Sixties rarirty: The Pleasure Of His Company, 1961

A clutch of '60s rarities we have re-visited, before moving on to some current releases like NOCTURNAL ANIMALS and DR STRANGE. 

THE PLEASURE OF HIS COMPANY. This 1961 release is perfectly Paramount, another of those smooth Perlberg-Seaton plush comedies, with a leading role for Fred Astaire as the wayward playboy Pogo who returns to San Francisco for his daughter's wedding. He has not seen her since she was a child but his visit causes all kinds of repercussions for his ex-wife, Lilli Palmer, as elegant as ever, and her current husband Garry Merrill (a decade after his Bill Sampson in ALL ABOUT EVE). The young folk are Debbie Reynolds and Tab Hunter, Add in Charlie Ruggles as grandfather and the stage is set - another mansion overlooking San Francisco bay, rather like the location for the rather similar GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER?. 

San Francisco debutante, Jessica Poole, is marrying Napa Valley cattle rancher, Roger Henderson, and hopes her peripatetic father, "Pogo" Poole, whom she hasn't seen for years, comes to the wedding. He arrives, disrupting the household of his ex-wife, Katharine, and her long-suffering husband, and befriending their cook, Toy. At first it seems that Pogo is set on breaking up the engagement, making up for years of neglect by wining and dining Jessica, showing up Roger as a hick, and enticing her to come to Europe with him. Then it seems his real goal is to win back Katharine's heart: why else would he have two tickets to Paris booked on a plane leaving right after the reception?

We are also in THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER territory as Pogo is a monster - with no regard for anyone, he takes over the house, ejecting Merrill from his study, and is determined to sabotage the wedding as he now wants his daughter for himself and to take her travelling with him as he circles the globe. Will Debbie fall for it? Will Tab erupt? Will Lilli see through his plans, and who is Pogo taking with him on the plane at the end?  It is fitfully amusing but rather predictable, I last saw it when I was a kid, good though to see Astaire again and the ever radiant Lilli - one of our favourites here - after her good roles then in BUT NOT FOR ME in 1959 and CONSPIRACY OF HEARTS in 1960, we also saw her in another Perlberg-Seaton THE COUNTERFEIT TRAITOR in 1962, where she gets shot by the Nazis, and in the German ADORABLE JULIA, then her other supporting roles in THE ADVENTURES OF MOLL FLANDERS and that very determined secret agent in OPERATION CROSSBOW. 

Something for the weekend: the mystery of Cyd's skirt

Here's a mystery: Cyd Charisse is clearly wearing a skirt with a pleat at the start of this lovely number with Fred in the 1957 SILK STOCKINGS. But if you look closely during the number it turns into a pair of culottes, presumably to aid the high kicks - but did they think nobody would notice? Maybe they didn't. Cleverly edited though ...

It becomes fairly obvious during the "Fated to be Mated" duet between Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse that Charisse is wearing a skirt one moment and culottes (or flared shorts) the next. The bottom half of her costume changes on each cut of the dance when they are doing deep knee bends, and this is where the culottes show. For the upright spins and lifts, the skirt shows. The dance was obviously performed twice and edited into one sequence.

Falling for Fred & Ginger again ...

It was fun discovering those Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals back in the Sixties, when I was a young movie buff. Back then one either saw them if on television or we trekked along to the National Film Theatre or other revival house if they were doing a season on Fred & Ginger, like they would do on Garbo so a new generation saw them for the first time. The BFI even ran an all-night Fred & Ginger marathon which some pals and I went to (as we did to their Mae West and Marilyn all-nighters)! Now of course, these musicals are always with us on disk and tape and constant revivals, like now as our BBC screen them once again. 

My favourite has to be THE GAY DIVORCEE which I have been watching a lot this last week. particularly that "Night and Day" and "The Continental" sequences, which repay endless replays. TOP HAT is terrific too and as for that "Pick Yourself Up" number from SWING TIME (with Eric Blore) - I can simply watch it on a loop. "I Won't Dance" is from ROBERTA, 1935. The great thing watching these numbers is they are shot full frame so we see their whole bodies dancing, and with no cuts - unlike modern musicals (CHICAGO) where it is all done in the editing ...

SILK STOCKINGS from 1957 was a treat again too ... Fred and Cyd - just as good as Fred and Ginger - not only here but also THE BANDWAGON. Bring them on ...and here's that skirt Cyd wears that turns into culottes - very odd! 

Paris in 1957 ... magic time.

Rome in the early '60s - the LA DOLCE VITA era; London in the mid-'60s - it swung; New York in the '70s - tough and gritty .... the zeitgeist always moves on and comes full circle again ..... it was Paris in the 1890s, that Fin de Siecle era, and in that jazz age the 1920s with Hemingway and Fitzgerland and the 'Lost Generation', but in the late '50s Paris was also, it seems, the place to be. Hollywood studios must have been falling over each other there (like they were in Rome in 1962).

