StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Teddie Blake The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Walter Sloane Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

JohnHowardReid Directed by WILLIAM A. SEITER. Assistant director: Norman Deming. Screenplay by Michael Fessier & Ernest Pagano, and Delmer Daves, based on an original story and screenplay, "The Gay Senorita", by Carlos Olivari and Sixto Pondal Rios. Photographed by Ted Tetzlaff. Musical score by Jerome Kern. Musical director: Leigh Harline, assisted by Paul Mertz. Musical arrangements by Conrad Salinger. Musical arrangement of "The Shorty George", by Lyle Murphy. Xavier Cugat's specialty, "Chiu Chiu", by Nicanor Molinare. Other songs: "Dearly Beloved", "The Shorty George", "I'm Old-Fashioned", "Wedding in the Spring", "You Were Never Lovelier" and "These Orchids" by Jerome Kern (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics). Music recording by P.J. Faulkner. Dance director: Fred Astaire. Assistant dance director: Val Raset. Art direction by Lionel Banks and Rudolph Sternad. Set decoration by Frank Tuttle. Gowns by Irene. Costume supervision by Ray Howell. Film editor: William Lyon. Sound recording: John Livadary. Western Electric Sound System. Producer: Louis F. Edelman.Copyright 19 October 1942 by Columbia Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall: 4 December 1942 (ran two weeks). U.S. release: 19 November 1942. Australian release: 29 April 1943. 8,921 feet. 99 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Nightclub owner sends his daughter notes and flowers so that she will welcome a marriage proposal from a suitable young man.NOTES: Nominated for Academy Awards for Best Sound (won by Yankee Doodle Dandy); Scoring of a Musical Picture (won by Yankee Doodle Dandy); Best Song, "Dearly Beloved" (won by "White Christmas" from Holiday Inn).Songs and musical numbers: "Chiu Chiu" (Romay), "Dearly Beloved" (Astaire, reprized Hayworth dubbed by Nan Wynn), "Wedding in the Spring" (Brooks, Mara, reprized Romay), "I'm Old Fashioned" (Astaire, Hayworth dubbed by Nan Wynn), "The Shorty George" (Astaire, Hayworth), "You Were Never Lovelier" (Astaire, reprized as a dance by Astaire, Hayworth), "These Orchids" (Cugat). Astaire also had an important solo audition dance, arranged by Cugat and company from music by Raphael Hernandez, Noro Morales, J. Comacho, Franz Liszt and Gilbert Valdes.Deleted song: "On the Beam" (Astaire) by Kern and Mercer.VIEWER'S GUIDE: Suitable for all.COMMENT: A lightly entertaining piece of musical fluff with Hayworth looking exquisite in Irene costumes and Fred in fine vocal and terpsichorean form. We have to wait about 40 minutes for Fred and Rita to get together in a dance number but it is worth the wait. The songs are catchy, the sets pleasant and the script lightly amusing with Adolphe Menjou making the most of his opportunities (there is some splendid by-play between him and Gus Schilling). Seiter's direction is nothing special, but the film has an attractive sheen and although Adele Mara and Leslie Brooks are unintentionally obnoxious as a pair of empty-headed sisters, the film provides a lot of pleasantly light musical entertainment.Xavier Cugat tries his hand at acting and cartooning with the same ease he brings to his conducting — undistinctive but pleasant.But Fred and Rita are really magical.OTHER VIEWS: The brass at Columbia had forgotten all about the fact that I was a dancer until Fred Astaire, who knew my background, reminded them. When Fred came to Columbia to make "You'll Never Get Rich" (1941), they asked him who he wanted as a dancing partner. Fred asked for me! That surprised them, but Fred knew what he was about. He knew my work. The film was a huge success and as a result I was loaned out to Fox for "My Gal Sal" (1942), and then re-teamed with Fred for "You Were Never Lovelier". — Rita Hayworth. Rita danced with trained perfection and individuality. Of course, she knew through experience what this dancing business was all about. That was apparent the moment I started working with her. I enjoyed making both "You'll Never Get Rich" and "You Were Never Lovelier" because of Rita. — Fred Astaire.

utgard14 Wealthy nightclub owner Eduardo Acuña (Adolphe Menjou) is worried that his daughter Maria (Rita Hayworth) will never marry because she is too picky about the kind of man she wants. So he sends her love letters and flowers from a fictional admirer, intending to find a man to fill that role later. Maria comes to believe dancer Bob Davis (Fred Astaire) is her admirer and falls for him. But Eduardo doesn't think Bob is good enough for her so he offers him a contract with his nightclub if he can make Maria fall out of love.Wonderful musical romantic comedy with the always delightful Fred Astaire and the stunning Rita Hayworth. She was rarely more gorgeous than she is here. The two had great chemistry and their dance scenes are very nice. The cast is a lot of fun. Menjou is terrific. Xavier Cugat is very funny. Loved Adele Mara and Leslie Brooks as Rita's sisters. They stole every scene they were in. Very charming and lovely movie. A must for fans of Astaire and Hayworth.

GManfred Too bad this picture wasn't in color. I think it would have enhanced the overall effect, this being a Hollywood musical. It might also have papered over the flimsy storyline, which has been done in similar fashion many times before. Boy meets girl, girl's father dislikes boy, boy persists. Throw in numerous plot contrivances and convenient circumstances and, voila! A cookie-cutter musical.But this one had Rita Hayworth, who was breathtaking and, true to my headline, never looked better. It also had Adolphe Menjou, who by his professional presence lent badly needed substance to the picture. It also had an old chestnut in "I'm Old-Fashioned", which I thought was the best number in the show. Astaire and Hayworth worked and danced well together and the movie was just long enough at 97 minutes. It could have been a more attractive production in color, but it was wartime and the same could be said about many pictures made during this period.

ackstasis Fred Astaire's films are all pretty much the same: quaint romantic hijinks driving a ridiculous but entertaining screwball plot. By the 1940s, he and Ginger Rogers had parted ways (at least until 'The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)'), and the studios were left to find him a suitable new partner. RKO's first experiment, opposite Joan Fontaine in 'A Damsel in Distress (1937),' had been far less than successful, as much as I love Joan Fontaine. Astaire's best prospects came from a lovely young lady named Rita Hayworth, with whom he starred in 'You'll Never Get Rich (1941)' and 'You Were Never Lovelier (1942).' Ah, Rita Hayworth! (Forgive me while I regain my train of thought). This comedy musical, directed by William A. Seiter, features the same unlikely romantic mix-ups you'd expect to find in a Fred and Ginger movie of the 1930s. In fact, the director had previously made 'Roberta (1935),' and he improves upon that film.Eduardo Acuña (Adolphe Menjou) is a man very much used to getting his own way. Determined that his second daughter Maria (Hayworth) should fall in love, he begins writing her anonymous love letters, only for her to mistake American dancer Bob Davis (Astaire) for her nameless romantic suitor. Bob reluctantly agrees to carry on the deception, but soon falls for Maria himself. It doesn't take a genius to guess where this is going, but, like Astaire's previous films, it is well worth watching for the marvellous chemistry of the two leads. Put simply, Hayworth is endlessly, stunningly, ravishingly gorgeous. Though Ginger Rogers' exquisite comedic timing is noticeably absent (leaving Fred to take up the comedic slack), every scene with Hayworth is spent in breathtaking company. And she's not just a pretty face: the young actress is a very talented dancer, keeping up with Astaire step-for-step.