Easter Parade (film)

Easter Parade is an American musical film from 1948 directed by Charles Walters with starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire .

The original screenplay of the film was based on songs by Irving Berlin . After the success of the film musical Blue Skies (1946), based on old and new work by Berlin, the composer was trying to interest other studios for a movie based on his work. MGM gasped gladly.

Easter Parade was a success in cinemas and achieved a turnover of 4.1 million in the US and 6.8 million worldwide. The film, which Fred Astaire had recovered from his early retirement, received an Oscar in the category Best Music.

Content

 * 1 Story
 * 2 Cast
 * 3 History
 * 3.1 An expensive proposition
 * 3.2 Garland and Minnelli
 * 4 Actors
 * 4.1 Don Hewes
 * 4.2 Hannah Brown
 * 4.3 Nadine Hale
 * 4.4 Johnny Harrow
 * 5 Scenario
 * 6 Production
 * 7 Music
 * 7.1 Songs
 * 7.2 Omitted songs
 * 7.3 Around the songs of Irving Berlin
 * 8 Prices
 * 9 Sources
 * 10 External link

[Story Edit ]
Spoiler warning : The following text contains details on the content and / or the end of the story.

New York City, 1912, Broadway Star Don Hewes is Easter gifts towards his partner Nadine Hale. But Nadine has bad news, she wants to go solo dances and has an offer in for a new show. Don tries to bring her other thoughts, Johnny arrives, the best friend of Don. Soon the latter sees that Johnny and Nadine are in love with each other, he goes to a bar to drown his sorrows. Under the influence of drink he calls Don the first best dancer can transform into his new dance partner. He adds the action to the word by one of the dancers from the club, Hannah, ask. But Don commits the mistake of trying to make a copy of Hannah Nadine.Their first performance will be a fiasco. Don later recovers his mistake and goes to work to develop a new act Hannah. They then act as Hannah and Hewes.

If the new couple is doing audition for the Ziegfeld Follies they meet the star of the show, Nadine. Hannah is furious and demands of Don that he confesses that he and Nadine were once in love. But as Don hesitates, she runs away. Later Don behind her and says that he has canceled the audition at Ziegfeld because he does not want a show with Nadine. Opposite Johnny Hannah later confesses that she is in love with Don. The next day Don Hannah invites to dinner, but during dinner he proposes to take a dance rehearsal. A furious Hannah falls out against Don and says he sees her only as a dance sidekick. She blames him he has said nothing at all of her new clothes. She wants to run away, but Don stops her and they kiss. Not long afterwards join Hannah and Hewes on a new show and have much success. When they later look at the solo Nadine they get a spontaneous applause from the audience. Nadine is furious, she is jealous Dons success. At the end of her show she asks Don again one of their old dance songs with her to dance. She tries to win him back and as Hannah sees this, she runs away.

Hannah returns late back to her apartment where Don on her waiting. He tries to explain that Nadine tried to seduce him, but Hannah does not believe him. Eventually Don removed by the hotel detective. The next morning, Hannah tells everything to Johnny. Who advises Hannah to let the matter rest, if you love one another, an argument does not count. Hannah is with him and is on her way to an appointment with Don for theEaster Parade . Previously she has a new top hat and bunny sent Dons apartment. Before the astonished Don might wonder who sent the gifts Hannah flies around his neck. They walk the parade route and Don are asking Hannah to marry him.

An expensive proposition [ edit ]
In 1946, Paramount Pictures had great success with the movie Blue Skies . The film consisted of a rather thin story around a number of old and new songs by Irving Berlin . Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire were the big stars that shone round about the songs and the dance numbers. Berlin had enough material for a series of musicals, the same concept again decided to apply. He approached 20th Century Fox with a proposal based on the song "Easter Parade," but the studio shrank the price asked Berlin. However, he found a willing audience at MGM, who had a reputation to keep up regarding musical movies. Producer Arthur Freedwas already since 1940 responsible for the production of these musical for MGM. Are Freed Unit, a team of directors, writers, choreographers, dancers, singers and actors had already made ​​films like Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Ziegfeld Follies (1946) and The Harvey Girls (1946). MGM paid Berlin, $ 600,000 for his contribution to the film. When the deal was included that MGM was allowed to use the name of Irving Berlin, the title of the song and a large number of songs from the composer. Berlin is also testament to the film as a consultant for the story. It was anyway had written a high amount for a number of songs most of which already by Berlin and used in other movies, shows and musicals