Fred and Audrey were doing FUNNY FACE .... with Donen creating a magical Paris, not least with Audrey being photographed Avedon-style, in all those locations ...

Fred and Cyd heading up SILK STOCKINGS .... I wonder how much of this was actually filmed in Gay Paree ?

Gene Kelly, often in Paris - got in the act with his dance troupe LES GIRLS - but this was actually filmed at MGM - Kay Kendall's only film actually made in Hollywood, but George Cukor and Heuningen Heune gave it the required French look, and with Orry Kelly's clothes, the girls were perfect. I simply love their French apartment, which seems to be on several levels ... 

Otto too had Jean Seberg driving around Paris in those moody black and white scenes in his seminal BONJOUR TRISTESSE - more Sagan - or dancing while - who else? - Juliette Greco intoned that theme song ...before Godard teamed her with Belmondo in some other French classic ...

1958 saw Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh in Paris in their comedy THE PERFECT FURLOUGH, an early Blake Edwards film. Later in 1961 Tony Perkins and Ingrid Bergman (right) were driving around Paris in Sagan's GOODBYE AGAIN - review at Bergman label - while Tony teamed again in Paris with Sophia for 1962's FIVE MILES TO MIDNIGHT. Hollywood was also in town for Ritt's PARIS BLUES with jazz musicians Newman and Poitier. By then the Nouvelle Vague was in full swing after Malle's LIFT TO THE SCAFFOLD in 1958, and Truffaut's 400 BLOWS, Chabrol's LES COUSINS, Mocky's LES DRAGUEURS, another Paris-by-night opus, all 1959 ...

1962 saw Truffaut's JULES ET JIM in Paris, where Agnes Varda's CLEO FROM 5 TO 7, wandered around, waiting for her medical test results ... Audrey Hepburn of course practically lived in Paris with so many of hers set there ... 1957 also saw LOVERS OF MONTPARNASSE (left) about the painter Modigliani practically starving in a garret, with those quintessential Parisians Gerard Philipe and  Anouk Aimee,

Brigitte charmed us too as UNE PARISIENNE in 1957, with Henri Vidal, who was also (his last film) in her COME DANCE WITH ME (VOULEZ VOUS DANSER AVEC MOI?) in 1959 ...  more on all these at French label.

Next location: Australia and the Outback !!!

"The Throb of Manhattan"

ITS ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER, 1955, may well be my very favourite musical (after A STAR IS BORN and THE BANDWAGON of course) - it and those sophisticated musicals from 1957 [LES GIRLS, FUNNY FACE, SILK STOCKINGS, THE PYJAMA GAME, bits of PAL JOEY] are my perennial favourites, ever since I saw them as a child at Sunday afternoon matinees - BRIGADOON was another but it it not quite in that league, but I prefer them to the over-hyped SINGING IN THE RAIN or AN AMERICAN IN PARIS both of which show Kelly at his most grating (of course, as per Musicals label, I also love ON THE TOWN, MY SISTER EILEEN, KISS ME KATE, SWINGTIME, GYPSY, LES DEMOISELLES DE ROCHEFORT among others...)

Good to see that ITS ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER is being revived by the London National Film Theatre in their season on MGM musicals - it cries out to be seen on widescreen, using as it does, multiple images when our 3 wartime buddies reflect on their lives now. It seems to have been a troubled shoot, co-directors Kelly and Stanley Donen fell out, Kelly and Charisse don't have any number together, she has one marvellous dance number "Baby You Knock Me Out" at the gym (where, as Pauline Kael put it, "Cyd Charisse is benumbed until she unhinges those legs") wearing that terrific Helen Rose ensemble, and Gene has the very inventive roller-skate number and of course when the 3 guys dance with the dustbin lids, so it is all very innovative, just as original musicals were dying, it was mainly films of Broadway shows after this.

It is the perfect mid-century story of 3 wartime buddies meeting up 10 years later in 1955 and realising that they don't like each other much now, and indeed Kelly and Dailey don't much like themselves either. Gene is mixing with hoods and managing a dumb boxer, while Dan Dailey has risen to "Executive Vice-President" level in advertising and is sick of the advertising game as he lets rip in his terrific solo number "Advertising-wise". Cyd Charisse is the television researcher who stumbles across the 3 wartime buddies and realises their reunion is ideal for her television show "Midnight with Madeline" for "The Throb of Manhattan" spot where saccharine stories are featured. This is the early days of live television and the movie is a splendid satire on those artificial tv hostesses like Madeline and her diva tantrums. Dolores Gray is stupendous here, and has one of the best numbers ever "Thanks a lot but no thanks" which is a delirious treat with that ritzy gown and that killer line:"I've got a man who's Clifton Webb and Marlon Brando combined"!. Then hood Jay C Flippen and his goons invade the studio where the live broadcast is being made, as they are after Gene who has thrown the fight once he realised his boxer has been bribed to lose it. Cyd gets the hoods to confess on live air, Madeline has a hit show, the 3 buddies realise they are still friends after all. It's a perfect conclusion as Cyd joins Gene and the the guys back at the bar where they vowed to meet up 10 years previously.



