Year of Release: 1944Country of Origin: USA
Director: Charles Vidor
Cast: Rita Hayworth, Gene Kelly, Phil Silvers, Eve Arden
Plot outline: A nightclub dancer wins a contest and becomes a celebrated cover girl; this endangers her romance with her dancing mentor (IMDb).
Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly are a wonderful team that brings energy, grace and magic to the musical numbers they perform together, making this a movie to watch out for. They complement each other well on and off the dance floor and have two very competent sidekicks in Phil Silvers and Eve Arden to help keep the laughs coming. Both supporting players are on top of their games here, shooting one-liners straight from the hip. Arden almost steals the show as Coudair's caustic and exasperated assistant. With the help of the lavish production design, Kelly again proves his brilliance as a choreographer. In one of the movie's most breathtaking numbers, he uses the latest technology to dance with his own reflection through the empty, late-night streets of New York. Without the aid of CGI, it's hard to fathom how this amazing feat was accomplished. Kelly had the uncanny ability to be able to perform the same number over and over with exact movements and perfect timing. It's his talent that keeps this often-tired movie afloat. Cover Girl is certainly not one of cinema's best musicals or a high point in either Hayworth or Kelly's careers, yet it's still an entertaining outing that will make you tap your toes and yearn for romance. The script is just too fluffy and obvious to garner much favor. Fortunately, sometimes charisma can overcome mediocrity, especially when it's accompanied by good looks and ample talent. One to watch if you're a fan of either lead ... or just want to see a movie that doesn't force you to think too much. (CC)
My judgement: *** out of 4 stars
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