Musical Mondays Week 44 Easter Parade

[Cameron H. 23786]

It was pretty good, but I’m looking forward to the Arbor Day Rodeo...

We watched:

[Cameron H. 23786]

Just to start off here, but am I the only one who thinks Peter Lawford's accent has always sounded fake? Also, what was the point of his character? You think he's going to provide some kind of conflict and then...nothing. Even at the end when he calls Nadine and tells her to "bring all the dogs" I was like, "Uh-oh, what do those two have planned?" But, no. He was just settling, I guess...

[Cam Bert 8145]

6 minutes ago, CameronH said:

Just to start off here, but am I the only one who thinks Peter Lawford's accent has always sounded fake? Also, what was the point of his character. You think he's going to provide some kind of conflict and then...nothing. Even at the end when he calls Nadine and tells her to "bring all the dogs" I was like, "Uh-oh, what do those two have planned?" But, no. He was just settling, I guess...

Yes!!!! He seems uninterested in Nadine at first because of Don's feelings for her, but then after talking to Don in the bar goes back to her. Then he tries to pretend he's not going to be rich in case that's why she was into him, and she's unfazed. Then later on it seems as if they are dating, or at that point was Nadine dating Ziegfried? Then it's played up as if he's going to break Don and Hannah up so he can be with Hannah. Yet he was still being supportive. It was confusing and so was his accent but I loved his fashion.

[Cameron H. 23786]

13 minutes ago, Cam Bert said:

Yes!!!! He seems uninterested in Nadine at first because of Don's feelings for her, but then after talking to Don in the bar goes back to her. Then he tries to pretend he's not going to be rich in case that's why she was into him, and she's unfazed. Then later on it seems as if they are dating, or at that point was Nadine dating Ziegfried? Then it's played up as if he's going to break Don and Hannah up so he can be with Hannah. Yet he was still being supportive. It was confusing and so was his accent but I loved his fashion.

Unless I missed something, they never really explain who he is either. He's just this friend (groupie?) that shows up for seemingly no reason. Like are he and Astaire supposed to be the same age or something? Why is this famous song and dance guy friends with this random college kid?  

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

What's worse is I had stepped away when "Fella with an Umbrella" started. I just heard it and thought it was Astaire singing it.  It wasn't until I rewatched it that I saw it was Peter Lawford.  I agree, his character did seem pointless.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

When I started watching I couldn't get over the ladies in the hat shop.  I get that the dresses kept the focus on the hats and not the ladies.  But did they have to dress like that to come to work or change into those dresses whenever someone wanted to see a hat?  That was also an awful large number of ladies to keep around just to model hats.  Lastly, wasn't it Easter Sunday when the movie opened and the shop still had that many hats available to sell?  Maybe they weren't such great hats (as confirmed by Judy Garland later in the movie :-D)

[Cam Bert 8145]

14 minutes ago, CameronH said:

Unless I missed something, they never really explain who he is either. He's just this friend (groupie?) that shows up for seemingly no reason. Like are he and Astaire supposed to be the same age or something? Why is this famous song and dance guy friends with this random college kid?  

I think this is one of those cases in which Fred Astaire was suppose to be much younger that he's portrayed to be.

At one point he says they go way back and he's like family so maybe Fred Astaire is friends with his father?

[Cameron H. 23786]

4 minutes ago, Cinco DeNio said:

 That was also an awful large number of ladies to keep around just to model hats.  

I just feel bad for all the people who lost their jobs to Big Mannequin. 

[Cam Bert 8145]

Also I think I must have missed something because why was Astaire escorted away by a cop at the end?

[Cameron H. 23786]

3 minutes ago, Cam Bert said:

Also I think I must have missed something because why was Astaire escorted away by a cop at the end?

YES!!!!  What was with that guy? I'll be honest, I was having a myriad of playback issues, so I was afraid I might have missed something, too. I was like, "Does she have a chain smoking body guard now?" Initially, when I saw the smoke, I thought Astaire had somehow caught fire - lol

[Cam Bert 8145]

4 minutes ago, CameronH said:

YES!!!!  What was with that guy? I'll be honest, I was having a myriad of playback issues, so I was afraid I might have missed something, too. I was like, "Does she have a chain smoking body guard now?" INitially, when I saw the smoke, I thought Astaire had somehow caught fire - lol

Seeing as Astaire has seemingly been sitting in wait for her to return maybe a neighbour called the police about a stranger hanging around in the building and it just took him awhile to get there. It was very weird. Between that and the "bring the dogs" comment it felt like they were running out of time at the end and just had to wrap it up.

Also something I've notice in these classic musicals we've been watching, people living in hotels. 

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Fred Astaire as a hobo reminded me of Eliza Doolittle's dad in My Fair Lady.

 

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

17 minutes ago, Cam Bert said:

Also something I've notice in these classic musicals we've been watching, people living in hotels.

Pretzie approves this comment.

[Cameron H. 23786]

22 minutes ago, Cam Bert said:

Seeing as Astaire has seemingly been sitting in wait for her to return maybe a neighbour called the police about a stranger hanging around in the building and it just took him awhile to get there. It was very weird. Between that and the "bring the dogs" comment it felt like they were running out of time at the end and just had to wrap it up.