Choreographer Michael Kidd is ideal as the family man, Dailey has one of his best roles (apart from his father in THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS), Cyd and Gene sparkle as they spar with each other, and Dolores steals the show. What's not to love? It is a dark, sometimes bitter take on ON THE TOWN a decade later as the 3 buddies meet again - by 1955 though Sinatra had gone on to solo projects and was "difficult" and Jules Munchin was not a name enough. Produced of course by Arthur Freed, with songs by Andre Previn, script by Comden and Green; perfect entertainment then, but see the widescreen version, not panned and scanned! The DVD includes a fascinating 'Making-Of' chronicling the fallout between Kelly and Donen, and several out-takes including a terrific inventive (that word again) deleted number between Kelly and Charisse "Love is Nothing But a Racket" which has been unseen for far too long, and Michael Kidd's solo spot with some kids, but Gene did not want that included, after his number with kids in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS! Essential stuff then.

I met Gene at a recording of an interview of his for the BBC in 1975 - Donen of course went on to direct several of my enduing favourites: those Audrey Hepburn films like TWO FOR THE ROAD and CHARADE, Kendall in ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, Peck and Sophia ideal in ARABESQUE, and the marvellous BEDAZZLED with Pete and Dud and Eleanor Bron in 1967. We won't mention STAIRCASE or LUCKY LADY!

Hermes and Cyd on musicals ...

A fascinating new documentary on Sky Arts cable channel: Hermes Pan and Cyd Charisse on musicals, titled BROADWAY TO HOLLYWOOD. It of course re-cycles old interviews with a host of dazzling clips. I am not sure though about the morality of putting old stars' interviews into new material, making them work - as it were - after their lifetime ...

The very dapper Hermes Pan, with that useful resemblance to Fred Astaire, was born in 1909 (of Greek extraction) and died aged 81 in 1990. He was choreographer on Astaire pictures, including all the ones with Ginger Rogers, whom he danced with in other films as well. Hermes was one of the best choreographers and dance directors, choreographing, among others, dances in CLEOPATRA, MY FAIR LADY, PAL JOEY, CAN CAN, THE STUDENT PRINCE, JUPITER'S DARLING and others, as well as lots of tv shows. It is just fascinating hearing him discuss how they worked to create the magic we still experience now watching them. Charisse too was the ultimate professional during her long career, and a very edurite commentator on the old studio days. (Below: Hermes with Fred, and Ginger). The other great choreographer was of course the very individual Jack Cole at Fox, who did all those terrific Monroe and Jane Russell numbers.



Cyd - whom I loved seeing in musicals as a child - BRIGADOON, THE BANDWAGON, ITS ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER, SILK STOCKINGS etc - the former Tula Ellice Finklea from Amarillo, Texas - was always a very elegant dancer, trained for ballet, in movies since the '40s, died aged 87 in 2008 (born 1921). I saw her in a London show in the 80s - a silly revival of CHARLY GIRL - but I had to say I had seen Cyd Charisse dance!



This documentary is artfully put together with lots of clips, Hermes chatting in a bar, and Cyd walking around the old MGM lot. Its as affecting as Fred walking past the remains of that train [where he sang "By Myself" at the start of THE BANDWAGON] in the THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT movie. This is more of the same - but for style and elegance Cyd and Hermes were hard to beat.

Cyd's green gloves, and shoes, and handbag ..

Bliss it is to watch THE BANDWAGON again, on the big screen. It is my favourite musical after all, as per label. Now though one could focus more on the decor and the costumes. Cyd Charisse has a terrific wardrobe here (like Grace Kelly in TO CATCH A THIEF). I was particularly taken with Cyd's dark green dress with those green gloves, green shoes and handbag - perfect for her first meeting with Astaire and in that red room. She actually has a lot of marvellous handbags here. Then of course there is the simple white outfor for "Dancing in the Dark", the sensational red dress for the "Girl Hunt", and just seen briefly that very Minnelli yellow dress with the splash of red. Divine!

