Search - You Were Never Lovelier on DVD


You Were Never Lovelier
You Were Never Lovelier
Actors: Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Adolphe Menjou, Isobel Elsom, Leslie Brooks
Director: William A. Seiter
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Musicals & Performing Arts
NR     2004     1hr 37min

WHO'S BEEN SENDING THIS ARGENTINE BEAUTY ORCHIDS & LOVE NOTES?SHE THINKS SHE KNOWS WHO - BUT SHE'S WRONG!

     
9

Larger Image

Movie Details

Actors: Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Adolphe Menjou, Isobel Elsom, Leslie Brooks
Director: William A. Seiter
Creators: Ted Tetzlaff, Louis F. Edelman, Carlos A. Olivari, Delmer Daves, Ernest Pagano, Michael Fessier, Sixto Pondal Ríos
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Musicals & Performing Arts
Sub-Genres: Romantic Comedies, Drama, Musicals
Studio: Sony Pictures
Format: DVD - Black and White,Full Screen - Subtitled
DVD Release Date: 05/25/2004
Original Release Date: 11/19/1942
Theatrical Release Date: 11/19/1942
Release Year: 2004
Run Time: 1hr 37min
Screens: Black and White,Full Screen
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 4
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Languages: English
Subtitles: English, Japanese

Similar Movies

You'll Never Get Rich
7
   NR   2003   1hr 28min
Daddy Long Legs
Director: Jean Negulesco
   NR   2006   2hr 6min
Three Little Words
Directors: Richard Thorpe, Tex Avery
4
   UR   2006   1hr 42min
Cover Girl
Director: Charles Vidor
   NR   2003   1hr 47min
Silk Stockings
Directors: Rouben Mamoulian, Roy Mack
4
   NR   2003   1hr 57min

Similarly Requested DVDs

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Widescreen & Full Screen Edition
Director: Bharat Nalluri
   PG-13   2008   1hr 32min
   
The Bucket List
Director: Rob Reiner
   PG-13   2008   1hr 37min
   
Casino Royale
2-Disc Widescreen Edition
Director: Martin Campbell
   PG-13   2007   2hr 24min
   
Sleepy Hollow
Director: Tim Burton
   R   2000   1hr 45min
   
The Notebook
   PG-13   2005   2hr 3min
   
The First Wives Club
Director: Hugh Wilson
   PG   1998   1hr 43min
   
IQ
   PG   2003   1hr 40min
   
Casino Royale
Blu-ray
Director: Martin Campbell
   PG-13   2007   2hr 24min
   
You've Got Mail
Director: Nora Ephron
   PG   1999   1hr 59min
   
Gladiator
Two-Disc Collector's Edition
Director: Ridley Scott
   R   2000   2hr 35min
   
 

Movie Reviews

OUTSTANDING TRANSFER OF A SPARKLING MUSICAL!
Nix Pix | Windsor, Ontario, Canada | 05/25/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"After their resounding success in "You'll Never Get Rich" it remained kismet that Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth would reunite for another glossy film musical. The project; "You Were Never Lovelier" is a valiant successor to the aforementioned and, in truth, excels beyond the expectations of their previous venture. Astaire plays a penniless hoofer from New York who, through a series of mishaps, comes to the attention of Senior Acuna (Adolph Menjou) while on a vacation in Buenos Aires. Acuna has just married off his oldest daughter and, as his family tradition dictates, the rest of his daughters must get married in sequential order. The two youngest daughters are already fixed with a pair of tennis beaux, but the eldest unmarried daughter, Maria (Hayworth) is not only an ice princess of the highest order, but refuses to marry under any circumstance. That is, until she begins receiving orchids from an unknown admirer. The score by Jerome Kern is magnificent; the poignant `Dearly Beloved', the jazzy `Shorty George' and the classy `I'm Old Fashion'. The latter two songs are danced by Astaire and Hayworth with such polish and finesse that it's impossible not to marvel at their grace and style.
THE TRANSFER: Outstanding. While "You'll Never Get Rich" suffered from an overall dated appearance, "You Were Never Lovelier" appears to have been the benefactor of a digital restoration at some point. It's black and white picture is stunning and smooth. There are brief and minor occasions where fine details slightly shimmer, but these do not distract from your visual pleasure. Fine detail is fully realized. There is a resounding absence of age related artifacts. Digital anomalies are not an issue. The audio is mono but exceptionally well balanced - at times sounding very close to having a stereo spread.
EXTRAS: Sorry, none!
BOTTOM LINE: "You Were Never Lovelier" has certainly never looked more lovely than in its DVD incarnation. An absolute must have for your library!"
One of the very best musicals ever!
inframan | the lower depths | 09/05/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this film on laser disc years ago & have watched it at least a dozen times & never tire of watching it - from beginning to end. Starting with Jerome Kern's exquisite melodies (Dearly Beloved is one of those classics that was covered by just about every great jazz group), it's crammed with the finest talent Hollywood, in its prime, had to offer. Astaire never danced better - solo or with Rita. The number with the cane in Acuna's office is absolutely thrilling - hair-raising in its virtuosity & dexterity. I've repeated the Shorty George dance track a dozen times in a row. It gets better each time. Makes you want to dance. Rita really was never lovelier (no one was) - how could one woman be so regal & beautiful & sexy & a sensational dancer all at the same time? What else? Cugat's funny, his band is fabulous & you get to see him do one of his signature caricatures (of Menjou - another one they broke the mold of). It just doesn't get any better than this."
Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer...An
C. O. DeRiemer | San Antonio, Texas, USA | 04/03/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)

