Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen teamed up for the third and final time for this 1955 musical about three World War II army buddies who reunite after 10 years only to discover that they have all changed, and not necessarily for the better. The film itself was conceived as a reunion of the On the Town creative team, with Betty Comden and Adolph Green scripting and composing the lyrics to songs composed by André Previn, but Kelly's original costars were not available, so Dan Dailey and Michael Kidd stepped in to play the buddies, with Dailey as an aspiring artist turned dull advertising man and Kidd the proprietor of a Brooklyn burger joint. Cyd Charisse costars as the savvy TV producer who schemes to put their reunion on a This Is Your Life-type live TV show. While it's not quite accurate to call this a "dark" musical, It's Always Fair Weather does take on failed dreams and disappointments, turning the reunion into a mirror that allows the trio to see their own compromises. It's a minor but colorful and energetic film that features two classic dance numbers, both of which play out on the MGM New York City street: the three vets back from the war promising to be "friends forever" as they bang around with trash can lids on their feet, and a solo number with the older Kelly tap dancing in roller skates. The finale is a spirited brawl that pits the newly-bonded buddies against New York mobs during live TV. Bowing on Blu-ray, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette, musical outtakes, and classic cartoons. Sure to be appreciated by fans of Hollywood CinemaScope musicals, this is recommended. (S. Axmaker)
It's Always Fair Weather
Warner, 101 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $21.99 Volume 32, Issue 2
It's Always Fair Weather
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