GamerTab
That was an excellent one.
Bardlerx
Strictly average movie
ChanFamous
I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
Sanjeev Waters
A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
edwagreen
The wedding may have been some affair but unfortunately the film is rather benign.Keenan Wynn steals the picture as twin brothers- one the manager Irving of Astaire and Powell and the other as a British gentleman. The two brothers are supposed to be twins but one has that British accident and the other sounds like he came out of Brooklyn.Astaire and Powell are a dance team that go to England to perform just at the time that Elizabeth is to be married to Philip. As is the case with everyone else, they're caught up in the pre-wedding excitement, especially when Powell meets an Earl played by Peter Lawford. In the dance troupe, the bachelor Astaire finds romance with none other than a dancer, played by Sir Winston's daughter, Sarah Churchill.The dancing routines are engaging with Astaire dancing on ceilings and the two singing and dancing to the Liar song.Otherwise, it's routine fanfare all the way.
MartinHafer
The print I saw for "Royal Wedding" was super-ugly and dark. Apparently the film is in the public domain and lots of lousy copies are out there--including the streaming version from Netflix. My advice is to see if the copy from MGM/Turner Entertainment is better--it should be.As for the film, the casting is quite odd. There is a 30 years difference in the age of Fred Astaire and his on-screen 'sister' Jane Powell. Because of this, the chemistry seems a bit odd and you can't help but being taken out of the moment. Too bad they couldn't have gotten Eleanor Powell out of retirement, as she was as close to Astaire's talents as any woman alive and she was much closer in age to him. Seeing these two amazing dancers together would have been a treat, as she was a match for his athleticism and ability to tap.The film is a re-written account of the life of Astaire and his real life sister, Adele. They were a huge act in the 20s and 30s and much of the film is taken from their lives--including her romance with a British Lord. Of course, being a Hollywood film, it's also stuffed with lots of polish and subplots--and the real story is only a starting point! But considering most folks watch films like this only to watch Fred dance, who cares?! As for the dancing, the film has some very nice numbers. My favorite is the very famous scene where he dances up the walls and on the ceiling in his hotel room--quite the stunt. He also had a nice dance with a hat tree! While the dancing isn't as spectacular, I also enjoyed "How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life". This song and dance number with Powell had amazingly funny lyrics and is the complete antithesis of what you'd expect from the classy and polished Astaire. While it sure ain't subtle, it is entertaining. As for the rest of the songs and Powell's dancing, they are pleasant but unremarkable. Clearly, the focus is on Fred's dancing in this film.As for my summary, I certainly wouldn't consider this to be among Fred Astaire's best. This doesn't mean it's bad--but considering how amazingly perfect his films of the 30s were (such as "Top Hot" and "The Gay Divorcée"), this doesn't mean "Royal Wedding" is a bad film--it's quite enjoyable and has some great moments. Just don't watch it off Netflix or on a horrible public domain copy.By the way, this film has one of the creepiest lines in movie history when, near the end of the film, Fred and Jane tell their handler (Keenan Wynn) that "We wanna get married". They don't, thank goodness, mean to EACH OTHER (ewww) but I could see someone thinking that!
Michael O'Keefe
Fred Astaire and Jane Powell play a brother-and-sister dance team Tom and Ellen Bowen. The siblings get the chance of a lifetime gig; their manager(Keenan Wynn)books the team to perform in London during the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth in 1947. On the way to England, carefree and naive Ellen falls head over heals for a dashing Lord Brindale(Peter Lawford). Nothing real new, because Ellen seems to fall in love as the wind blows. While holding dance auditions confirmed bachelor Tom finds a romance of his own in a young dancer Ann Ashmond (Sarah Churchill). Will the dance team be broken up because of the new love interest? This song and dance musical comedy is very typical until the ever nimble Astaire does his incredible dance number on the ceiling and walls. A few of the memorable songs: "Too Late Now", "Ev'ry Night at Seven" and "What a lovely day for a Wedding". Kudos to director Stanley Donen and Alan J. Lerner doing his first screenplay. Can you imagine a royal wedding taking backseat to a dance team?
ryancm
ROYAL WEDDING has been finally been remastered after the terrible public domain copy that's been out for years. An thank goodness, as this is one of Freds best. Cute story of brother and sister act who get caught up in nice romantic plots. This movie is highly underrated and should be seen by every musical lover. All the songs fit well into the story, even though the numbers within the show don't make sense. What is the show about, anyway? No matter. That's not the point. Fred is always great with no exception here. The big surprise is Jane Powell. She's terrific and it's her best film. Wonderful voice and her dancing is top notch. Watch them especially in HOW COULD YOU BELIEVE ME....number. Sensational. People have been very critical of Sarah Churchill. She was a good co-star for Fred as she was more his age. If she seemed a bit stiff perhaps that's the way she was directed. She was English and the English are very cool and collect. She reminded me a bit of Deborah Kerr. Anyway, she was just fine in her limited role. Peter Lawford, was...well Peter Lawford. Keenan Wynn was his usual self in his upteenth supporting role. I think he made more movies than any other actor at MGM. The DVD has two wonderful specials, an interview with Stanley Donnen and the casting of Ellen in the film. I know Judy Garland was supposed to have been Fred's sister, but to tell you the truth, as good as Garland was, she would not have been right for this role. I'm sure she was fired for good reasons. Now I'm a Judy Garland fan, but after SUMMER STOCK, she was through, and rightly so. The only drawback to this terrific musical is that the use of rear projection is quite jarring. Too bad they didn't make a trip to good old London. Regardlaess, this is a great, great show and don't miss it.