Garland and Minnelli [ edit ]
MGM continued high and selected Fred Astaire and Judy Garland in the lead roles. Garland and Astaire had leading roles in several musicals and music and movies Astaire was the helper of Blue Skies, another movie with Irving Berlin songs. For the director, it was thought to director Vincente Minnelli which include Meet Me in St. Louis had made ​​with Garland. Shortly before production started operations Minnelli was replaced by Charles Walters . The reason for dropping out of Minnelli was in the private sphere. Minnelli was married to Judy Garland one of MGM's most famous actresses. She was always insecure about her appearance and acting and became mentally unstable. Garland had during the shooting of The Pirate had a nervous breakdown in July 1947. She was taken to a psychiatric clinic to recover and was discharged in July of that year. Not long after she attempted suicide, after which she was admitted again for several weeks. Psychiatrist Garland, Dr. Kupper, Minnelli counseled strongly off to direct his wife. It was possible that Garland under this pressure would further sink and a new suicide attempt would.

Don Hewes [ edit ]
Initially Gene Kelly chosen for the role of Hewes. Kelly was the new star of MGM and had yet to make his major films. But Kelly broke his ankle just before the shooting started. Across from the studio he said it was an accident at a rehearsal. Years later he dared to say that the accident happened during a game of football. Producer Arthur Freed heard that five months would be before Kelly was available and so long he could not stop the production. For a moment he thought of Gene Nelson as a replacement, but decided that he had to use a star to replace Kelly. The last came with the suggestion to hire Fred Astaire. But Astaire was now retired. Freed called him as well, but hesitated Astaire. He went to Gene Kelly and asked him three questions: "If you do this film, that will harm your career?", "Do you think I can learn all the dance numbers?" and "Is there a chance that you can still do the movie?". When Kelly against Astaire said he was the only one who could make the film, Astaire said enthusiastically yes.

Hannah Brown [ edit ]
Judy Garland was the only candidate for the role of Hannah Brown. Garland was in 1947 a major MGM star who had achieved world fame with her ​​role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz . The uncertainty of Garland about her appearance and performances made her more and more unstable. In 1946 she suffered a nervous breakdown and attempted suicide. Despite these problems, they still applied as MGM's biggest star. She herself was very shy with the fact that they had to play in front of the legendary Fred Astaire. Garland and Astaire had never met before and the young star Hollywood Veteran dared not even speak to before they were officially introduced.

Nadine Hale [ edit ]
Dancer Cyd Charisse was chosen for the role of Nadine Hale. Charisse had previously danced with Astaire in Ziegfeld Follies (1943) and was one of the dancers who was part of the Freed Unit and was seen in several MGM movie musicals. Easter Parade would be an important step in her career. But just before the shooting she tore the ligaments of one of her knees and was temporarily out of circulation. Tap dancer Ann Miller replaced her. Miller made ​​her debut with Easter Parade at MGM after she had previously worked in the years to RKO and Columbia Pictures.

Johnny Harrow [ edit ]
For the role of Harrow was thought to actors like Frank Sinatra and Red Skelton before Peter Lawford was chosen.

[Scenario edit ]
Arthur Freed put one of his writer teams, Goodrich and Hackett, the Freed Unit at the scenario. The couple Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett had been responsible for the scenario of It's a Wonderful Life in 1946 and "The Pirate" with Judy Garland. They worked with Irving Berlin to link the collection of songs of the last of a story. After Berlin had told about his time in vaudeville theaters, Hackett and Goodrich used this as the basis for the screenplay. Berlin was very pleased with the end result. However, the scenario was rejected by director Charles Walters as grim. Arthur Freed then hired Sidney Sheldon to re-write the screenplay and lighten the tone. Sheldon was a rising star who just won an Oscar for the screenplay of The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer in 1947. His contributions to the screenplay had been limited according to Goodrich and Hackett to insert one scene, while Freed and Sheldon insist that the whole scenario was rewritten by the latter. However, he was not here to mention in the credits.

