L'inarrivabile felicità

I have to differ with the viewer who feels that though Rita Hayworth was a marvelous dancer she did not measure up to Ginger Rogers as the partner of Fred Astaire. Rita's dancing was so graceful that she was the perfect match for the stupendous Astaire. Her beauty in this movie is a thing to behold. Now after all these years we can only wish that they included a bunch of other dances instead of all the silliness. How can it be that such a lovely as Rita would have such a difficult life? I wonder if the talented Hayworth ever realized that it would be her early dancing that would really be her lasting legacy and if she did would she have given us more to appreciate for the years. Watching her dance as a young woman is a joy that will be repeated for generations.

Barely five minutes into the film and only thirty seconds long, a small jewel is not to be missed in this vintage 1941 musical, as it ranks among the best dance numbers to be seen from the golden age of Hollywood. It's where Fred Astaire casually asks Rita Hayworth to follow him on a complex tap routine set to Cole Porter's "Boogie Barcarole". That Astaire performs flawlessly is to be expected, but the stunning 23-year old Hayworth is startling in her precision and élan. Not only is she absurdly beautiful in her crisp rehearsal togs, but she matches Astaire step for step with unbridled confidence and with her long, gorgeous gams perfectly synchronized with his. The rest of the number, performed with an army of similarly dressed dancers, is not nearly as interesting especially since the fusion between boogie-woogie and classical feels forced.

The movie itself, directed by Sidney Lanfield and written by Michael Fessier and Ernest Pagano, is a silly mistaken identity affair that feels lifted from one of Astaire's earlier pairings with Ginger Rogers and then retrofitted into a military theme. Hardly a stretch, he plays Bob Curtis, a Broadway dancer and choreographer who works for philandering producer Martin Cortland, played by Algonquin wit Robert Benchley. Cortland has his eyes on chorus dancer Sheila Winthrop and attempts to give her a diamond bracelet until his wife Julia mistakes the gift for her. He pretends the bracelet is from Curtis, which of course, leads to larger complications, especially when Curtis gets drafted and his superior officer turns out to be Sheila's intended fiancé. Off the dance floor and in her first leading role, Hayworth, already in her 38th film, is charming as Sheila, although Frieda Inescort easily steals all her scenes as the deadpan Julia, a perfect match to the acerbic Benchley.

Lowbrow comic shenanigans are interspersed with the Robert Alton-choreographed musical numbers. The highlights are an impressive Astaire tap solo set to "Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye" and two more duets with Hayworth - the alluring rumba, "So Near and Yet So Far", and the infectious "Wedding Cake Walk" where the pair get married amid a dress-alike chorus, do a mean Harlem shuffle and tap-dance atop a white cake shaped like a tank. In fact, opening two months before Pearl Harbor, the film portends the upcoming war with patriotic ensemble numbers like "Shootin' the Works for Uncle Sam". The 2003 DVD includes trailers for this film as well as two classic Hayworth vehicles, the career-defining Gilda, and future husband Orson Welles' pulp classic, The Lady from Shanghai. The movie is very lightweight, but Astaire's artistry is always worthwhile in any setting, and it's easy to see why Hayworth became the fantasy figure of many an American soldier.

"You'll Never Get Rich" is a 1941 film starring Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Robert Benchley, and a very large cast. Benchley plays Martin Cortland, a producer who chases around on his wife (Frieda Inescort) and sets his sights on Sheila (Hayworth), who is in his current show along with Robert Curtis (Astaire). When his wife suspects, Martin has Robert take Sheila out and present her with a diamond bracelet that Martin actually purchased for her but that his wife found in his pocket. Martin then pretends he bought it for Robert to give to Sheila. Sheila angrily refuses it, and when Robert goes to her place to explain, he comes face to face with her boyfriend, whom he thinks is her brother - whoever he is, he has a gun in his hand. Robert finds himself drafted and, desperate to get in and avoid Sheila's boyfriend, pads himself with the 5 extra pounds he needs to get into the service. He then spends just about the rest of the film in the guard house until the grand finale - and even then, he's returned to the guard house.