Funny Face - more 1957 chic. S'Wonderful

Plus of course "How Long Has This Been Going On?" and "Think Pink"! and Paris ... Quite a few stylish musicals were made in 1957, not only FUNNY FACE but also LES GIRLS and SILK STOCKINGS (both also set, if not filmed, in Paris) as well as DESIGNING WOMAN (well, Dolores Gray sings), PAL JOEY and THE PYJAMA GAME. Other film-makers in Paris then included Billy Wilder (and Hepburn again) for LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON and that Fox production, headed by Tyrone Power and Ava Gardner, of Hemingway's THE SUN ALSO RISES. A busy year in Paris then. Does anything though beat the sheer elegance and pizazz of Stanley Donen's very '50s fashion show that is FUNNY FACE? - Fred may be too old for Audrey but it doesn't matter here (whereas for me it does in DADDY LONG LEGS with Leslie Caron), add in Kay Thompson delivering "Think Pink" and that send-up of the beat scene and some classic numbers and delirious moments like Audrey descending the steps in the Louvre saying "shoot the picture shoot the picture" as we sit entranced.

Best musical evah !

Its THE BANDWAGON natch! - it was on again yesterday afternoon so I cleared the decks and luxuriated in it all over again - enjoying Minnelli's palette of colours - all those yellows and reds - SINGING IN THE RAIN looks drab by comparison! SINGING by the way, which was on the day before just doesn't do it for me, I have enjoyed it all the times I have seen it but it just isn't that special for me, apart from every appearance and utterance of Lina Lamont.
But back to THE BANDWAGON - Fred is wonderful here in 1953, Cyd is at the pinnacle of her career, Fabray and Levant are fine and - maybe best of all - Jack Buchanan is an insane delight as highbrow theatre director Jeffrey Cordova, maybe based on Orson Welles - even the throwaway shot of that poster for his show Oedipus Rex (where we first see him hamming it up) has it billed as presented by, starring, written and directed by him. This Arthur Freed production, with Roger Edens also on board, the witty script satirising show business folk is by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, with Michael Kidd handling the dances and those Howard Dietz songs which all mesh perfectly without a dull moment, starting with that satire on ageing star Tony Hunter and the auction of his top hat and then his arrival in New York - where we have two of Fred's best ever numbers: the wistful "By Myself" as he leaves the train (those journalists were waiting for Ava Gardner!) - Judy makes this song an angry powerhouse statement (which is also perfect in its context) in her I COULD GO ON SINGING, but Fred's version is delightful here; and then we have that dazzling "Put A Shine On Your Shoes" with everything in the amusement arcade thrown in, before Fred meets the Martins (Nanette and Oscar) and their idea for a new show - which leads us to theatre egomaniac Jeffrey Cordova as we go backstage at his Oedipus Rex. Cue seeing ballet dancer Gabrielle Gerard (Cyd) on stage and then we all adjoin to Cordova's town-house and that perfect yellow and white study (pure Minnelli) while Gaby and her partner choreographer Paul Byrd (James Mitchell) are in an adjoining red room. We overhear Cordova wowing the investors as Fred and Cyd size each other up. There is also that delicious scene when Cordova calls Paul over at 3 a.m. and skillfully manoeuvers him into demanding that dancer Gaby is cast in the show! as Hal - Cordova's constantaly on-call assistant (or maybe more?) - wearily rings the papers. Minnelli's THE RELUCTANT DEBUTANTE in '58 also had decor to die for [as per my post on that].

Lots of amusement follows as the show is cast and begins to work and then we get that perfect number "Dancing in the Dark" as Fred and Cyd escape the rehearsals and take a horse and carriage to the park and the number expresses their concerns about dancing together as they effortlessly mesh together rising and falling until spent and exhausted they fall back into the carriage. Its a moment of pure rapture.


Then we have the giant egg with appropriate sounds as the opening peformance is a colossal flop - and Fred takes over and the show is re-done and we get one marvellous number after another: Cyd in that yellow dress with the splash of red, "Triplets", "Louisiana Hayride" and Fred and Jack in that delightful "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan". I really only know Buchanan from this movie, its a shame there were no later great musicals for him. Then we get the iconic "Girl Hunt" ballet where Fred and Cyd dazzle - when Cyd displays that red dress and those legs ... and finally that last reprise of the anthem "That's Entertainment" as Cyd tells Fred the show will run forever. Its all bliss, pure bliss. For me, the best MGM musical then, followed by KISS ME KATE - and Gene's later ones ITS ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER and LES GIRLS. Time now to dig out the dvd and those extra features and making-of documentaries... Fred of course went on to those other favorites of mine FUNNY FACE and SILK STOCKINGS (sorry, not DADDY LONG LEGS). Perfect end comment: "This was THE smart and sophisticated musical comedy of the '50s, an era when New York adults still set pop trends and before American culture became corrupted and dumbed down by television. It's not just nostalgia to say they don't make them like they used to."