Singin' and Dancing Back in Time.: COVER GIRL (1944)

Monday, January 4, 2010

COVER GIRL (1944)

Cover Girl (1944) musical. Cast: Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly. Directed by Charles Vidor, and was one of the most loved musicals of the war years. The film has 8 dance/songs written by Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin.

The film begins when Maxine Martin enters a contest to be a Vanity magazine cover girl. Rusty Parker, another dancer at Danny Maguire's Brooklyn nightclub, also enters the contest.

The two women are interviewed by Cornelia Jackson, who works for the magazine.

When Jackson shows interest in Rusty, Maxine ruins her chances by telling her that Jackson is looking for a model with over the top personality. When Rusty takes her advice and puts on a huge act, Jackson thinks she is nuts. Jackson believes that Maxine is the better candidate for the cover. Coudair insists on going to Danny's club to see her in her "natural environment." When they get to the club they watch the girls dance number where Rusty, reminds Coudair of his long lost love, Maribelle Hicks.

After her performance, Rusty joins Danny and Genius, at Joe's oyster bar, where they enjoy their Friday night ritual looking for a pearl to bring them luck.

When they return to their apartment, Rusty finds a telegram from Coudair, inviting her to his office the next day. Thinking that Coudair's offer will end their close friendship, Genius tears up the telegram. When Rusty is alone she runs back downstairs to put the pieces back together.

Rusty makes her appointment with Coudair, and when he learns that Maribelle Hicks was her grandmother, he gives her the magazine's cover. Coudair brings Broadway theater owner Noel Wheaton to meet Rusty to offer her a job. At first Rusty turns him down. Coudair joins forces with Wheaton to lure Rusty to Broadway and sends Rusty an invitation to Vanity 's 50th anniversary dinner.

Meanwhile Danny arrives at the Coudair mansion only find to find the house empty except for Coudair who insist that Danny free Rusty from her contract.

The next day, Rusty is late for rehearsal, and Danny gives her song to Maxine to perform. Rusty hurt rushes out of the club, headed for Broadway.

Will Rusty give up fame and fortune for love?

FUN FACTS:

Columbia Pictures gave Gene Kelly almost complete control over the making of this film. He also used trick photography so that he could dance with himself in one sequence.(one of my favorite scenes in the film.)

Soundtracks:

"THE SHOW MUST GO ON"
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Sung and Danced by Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Martha Mears), Leslie Brooks,
and chorus

"WHO'S COMPLAINING?"
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Sung by Phil Silvers and danced with Rita Hayworth, Leslie Brooks and two chorus girls

"SURE THING"
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Performed by Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Martha Mears)

"MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW"
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin and E.Y. Harburg
Sung and Danced by Gene Kelly, Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Martha Mears); Phil Silvers

"PUT ME TO THE TEST"
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Sung by Gene Kelly
Danced by Kelly with chorus and Rita Hayworth
Comedy reprise by Gene Kelly and Phil Silvers

"LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY"
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Performed by Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Martha Mears)

"POOR JOHN"
(uncredited)
Written by Fred W. Leigh (1906)
Lyrics by Henry E. Pether
Performed by Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Martha Mears) and danced with male chorus

"ALTER-EGO DANCE"
Music by Jerome Kern
Danced by Gene Kelly

"COVER GIRL (THAT GIRL ON THE COVER)"
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Sung by chorus; danced by Rita Hayworth with chorus

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Bob Fosse

Was a musical theater choreographer and director, screenwriter and film director. He won an eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction. He was nominated for an Academy Award four times, winning for his direction of Cabaret. He was identified with his third wife, Gwen Verdon. She was both the dancer/collaborator who he choreographed much of his work and, together with dancer/choreographer Ann Reinking, a guardian of the Fosse legacy after his death. Fosse is considered to be one the most influential coreographers of the 20th Century.

Esther Williams.

JANE POWELL

After rising to fame as a singer in her home state of Oregon, Powell was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer while still in her teens. Once there, the studio utilized her vocal, dancing and acting talents, casting her in such musicals as Royal Wedding, with Fred Astaire, A Date with Judy, with friend Elizabeth Taylor and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, with Howard Keel. In the late 1950s, her film career slowed, only to be replaced with a busy theater and television career.Click picture to enter websight.

Jeanette MacDonald

Singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (Love Me Tonight, The Merry Widow) and Nelson Eddy (Naughty Marietta, Rose-Marie, and Maytime). During the 1930s and 1940s she starred in 29 feature films, four nominated for Best Picture Oscars (The Love Parade, One Hour With You, Naughty Marietta and San Francisco), and recorded extensively, earning three gold records. She later appeared in grand opera, concerts, radio, and television. MacDonald was one of most influential sopranos of the 20th century. Click picture to view fan website.

Joan Crawford.

Click picture to view website. Joan Crawford, born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre. Starting as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway, Crawford was signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. Initially frustrated by the size and quality of her parts, Crawford began a campaign of self-publicity and became nationally known as a flapper by the end of the 1920s. In the 1930s, Crawford's fame rivaled MGM colleagues Norma Shearer and Greta Garbo. Crawford often played hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. These "rags-to-riches" stories were well-received by Depression-era audiences and were popular with women. Crawford became one of Hollywood's most prominent movie stars and one of the highest paid women in the United States, but her films began losing money and by the end of the 1930s

Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Richard Rodgers (1902 – 1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895 – 1960) the songwriting duo, on our musical page. They created many popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age. With Rodgers composing the music and Hammerstein writing the lyrics, five of their shows, Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music. They won thirty-four Tony Awards, fifteen Academy Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, and two Grammys. Click picture to read movie reviews.

Cab Calloway

Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular African American big bands from the start of the 1930s through the late 1940s. Calloway's band featured performers including trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86 .Click picture to view official website.

Monday, January 4, 2010

COVER GIRL (1944)

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