The story sees Don (Fred Astaire) make Hannah (Judy Garland) his new stage partner after he has been dumped by Nadine (Ann Miller) so that she can pursue a solo career. Don bets womanizing pal Jonathan (Peter Lawford) that he can make any chorus girl into the next star and picks Hannah at random. They sing some songs, do some routines and fall in love and the finale is the singing of the title song as they promenade along 5th Avenue with all the other posers who undertake this ritual every Easter.
The cast are good in this film with Judy Garland winning the honours as she provides many humorous moments (watch how she scene steals from Fred Astaire in the rather hammy and drab routine that is "A Couple Of Swells"). Most of the musical numbers are good if forgettable. My favourite routines include Judy Garland singing "I Want To Go Back To Michigan", her duet with Peter Lawford "A Fella With An Umbrella", Ann Miller singing and dancing "Shakin' The Blues Away", the sequence of song and dance duets that Judy Garland and Fred Astaire have together including "When The Midnight Choo Choo Leaves For Alabam", and Fred Astaire's number "Steppin' Out With My Baby" despite the unnecessary gimmick of having him dance in slow motion which cheapens the routine.
Unfortunately, the film crams in too many songs and the viewer may lose interest in the musical offerings, especially towards the end, as none of them are particularly good or memorable unless there is dancing involved. The film is also a little unbelievable in the way Judy Garland falls in love with Fred Astaire. Peter Lawford is the obvious romance for her, but the film seems to be driven by the following love formula - Judy Garland loves Fred Astaire (unbelievable) who loves Ann Miller (but she's a complete bitch so it's unlikely) who loves Peter Lawford who loves Judy Garland. It doesn't work.
A final criticism must be made of the ending. At the beginning of the film, Don tells Hannah that come the next Easter Parade, photographers will be lining up to take her picture instead of Nadine's and we have an amusing sequence of Nadine promenading with a dog in a completely ghastly and posey manner as photographers take her picture. At the end of the film, the audience does not get the satisfaction of seeing this come true. We are left with Don and Hannah (wearing long pink rubber kitchen gloves) walking along the parade together but that's it. I assume we are meant to deduce that Hannah has arrived and is now on an equal billing with Nadine. Incidentally, we are not shown what happens with Nadine and Jonathan. I assume that they get together as they are both comfortable with having a showy lifestyle. Nothing is clearly resolved.
The cast are good, the colour is great, the costumes are great particularly one green velvet dress that Judy Garland wears, and some of the routines are good but there are better musicals than this.
The cast are good in this film with Judy Garland winning the honours as she provides many humorous moments (watch how she scene steals from Fred Astaire in the rather hammy and drab routine that is "A Couple Of Swells"). Most of the musical numbers are good if forgettable. My favourite routines include Judy Garland singing "I Want To Go Back To Michigan", her duet with Peter Lawford "A Fella With An Umbrella", Ann Miller singing and dancing "Shakin' The Blues Away", the sequence of song and dance duets that Judy Garland and Fred Astaire have together including "When The Midnight Choo Choo Leaves For Alabam", and Fred Astaire's number "Steppin' Out With My Baby" despite the unnecessary gimmick of having him dance in slow motion which cheapens the routine.
Unfortunately, the film crams in too many songs and the viewer may lose interest in the musical offerings, especially towards the end, as none of them are particularly good or memorable unless there is dancing involved. The film is also a little unbelievable in the way Judy Garland falls in love with Fred Astaire. Peter Lawford is the obvious romance for her, but the film seems to be driven by the following love formula - Judy Garland loves Fred Astaire (unbelievable) who loves Ann Miller (but she's a complete bitch so it's unlikely) who loves Peter Lawford who loves Judy Garland. It doesn't work.
A final criticism must be made of the ending. At the beginning of the film, Don tells Hannah that come the next Easter Parade, photographers will be lining up to take her picture instead of Nadine's and we have an amusing sequence of Nadine promenading with a dog in a completely ghastly and posey manner as photographers take her picture. At the end of the film, the audience does not get the satisfaction of seeing this come true. We are left with Don and Hannah (wearing long pink rubber kitchen gloves) walking along the parade together but that's it. I assume we are meant to deduce that Hannah has arrived and is now on an equal billing with Nadine. Incidentally, we are not shown what happens with Nadine and Jonathan. I assume that they get together as they are both comfortable with having a showy lifestyle. Nothing is clearly resolved.
The cast are good, the colour is great, the costumes are great particularly one green velvet dress that Judy Garland wears, and some of the routines are good but there are better musicals than this.