Also something I've notice in these classic musicals we've been watching, people living in hotels. 

Not only that, but did you feel like Astaire's turn around on Hannah was...abrupt? He was annoyed with her for so long. Then he disappears for a couple of days and he comes back and he's like, "No, I wasn't mad. I was apparently falling in love with you."

Honestly, I thought the movie was going for "these people all love the wrong person" thing. I thought Hannah and Lawford were going to end up together and Astaire and Nadine. I was really, really wrong....

[Cameron H. 23786]

5 minutes ago, Cinco DeNio said:

Fred Astaire as a hobo reminded me of Eliza Doolittle's dad in My Fair Lady.

 

This movie is a bit My Fair Lady, isn't it?

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

4 minutes ago, CameronH said:

Not only that, but did you feel like Astaire's turn around on Hannah was...abrupt? He was annoyed with her for so long. Then he disappears for a couple of days and he comes back and he's like, "No, I wasn't mad. I was apparently falling in love with you."

Honestly, I thought the movie was going for "these people all love the wrong person" thing. I thought Hannah and Lawford were going to end up together and Astaire and Nadine. I was really, really wrong....

Agree completely.  I wasn't sure about Astaire and Nadine but definitely with Hannah and Lawford.  I really did think there was a My Fair Lady/Pygmalion thing going on but that was because of the casting of Astaire.  He seemed so much older than everyone else, even Ann Miller.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

6 minutes ago, CameronH said:

Not only that, but did you feel like Astaire's turn around on Hannah was...abrupt? He was annoyed with her for so long. Then he disappears for a couple of days and he comes back and he's like, "No, I wasn't mad. I was apparently falling in love with you."

Honestly, I thought the movie was going for "these people all love the wrong person" thing. I thought Hannah and Lawford were going to end up together and Astaire and Nadine. I was really, really wrong....

I should have expanded on the "abrupt" comment.   didn't see any signs he was falling in love at all throughout the entire movie.  I admit I didn't care for any of the characters but Hannah.  They all seemed like cads , impressing their own agendas on everyone else.  An IMDB trivia note mentions how every time Lawford called Nadine he gave a different number.  In a different context that may seem charming but here it's just odd.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

This is the first Ann Miller performance I have seen.  Now I understand her being referenced in Rocky Horror Picture Show shout-outs.  When Columbia is doing her tap dance someone shouts out "Eat your heart out, Ann Miller!".

[kateacola 2440]

1 hour ago, CameronH said:

This movie is a bit My Fair Lady, isn't it?

It really is. Especially since in both cases I'm not sure why Hannah and Eliza (in My Fair Lady's case) go for the older grumps and not the younger, much nicer guys who sing lovely songs to them.

[Cam Bert 8145]

5 minutes ago, kateacola said:

It really is. Especially since in both cases I'm not sure why Hannah and Eliza (in My Fair Lady's case) go for the older grumps and not the younger, much nicer guys who sing lovely songs to them.

The moment Fred Astaire says "Why I could take any girl and make her a star" I'm like I know where this story is going.

Would Hannah really be better off with Peter Lawford? The guy was coming on very strong and does seem to be playing the field a bit. I bet he would have broken her heart eventually.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Setting aside the cruelty of drowning a kid in drums so Astaire can get a bunny to go on top of the mountain of other gifts he's already bought, what about the THREE "delivery" guys standing outside holding all those gifts while he's jumping around the toy store?  Also, where did the other two guys come from?  There was only one at the beginning and there are three at the toy store.  They are all wearing identical uniforms.  That means they had to stop and call in reinforcements twice during this shopping spree.  (Also, Astaire never asked if there was another bunny available.  He just fixated on that one.)

[kateacola 2440]

1 minute ago, Cam Bert said:

The moment Fred Astaire says "Why I could take any girl and make her a star" I'm like I know where this story is going.

Would Hannah really be better off with Peter Lawford? The guy was coming on very strong and does seem to be playing the field a bit. I bet he would have broken her heart eventually.

Yea, I don't know that she'd be better off with Lawford really. Like everyone else said earlier-- I also wasn't sure what his purpose was or what his deal was. I think he cared about Hannah more than Nadine for sure, but not convinced he really loved her. But I appreciated that he wasn't pushy with Hannah to try to convince her to go with him.

[Cameron H. 23786]

2 minutes ago, Cinco DeNio said:

(Also, Astaire never asked if there was another bunny available.  He just fixated on that one.)

This actually sounds true to character to me

[Cameron H. 23786]

12 minutes ago, Cam Bert said:

The moment Fred Astaire says "Why I could take any girl and make her a star" I'm like I know where this story is going.

Would Hannah really be better off with Peter Lawford? The guy was coming on very strong and does seem to be playing the field a bit. I bet he would have broken her heart eventually.

I didn't feel like he was a cad. He just didn't seem all that interested in Nadine. I don't think he would have broken Hannah's heart necessarily. I felt like it was the 1940's equivalent of being friend zoned.

[Cam Bert 8145]

Apparently according to IMDB trivia the part of Don was originally suppose to be played by Gene Kelly and not Fred Astaire. I think that makes a bit more sense to me.