Freaktana A Major Disappointment

Connianatu How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Kirpianuscus The plot is just a pretext for lovely musical moments, for nice humor, for the sparkles of Rita Hayworth and for the admirable job of Fred Astaire. it is a beautiful film first for the status of introduction in the spirit of a period. it is lovely for the few pieces defining it as a love story , a honest comedy, Robert Benchley performance and, sure, for dance moments, for a young public good gifts for discover the charming art of Rita Hayworth. it is the first cooperation between Astaire and Hayworth and this detail is significant for define the entire work of them in special manner. a film as an old picture in large photo album. useful for good memories. and for discover the spirit of a classic Hollywood.it has, as lead virtue, to serve, in brilliant way, the classic recipe of musical from "40's not only in its outside aspects but in its essence. and that is a real precious virtue.

Ed Uyeshima Barely five minutes into the film and only thirty seconds long, a small jewel is not to be missed in this vintage 1941 musical, as it ranks among the best dance numbers to be seen from the golden age of Hollywood. It's where Fred Astaire casually asks Rita Hayworth to follow him on a complex tap routine set to Cole Porter's "Boogie Barcarole". That Astaire performs flawlessly is to be expected, but the stunning 23-year old Hayworth is startling in her precision and élan. Not only is she absurdly beautiful in her crisp rehearsal togs, but she matches Astaire step for step with unbridled confidence and with her long, gorgeous gams perfectly synchronized with his. The rest of the number, performed with an army of similarly dressed dancers, is not nearly as interesting especially since the fusion between boogie-woogie and classical feels forced.The movie itself, directed by Sidney Lanfield and written by Michael Fessier and Ernest Pagano, is a silly mistaken identity affair that feels lifted from one of Astaire's earlier pairings with Ginger Rogers and then retrofitted into a military theme. Hardly a stretch, he plays Bob Curtis, a Broadway dancer and choreographer who works for philandering producer Martin Cortland, played by Algonquin wit Robert Benchley. Cortland has his eyes on chorus dancer Sheila Winthrop and attempts to give her a diamond bracelet until his wife Julia mistakes the gift for her. He pretends the bracelet is from Curtis, which of course, leads to larger complications, especially when Curtis gets drafted and his superior officer turns out to be Sheila's intended fiancé. Off the dance floor and in her first leading role, Hayworth, already in her 38th film, is charming as Sheila, although Frieda Inescort easily steals all her scenes as the deadpan Julia, a perfect match to the acerbic Benchley.Lowbrow comic shenanigans are interspersed with the Robert Alton-choreographed musical numbers. The highlights are an impressive Astaire tap solo set to "Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye" and two more duets with Hayworth - the alluring rumba, "So Near and Yet So Far", and the infectious "Wedding Cake Walk" where the pair get married amid a dress-alike chorus, do a mean Harlem shuffle and tap-dance atop a white cake shaped like a tank. In fact, opening two months before Pearl Harbor, the film portends the upcoming war with patriotic ensemble numbers like "Shootin' the Works for Uncle Sam". The 2003 DVD includes trailers for this film as well as two classic Hayworth vehicles, the career-defining Gilda, and future husband Orson Welles' pulp classic, The Lady from Shanghai. The movie is very lightweight, but Astaire's artistry is always worthwhile in any setting, and it's easy to see why Hayworth became the fantasy figure of many an American soldier.

jauny2000 I think this film is a delightful comedy, with all players playing their respected roles beautifully. I especially love the dance steps and musical number done by Astaire and Hayworth during rehearsal at the beginning of the movie.

Cajun-4 There is the usual silly (even by musical comedy standards) plot but it doesn't get in the way of some funny situations and pleasing dance numbers.Highlights are the beauty of Rita Hayworth (with a dubbed singing voice), vaudevillian Cliff Nazarro with his famous *double talk* routines and one standout musical number " So near and yet so far"Many familiar faces in the supporting cast do their stuff expertly.