Two real-life events were incorporated into the plot of the 1951 MGM musical Royal Wedding. One, the marriage of Fred Astaire's sister Adele to a British nobleman had occurred years earlier; the other, the wedding of England's Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip was only four years in the past. MGM would probably have gotten Royal Wedding out closer to the Elizabeth-Philip nuptials, but the picture had leading-lady problems; every girl who was cast either became pregnant, ill, or otherwise unavailable. Finally, Jane Powell ...
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Two real-life events were incorporated into the plot of the 1951 MGM musical Royal Wedding. One, the marriage of Fred Astaire's sister Adele to a British nobleman had occurred years earlier; the other, the wedding of England's Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip was only four years in the past. MGM would probably have gotten Royal Wedding out closer to the Elizabeth-Philip nuptials, but the picture had leading-lady problems; every girl who was cast either became pregnant, ill, or otherwise unavailable. Finally, Jane Powell was cast as the sister and partner of American-entertainer Fred Astaire. The plot has Astaire and Powell heading to Merrie Olde England to perform at the palace. Once they've arrived, Powell breaks up the act when she falls in love with blueblooded Peter Lawford. Astaire himself finds romance in the form of Sarah Churchill (daughter of Sir Winston), and the four happy campers gleefully attend the titular Windsor Castle wedding. Also in the cast is Albert Sharpe, fresh from his Broadway triumph in Finian's Rainbow, and Keenan Wynn, hilarious as twin cousins. The plot is so light that it threatens to float away at times, but Royal Wedding sticks in the memory thanks to its first-rate musical numbers. The Astaire/Powell duets are entertaining enough; the real magic, however, occurs in Astaire's two solos: the hat-rack duet and the now-legendary tap-dance on the ceiling (even knowing how this cinematic legerdemain was accomplished does not detract from its brilliance and virtuosity). Because it has slipped into public domain, Royal Wedding is one of the most easily accessible of all the Fred Astaire musicals. Hal Erickson, Rovi
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Seller's Description:
Margaret Bert, Wilson Benge, Les Baxter, Bea Allen, Albert Sharpe, Keenan Wynn, Sarah Churchill, Peter Lawford, Jane Powell,... Very good. 1951 Run time: 93. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Digital copy/codes may be expired or not included. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Margaret Bert, Wilson Benge, Les Baxter, Bea Allen, Albert Sharpe, Keenan Wynn, Sarah Churchill, Peter Lawford, Jane Powell,... Very good. 1951 Run time: 93. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Digital copy/codes may be expired or not included. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Astaire dancing on the ceiling, Astaire dancing with a coat rack. The movie is worth watching for these numbers alone. Added to that is a solid cast with Jane Powell, a rare actress who sings and dances incredibly well and can act and play comedy. (One of my favorite comedy dance numbers of all times is the Powell/Astaire no-good two-timing liar number!) Peter Lawford as her love interest definitely lights up the screen with his sheer attractiveness and Sarah Churchill is very well cast as the British stiff upper lip yet just-right partner for Astaire. The backdrop for this movie is the wedding of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip (although they are never named in the film), there is authentic footage of the wedding parade. If you're a fan of royalty, this certainly gives an added appeal to the film.
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