[Production edit ]
On November 25, 1947 began the recordings in Culver City in the MGM Studios. After the shots were closed the budget was increased on February 9, 1948 to $ 2,503,654. These included not the cost of the additional shots on 12 March 1948. In the end would reach nearly $ 3 million budget. The shots went without too many problems. However it was for Ann Miller and Judy Garland a problem that they are on high heels more than Fred Astaire were, would that in scenes where they were ordinary shoes with heels wore next to the actor. For Miller was dancing in heels, incidentally torture. During the shooting she was wearing a back support because her back was damaged after her husband had thrown her down the stairs. She was also hit just pregnant and struggling with the first symptoms of nausea. Garland in turn had great difficulty with her first scene with Astaire. She had him right pillow and since they had not been presented together, they found that very scary. Screenwriter Sidney Sheldon put an end to all uncertainty by Garland and Astaire introduce together. For the grand finale, a special set was constructed on the outside grounds of the MGM studio. About 700 extras were the parade and the spectators.

[Songs edit ]
The next song, written by Irving Berlin to hear, in the film:
 * "Happy Easter" - performed by Fred Astaire
 * "Drum Crazy" - performed by Fred Astaire
 * "It Only Happens When I Dance with You" - performed by Fred Astaire and Ann Miller
 * "Everybody's Doin 'It" - performed by the choir
 * "I Want to Go Back to Michigan" - performed by Judy Garland
 * "Beautiful Faces Beautiful Clothes Need" - performed by Fred Astaire and Judy Garland
 * "A Fella with an Umbrella" - conducted by Peter Lawford and Judy Garland
 * "I Love a Piano" - performed by Fred Astaire and Judy Garland
 * "Snooky Ookums" - performed by Fred Astaire and Judy Garland
 * "Ragtime Violin" - performed by Fred Astaire and Judy Garland
 * "When the Midnight Choo Choo Leaves for Alabam '" - performed by Fred Astaire and Judy Garland
 * "Shakin 'the Blues Away" - performed by Ann Miller
 * "Steppin 'Out With My Baby" - performed by Fred Astaire
 * "A Couple of Swells" - performed by Fred Astaire and Judy Garland
 * "The Girl on the Magazine Cover" performed by Richard Beavers and Ann Miller
 * "Better Luck Next Time" - performed by Judy Garland
 * "Easter Parade" - performed by Judy Garland and Fred Astaire
 * "Call Me Up Some Rainy Afternoon" - performed by the orchestra

Omitted songs [ edit ]

 * "Let Me See Him By The Shore" - This song was included, but was killed in the assembly. There is some material left over from the recordings.
 * "Mr. Monotony" - This song was recorded by Judy Garland who was dressed in the upper half of a suit with top hat. Her legs were just covered with silk stockings. It was later omitted from the film. Officially because they did not fit it in 1912 (the year in which the movie is playing), but probably for fear of censorship of the Motion Picture Production Code, Hollywood's self-censorship. In 1950, Garland, however, would wear the same costume during the performance of the song "Get Happy" in the movie Summer Stock . Part of the cut scene with "Mr. Monotony" was something to see later in That's Entertainment! III from 1994. On the special edition of the DVD is to see the whole scene.

[Around the songs of Irving Berlin edit ]
Although Easter Parade reused many older songs by Irving Berlin, he also wrote some new songs for the film: "Easter Parade" was written especially for the film, but Irving Berlin used for this song, the melody of the song "Smile and Show Your Dimple" from 1917, which was introduced by him in the revue "As Thousand Cheer" performed by Marilyn Miller and Clifton Webb . It was inspired by the annual Easter event where residents of New York City's Fifth Avenue walk to show their new hats. "Smile and Show Your Dimple" was also used in the movie Holiday Inn .
 * "It Only Happens When I Dance with You"
 * "Better Luck Next Time"
 * "Drum Crazy"
 * "Stepping Out With My Baby"
 * "A Couple of Swells"
 * "A Fella With An Umbrella"
 * "Happy Easter"
 * "Mr. Monotony" (not used)

[Prices Edit ]
The film won an Academy Award for Best Music. The screenwriters Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett received a Writers Guild of America Award for the screenplay.