That's the story and admittedly, it's not much. There are some very good dance numbers, but the thing about the film that's special is the partnership of Astaire and Hayworth. They are marvelous together. Supposedly Rita was his favorite partner, and it's easy to see why. She doesn't dance; she floats, and she's so gloriously beautiful, you can't take your eyes off of her. Fred and Rita dance to the "Boogie Barcarole," "So Near Yet So Far," and "The Wedding Cake Walk," sung by Martha Tilton for Rita. Fred's solos include "Shootin' the Work for Uncle Sam," and "Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye." It's hard to go wrong with stars like Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth, and while this isn't the best film of either one of them, it's still enjoyable.

Impresario Martin Cortland has a big crush on the showgirl Sheila Winthrop.Her wife may not like that.Mrs. Susan Cortland happens to find a diamond bracelet with Sheila's name on it.He tells a lie that choreographer Robert Curtis bought that to her.They all go out together, which suits Sheila just fine, since she has a crush on Robert.But she starts loathing him after she finds out the game they were playing.Robert notices he has feelings for Sheila.Then Uncle Sam wants him and he is drafted into the army, where he gets in and out of prison.But they'll meet again.Sidney Lanfield's You'll Never Get Rich (1941) is a wonderful wartime picture.It has the brilliant score by Cole Porter.This was the first movie that teamed Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth.What a great pair they make! Fred even made Rita his favorite dancing partner, before Ginger Rogers.He even knew her father before she was born, as they were dancers on the New York City vaudeville circuit.The movies she made with Fred were Rita's own personal favorites.Robert Benchley does a great job as the womanizing impresario.Frieda Inescort is marvelous as his wife.Osa Massen is very good as his new girl Sonya.John Hubbard is terrific as Captain Tom Barton.Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams is terrific as Kewpie Blain.And so is Cliff Nazarro as Swivel Tongue 'Swiv'.Donald MacBride is magnificent as Top Sergeant.This romantic musical comedy is very entertaining, and often very funny.I had most fun watching that restaurant scene, where they're trying to convince Mrs. Cortland that Sheila is Robert's girl.Also the double-talk routine by Cliff Nazarro at the train station is funny.Or him trying to get some water to Robert as others are trying to sleep.Astaire in a captain's uniform is quite hilarious.And when he goes AWOL.And you could never get bored of watching Fred Astaire's tap dancing.

Though the 42 year old Fred Astaire was certainly not eligible for the peacetime draft still he plays the would be soldier very well in You'll Never Get Rich. Leaving Rita Hayworth is certain to be a problem though.

The first peacetime draft in American history forms the background for this film in the same way as Universal's Abbott and Costello classic, Buck Privates. You'll Never Get Rich bares some resemblance to Buck Privates in the comedy portions of the film though it does stay away from the burlesque aspects that Abbott and Costello brought to it.

Remember this is a Fred Astaire film and in the plot it has a lot of resemblance to what Astaire had been recently doing over at RKO with Ginger Rogers. The same kind of kittenish romantic complications with humorist Robert Benchley taking the Eric Blore/Victor Moore part as the one who causes all the problems.

The dance numbers bear a strong resemblance to the routines Astaire did with Rogers. But here he is being brought over to Columbia to showcase the woman who would be Columbia Picture's mealticket for the next decade and a half.

Rita Hayworth was just coming into her own as a box office attraction when this film was done. On the dance floor she complements the elegant Mr. Astaire divinely. This was the first of two films she did with Astaire and while I like You Were Never Lovelier a lot better than this one, You'll Never Get Rich is still entertaining.

Cole Porter wrote the score for this film and it's probably one of his lesser efforts for the screen and stage. Still it did have an Oscar nominated song in Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye. It's not a song that immediately brings Cole Porter to mind for today's audience though.

Will both Rita Hayworth and Uncle Sam get the services of Fred Astaire? See You'll Never Get Rich and find out.