Easter Parade

Review

I'm one of those people who just has to watch certain movies at certain times of the year. Funnily enough two of these movies are musicals starring Judy Garland. Maybe not so funny as I love musicals any time of the year! As some of you will recall from my posts on the forum messageboard I always watch Meet Me In St Louis as I wrap the Christmas presents for my immediate family in the early hours of Christmas morning. So, probably it's pretty obvious what I watch every Easter. Okay, you can read the title on this page but I'll name it again! The 1948 MGM musical, Irving Berlin's Easter Parade. So now you can picture me every Easter Sunday, lounging amongst the foil from half eaten Easter eggs (did I hear someone saw "big kid"? ) watching Fred Astaire & Judy Garland "walking down the avenue".

Rooted in Pygmalion

Easter Parade, like that other favourite of mine Pretty Woman, seems to have it's roots in Pygmalion. It's Easter 1911 and dancer Don Hughes (Fred Astaire), piqued because his partner Nadine (Ann Miller) has dumped him to pursue a solo career, declares that he can turn any chorus girl into a star. The girl he chooses to mould into his new "Nadine" is Hannah Brown (Judy Garland). Song, dance, and romance of course, follow - with the usual misunderstandings along the way.

I love every minute of Easter Parade, from the beginning where Don is choosing Easter gifts for Nadine - don't you just *love* the frown on the little boy's face as Don tries to distract him with "Drum Crazy" so he can buy the toy bunny? :-) - to the finale number of "Easter Parade" itself.

The Fella with the Umbrella

I even like Peter Lawford (Johnny, "The Professor") in this movie, which is unusual for me. His "A Fella with an Umbrella" song is one that I can't help singing along with. I've also been known to burst into that song in real life on a rainy day, much to the embarrassment of my friends who point out that not only am I not a "fella" but the rain is nothing to sing about (bet no-body said that to Gene Kelly!).

Similarly I was never much of an Ann Miller fan, always found her maybe too "perfect" or technical a dancer. I seem to spend my time focusing on the skill of her dancing, the emotion doesn't appear to come through to me. However I can't fault her as Nadine - loved her disgust when she found out her maid had been lying about the success of Don and Hannah's show!

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Judy matching Fred

Judy Garland's singing was as beautiful and full of emotion as ever, but in Easter Parade she also proved she was no mean dancer. In the characters' lively Ziegfeld audition number ("When the Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves for Alabam'") in particular, Judy shows she can match Astaire step for step. They truly were "A Couple of Swells", and no tramp costume could hide that!

There's something else about Garland that I think was beautiful in this film, or more precisely on Garland. I'm extremely covetous of the green evening gown she wears in the Ziegfeld Roof scene, and during her "Better Luck Next Time" number. Give me a copy of that dress, and also the red one she wore while singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in Meet Me In St Louis, and I'd be one very happy lady. Hmm, one of these days I'll have to check the credits and see if they were both from the same designer. Might explain why I like them both so much. I'm rather fond of the earrings and necklace she wears in that scene too! [More]

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