Happy Easter … and for the occasion, I love reviewing movies set on the holiday. For today, how about a classic old musical that culminates in an Easter celebration. The 1948 musical “Easter Parade” is often sighted as a decade classic, and one of the bright spots in the long running carriers of both Judy Garland and Fred Astaire. For my liking, I’m partial to contemporary movie musicals, but I also have a soft spot for these old-time musicals, and I like comparing what worked back then to what works now days. So, in light of the holiday season, let’s look back at “Easter Parade” and see how it holds up.
Theater star Don Hewes is dancing on top of the world with his co-star and love interest Nadine Hale … at least until she turns him down in favor of a high-prestige job headlining a much bigger stage show.
Grappling with his wows of being dumped both personally and professionally, Hewes concocts a sneaky plan … grab any random girl and transform her into a dancing and singing star who can rivel his Ex-costar, and all before the big Easter parade. Backup dancer Hannah Brown is picked out of the hat, and she gratefully accepts him as her new teacher. As they spend more time together, Hewes plays a long game of accepting that his new pupil can’t be molded into an imitation and needs to shine on her own different talents. She in turn develops romantic feelings for her teacher and aims to get him to see more in her than a means to an end. The pair transitions into a love triangle, as Hewes buddy Johhny also takes a liking to Hannah, and finally, ex-girlfriend Nadine returns to make this love triangle a square.
For a movie like this, it’s not really relying on its narrative beats to sell itself and instead focuses on the charm of its star talents and song numbers to leave an impression.
The main selling point of the film being Judy Garland, who after her star turn in “The Wizard of Oz” became a decade queen of movie musicals, staring in hits like “Strike up the Band”, “Meet me in St. Louis” and eventually receiving her Oscar nomination in 1954’s “A Star is Born”. Naturally, “Easter Parade” was another bright spot on her musical resume, and highlights both her loving nature and comedic chops she’d come to be known for. My personal favorite scene comes near the end, when she’s at a low point, sitting in a saloon, and singing "Better Luck Next Time". It’s tricky to explain, but I feel her subtle emotional beats and wonderful singing voice really shine in this moment. Also, with her green dress complimenting her red hair and lips … I think it’s the loveliest the actress has ever looked. Of course, her musical duet with Fred Astaire called “We’re a Couple of Swells” is frequently sighted as an all-time fan favorite and is definitely a bright spot in the film … especially with its detailed stage and rotating backdrop.
The other lead role of Don Hewes was originally meant for another musical titan Gene Kelly, but after accidentally breaking his ankle, the role went to Fred Astaire.
He was actually set on retiring at the time, but the overnight success of “Easter Parade” ended up re-launching his star power for the next twenty years. His opening song and dance number called “Drum Crazy” is something of a make-or-break deal, and for me is an example of how dated the presentation of these early musicals are. Most of this sequence is filmed in a single wide shot, with the star dancing about the setting. I suppose it was charming for its time, but kind of boring today. A better song and dance number for Fred Astaire is his stage number called “Steppin’ Out with my Baby”, which is shot and edited with more flair, and was even ahead of its time utilizing slow-motion shots.
Not to be overlooked is Ann Miller as rivel love interest Nadine Hale, who likewise steals the show in a number of scenes. She’s a perfect counterpoint to Judy Garland, and is a little more devious in personality, but still charismatic.
Her song number “Shakin my Blues Away” is yet another note-worthy highlight, with a lot of energy and flair on display. The cheesiest song number by far is set outside on a rainy street called “A Fella with an Umbrella” … as you can tell from that corny title, it’s cringe and certainly no “Singing in the Rain”. Other noteworthy talents include the films composer and song writer Irving Berlin of “Blue Skys” fame, and Johnny Green and Roger Edens, who composed the score for the film. I admit, I remember the songs more than the score, but it was apparently good enough to win the Academy Award for Best Original Music.
In a nutshell, this film gave the target audience of its time exactly what they wanted … charismatic leads who can sing and dance, a cheerful tone punctuated with upbeat music and colorful costumes in equally colorful surroundings. Naturally, we segue into the films climactic holiday event, and while everything plays out the way it should, I admittedly found this finale kind of underwhelming. After a misunderstanding of sorts, our two main lovers quickly get things resolved … after a white rabbit comes in the mail … Astaire puts on his dapper Easter bonnet, while Judy Garland shows off her springtime best, and the two dance off singing the climactic “Easter Parade Song”. It’s a surprisingly short sequence, with an okay song at best. Personally, I was hoping for more of a big set-piece when the two walk outside for the holiday festivities, but it all closes rather quickly.
I suppose it’s an okay watch for the Easter season, and it’s certainly a novelty to have a musical as an option for the occasion. That being said, “Easter Parade” is not one of my personal favorite musicals, not even one of my favorite early musicals, but I suppose it has its place. Some of the songs are nice, and for any fan of either Judy Garland or Fred Astaire, it’s worth viewing.
Thanks for reading my review of the 1948 Musical classic “Easter Parade” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!
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