"In some of Fred Astaire's movies there's only one excellent reason to watch, and that's to watch Fred Astaire. In You Were Never Lovelier there are three other excellent reasons. Rita Hayworth. Jerome Kern. Johnny Mercer. The four of them have concocted a romantic and funny South American fable that features some great dancing by both Astaire and Hayworth and some memorable songs by Kern and Mercer.

Eduardo Acuna (Adolphe Menjou), a wealthy Buenos Aires businessman, has four beautiful daughters, and in the Acuna family they must marry in age order. The eldest fulfills her responsibilities and the two youngest have beaus they're now anxious to share vows with. But the second eldest, Maria (Rita Hayworth) is in no hurry. She wants romance and charm and the men she meets are just panting boys. Then she sees Robert Davis (Fred Astaire), a very charming, down-on-his-luck dancer, singing Dearly Beloved at her elder sister's wedding. He tries to chat her up; she stares him down. Then the plot intervenes. Before long she knows what she wants. Robert knows what he wants. Eduardo Acuna knows what he doesn't want...a down-on-his-luck dancer in the family. From then on it's songs, dances, romance and misunderstandings, which moves into songs, dances and romance. The plot feels sluggish at times and there's way too much Xavier Cugat and his orchestra, but Astaire and Hayworth are at their peak, Kern has written some memorable melodies and few could top Mercer at lyric writing, none in Hollywood.

Hayworth not only was a gorgeous creature, she was a gifted dancer; many think she was the best Astaire worked with. Technically, she not only handled the steps Astaire created, she did so without a hint of effort. After you've watched the dances a couple of times, go back and watch again, but this time concentrate on her face and her hand and arm action. She gives every indication of being utterly relaxed and enjoying herself, even in the fast tap routines. She seems naturally to find the most graceful attitude for an extended arm, a turn of her head, a raised hand. She may not be quite as good as Astaire, but she's good enough.

Among the stand-out routines are:
--The Audition Dance. Robert shows up at Acuna's office and demands a chance to show his stuff as a dancer. From there Astaire takes off on a fast tap routine that takes him all over the floor, onto Acuna's desk, the sofa and chairs. He works into the dance a cane, a rug, the drapes and Acuna's head.

--I'm Old Fashioned. This is probably the best romantic wooing dance Astaire did. It's all fluid motion and spontaneous recognition, danced on the elegant, polished outdoor landing of Acuna's mansion. Rita Hayworth is a vision, and matches him step for step. We move from Maria declaring with humor and assurance that Robert's the man for her, to Robert's protestation that he's just a guy from Omaha, Nebraska, to the dance that brings them closer and closer together until we know through the dance that a love match has just happened. The funny exit through the doors and back into the living-room, bumping into each other, each giving way, bumping again and then going in together arm in arm hits just the right note. The dance works so well in part because Kern and Mercer came up with a classic:
I'm old fashioned,
I love the moonlight,
I love the old fashioned things.
The sound of rain
Upon a window pane,
The starry song that April sings.
This year's fancies
Are passing fancies
But sighing sighs, holding hands,
These my heart understands.
I'm old fashioned
But I don't mind it.
That's how I want to be,
As long as you agree,
To stay old fashioned with me.

--The Shorty George. This fast tap routine starts out with Maria visiting Robert at a rehearsal. He sings The Shorty George and she takes a couple of lines. He looks surprised that she knows the song. He starts to dance and invites her to join him. Hayworth stays right with Astaire and looks like she's having the time of her life.

--You Were Never Lovelier. Robert declares his feelings for Maria, but more misunderstandings occur. Finally, everything is resolved. Robert shakes off some knight's armor he was wearing (there is sort of a reason) and appears below Maria's bedroom window in black tie. She rushes down...and off they go dancing while all the members of the Acuna family look on approvingly. And the Johnny Mercer lyrics and Jerome Kern music brings us to the happy end:
You were never lovelier, you were never so fair;
Dreams were never lovelier,
Pardon me if I stare.
Down the sky the moonbeams fly to light your face;
I can only say they chose the proper place.
You were never lovelier, and to coin a new phrase,
I was never luckier
In my palmiest days.
Make a note, and you can quote me, honor bright,
You were never lovelier than you are tonight."
Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth shine in this great musical
C. O. DeRiemer | 02/08/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you love Fred Astaire musicals you'll love this movie! Like many of his films there are many great songs you can sing along to and dance scenes that continue to amaze. Fred Astaire plays a man who gets put in a sticky situation, with Rita Hayworth, which in turn leads to love and trouble. Singing and dancing his way through he ends up on top. If you are a true fan you will love this movie, and if this is a first you'll be hooked for life."