moonspinner55 Fred Astaire is re-teamed with Rita Hayworth one year after their big hit for Columbia, "You'll Never Get Rich". That film put Hayworth on the Hollywood map, yet her performance in this wan romantic musical hardly gives a suggestion why she was suddenly so popular. Down Buenos Aires way, a tyrannical hotel owner demands that his four daughters marry in order of age; one may think the picture takes place in the 18th century...but no, it's 1942. Astaire, playing a former hoofer-turned-gambler who goes back to dancing to earn some money, gets mixed up impersonating a letter-writing admirer to Hayworth's society beauty. Fred, gazing at Rita with a brotherly smile, tries but fails to make the sparks fly, while she's so aloof and indifferent (lip-synching to her songs like a wind-up doll) that any signs of romance quickly sputter. They do dance comfortably together, however, and the Jerome Kern score, while not especially memorable, is pleasant enough. ** from ****

standalone-magazine Jerome Kern lovely music is what gives this film LIFE! And the fact that Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire are fantastic in this film. Fred Astaire was one of the best dancers in motion picture history. But, not a lot of people know that, Rita Hayworth was a very talented dancer too. And believe me, she puts her skills to work in this film.Now...I'm not going to lie, it's not the best storyline and the acting isn't the best. Although (Adolphe Menjou) really keeps the film going with his short temper and wit.Robert Davis (Fred Astaire) is a well known dancer who tries to get a contract at Eduardo Acuna (Adolphe Menjou) night club, but he's not having any luck at all.Through some very insane events Robert and Maria Acuna (Rita Hayworth) begin to have feeling for one another. But her father Eduardo Acuna doesn't want his daughter messing around with a dancer. But with a number of wonderful tunes and some great moves 'Love' wins-out in the end.It's a fun little film that all of you will enjoy...You Were Never Lovelier.

TxMike As a kid growing up in the 1950s I had heard of Rita Hayworth but knew nothing about her or her acting. So I have been watching select DVDs of her movies. This one, with Fred Astaire, was made 4 years before her famous role as "Gilda". Astaire was already is his 40s, while Hayworth was just past 20. Still, they made a nice pair on screen.Hayworth was a trained dancer, and she does fine with Astaire, but when you watch the dance sequences in 1/8 speed slow motion is when you realize how much better Astaire was. He was one of a kind, and he made it look so easy.In this movie Fred Astaire is Robert 'Bob' Davis, nightclub singer and dancer who makes his way down to Argentina. His weakness is horse racing, and he finds himself broke when he happens on his old bandsman fiend, Xavier Cugat as himself, with his band, playing at a club called Acuna. So he sets out to get work there. But Adolphe Menjou as the difficult, hard-headed Eduardo Acuña, wealthy owner of the club, won't even give Bob the time of day, but Bob is persistent. But there is a much bigger issue, Mr Acuna's daughters. The two youngest ones have men and are ready to get married, but their family tradition is to have the daughters marry in order from eldest to youngest. The problem is with Maria, who just seems to cold to fall for a man.Rita Hayworth is that daughter, Maria Acuña. When dad hatches a plan which involves a fictitious anonymous admirer sending Orchids and notes every day, Bob accidentally gets in the picture as a delivery boy and Maria thinks he is the admirer. Dad does not approve of Bob, but his younger daughters are putting pressure on the situation. What is a dad to do? So the rest of the movie is to see who wins, will dad dispatch Bob back to New York, or will he and Maria get together in the end? Easy guess.I really enjoyed this movie. The story is all fluff, for sure, but it was great fun seeing the three lead actors. The production numbers are all fun, with songs by Jerome Kern. Now that I have seen several of her early movies it is easy to see why she became such a star.

gkaldis Fred Astaire does his most varied dancing with an American Beauty, Rita Hayworth in Buenos Aires in this wartime film. Two highlights of the film for dance aficionados are a Celtic wedding out of Brittany and a brilliant pairing of Astaire and Hayworth in a "tour De force" dance on a penthouse ballroom to the Jerome Kern song I'm Old Fashioned. Rita even sings the song beautifully before they really start to cut up the floor. The latter gave Jerome Robbins the idea for one of his most unusual ballets for the NY City Ballet company, I'm Old Fashioned, The Astaire Variations. He starts it with the clip from the film, You Were Never Lovelier, and the variations that follow are of the company and principals learning the steps, especially an infectious rocking back and forth and then moving forward pattern. The finale is of the entire cast of Principals and company dancers dancing the same steps as in the film in tuxes and ballroom gowns. This is a movie you want to see again and again as well as the Robbins ballet it gave rise to.