Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!hsdndev!cfa203!thakur
From: icj@nexus.yorku.ca (Ian Jarvie)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.cinema
Subject: Re: Musicals (Astaire & Durbin)
Message-ID: <1991May9.044623.984@zerkalo.harvard.edu>
Date: 9 May 91 04:46:23 GMT
References: <1991May8.071732.11998@zerkalo.harvard.edu>
Sender: thakur@cfa.harvard.edu (Manavendra K. Thakur)
Reply-To: icj@nexus.yorku.ca (Ian Jarvie)
Followup-To: rec.arts.cinema
Organization: York U. Computing Services
Lines: 22
Approved: thakur@zerkalo.harvard.edu



Welcome to the world of classic black and white musicals.  *All* the
Astaire Rogers musicals are worth collecting, and one gets hard
pressed to single out one as favourite.  Moderators says say why.  To
me its a combination: the scores are by some of the finest song
writers of the century, the supporting cast (viz. Eric Blore, Edward
Everett Horton, ect) is strong, and they endlessly re-dramatize the
yearning, the show of interest, the misunderstanding, the
reconciliation.  Every adolescent heart cannot resist.  Astaire in
particular is a male hero whose every line reading and movement is
elegant and sophisticated.  Of his later work I would single out the
(colour) Bandwagon and Silk Stockings, where he is paired with the
elegant Cyd Charisse, and Funny Face, where Audrey Hepburn adds an
element of mischief to sophistication.  Minnelli directed the first
two, Donen the third, both filmmakers as elegant as Astaire.

-- 
Manavendra K. Thakur			 Internet: thakur@zerkalo.harvard.edu
Systems Programmer, High Energy Division BITNET:   thakur@cfa.BITNET
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