It didn't do too much for Fred Astaire however.

This film was hurried into production to take advantage of Fred Astaire's availability, part of the agreement MGM signed with Paramount in order to get Betty Hutton on loan to do "Annie Get Your Gun" at Metro. It is such standard fare that it pales when one thinks of Hutton's great triumph earlier in the year with "Annie." She and Fred Astaire were poorly matched given his sophistication and her frenetic singing and dancing. If only the musical comedy had some decent songs it could have gotten by on those alone. Unfortunately, there are few songs and they are mostly unforgettable, save Astair's dance routine on, over and under a grand piano and with a hat rack. There is a comedy song and dance number, "Them Thar Dudes" in which the two stars dress up as a couple of western dudes - both with fake mustaches - and sing and dance a fun and funny number. However, Astaire looks positively pained having to slum as low as this while Hutton steals the song because it is up her alley. There is an embarrassing number for Hutton when she starts singing a love song while her dress - in the rear - gets overheated. This film shows how brilliant Hutton was when she was given good material. The most accessible, direct and embracing singing voice of her time, Betty Hutton always surpassed her material when singing but, as with this film, was given to slapstick and overacting when clearly a director did not have control over her. Such is the fate of this film.

The film is engaging because it has at its core the old "mother running with her child from the evil relatives while the Knight is on his way and may or may not make it in time" plot. Because of the material Hutton comes off as Hutton while Astaire suffers badly, saved the minute he begins to tap his feet or open his mouth to sing. Two legends in a mediocre film make it a must see if you are a fan of either or both of the legends.

This is another example of how entertaining movies could be! I loved seeing Betty with Fred, and it sure made me realize that Astaire was much more than a dancer. The affection between the two stars is apparent at every turn and you could actually imagine that they could have been a couple in real life. I loved the fact that this time Betty is a 'Mom' and the child who plays her son is a delight. The story line is nothing new, but the songs and the dancing is fantastic. As with movies from this era, the supporting cast is just wonderful and I loved seeing Ruth Warwick, what a beauty! She was another underrated actress of the time. The clothes are beautiful and best of all the whole family can sit and watch! If you enjoy the musical comedies of the golden age of Hollywood, than don't pass this one by-

I don't know what movie others are watching BUT! Just watch the opening number and you can see the chemistry between Astaire and Hutton! Them dudes will blow you away at how original it is and I do not see anyone doing this number today. Sure it's not hard drama but Astaire movies usually are not meant to be so. Astaire is and will be one of the greatest dancers ever! Not my opinion but fact. Perhaps those who trash this movie just like it because Hutton has top billing, coming off her success in Annie get your gun. Your either a Hutton fan or not and for me this is one of those hidden jems! Watch it and judge for yourself and at a very reasonable price on a certain jungle site it is worth the money! TRUST ME!

The movie only gives us about five musical numbers, but they are each wonderful. "Them Dudes Are Stealing Our Dance" has to rank in the top ten of best musical numbers for both of them. There really isn't any romantic chemistry between Astaire and Hutton. She was 30 years old and Astaire was 51. I suspect the age difference was the problem, he really was old enough to be her father. The plot is a little too simplistic and there aren't many surprises. Betty is more interested in keeping her child from the hands of a vindictive mother-in-law than in her romance with stock broker-entertainer Astaire. What is great in the film is Betty Hutton's performance. She is hilarious, energetic and in super form dancing and singing. She did it between "Annie Get Your Gun" and "The Greatest Show on Earth". If you liked her in those movies, you'll like her here. The film is light and fluffy and entertaining as hell.