ROYAL WEDDING

US, 1951, 93 minutes, Colour.
Fred Astaire, Jane Powell, Peter Lawford, Sarah Churchill, Keenan Wynn.
Directed by Stanley Donen.

A pleasant M.G.M. musical using the setting of the marriage of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. It is a Fred Astaire vehicle of 1950, during a period in which he had great popularity with such films as Easter Parade, Three Little Words and The Band Wagon. Jane Powell is an attractive leading lady. The film in directed by Stanley Donen who made a number of musicals and comedies at MGM at this time with the outstanding films co-directed with Gene Kelly, On The Town and Singin' In The Rain. The film has the usual ephemeral show business story treated with MGM gloss. Keenan Wynn, who has played so many agents, has a chance to play twins this time, English and American style. Pleasant inconsequential Fred Astaire musical.

1. The quality of the MGM production style, the traditions of musical comedy and stories of the theatre, colour photography, re-creation of London, choreography?

2. The continued appeal of Fred Astaire? His pleasant personality, dancing skills and versatility, songs? The contribution of Alan Jay Lerner to screenplay and lyrics? Stanley Donen's work with musicals?

3. Conventions of the theatre story ? musicals, choreography, success, personal life, choices? A nice variation on this theme?

4. The contribution of the songs: The styles of the choreography? from the exotic Haiti number to the ballroom dancing style, tap dancing? The tour de force with the hat stand, the dancing on the walls and roof? Their contribution to the plot?

5. Irving/Edgar and Keenan Wynn’s perpetual agent style? British and American comedy? His song about the lovely day?

6. John and the Peter Lawford type? His house in the country? A man about town, his farewells from the ship? His courting of Jane Powell? His presence at the show, the finale and the marriage? The humour of Jane Powell's flirtations, the brother and sister act, her choices? her enjoyment of going out with John in London? Deceiving her brother? The decisions about her future career?

7. The contrast with Anne as the Englishwoman, her encounter with Fred Astaire and her being reserved, the audition? The outings and meals? her fiance? Her father and the visits to the pub? The meeting between her father and mother? Fred Astaire and his love and infatuation? The outings? Arranging for the 'phone call to Chicago and discovering the truth?

8. Themes of marriage, falling in love? The conventional attractive material?

9. The culmination at the royal wedding? The American look at English royalty? The background of the preparations for the wedding? The processions? The use of the wedding as a background to the main stars, wedding?

10. The perpetual attractiveness of this kind of lightweight American musical comedy?