It's Always Fair Weather (1955) User Reviews

Friends Forever?

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 1 February 2009]

The folks that brought you Singing In The Rain, Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Cyd Charisse, and Arthur Freed combined their considerable talents to give us one of the last of the great MGM screen musicals in It's Always Fair Weather. The film got two Oscar nominations for Comden and Green for Best Original Screenplay and for Andre Previn for Best Musical Score. Previn also contributed the music for the original songs in this film.

I remember back in 1971 when I did the weekend warrior thing at Fort Polk and Fort Sam Houston I had a number of friends back in the day there. But a few years from now if circumstance ever brought a group of us together we'd find we have very little in common. In fact there are relatives of mine I barely keep up with because of the little we have in common.

Thus did army pals Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, and Michael Kidd find themselves after ten years earlier in David Burns's bar swearing that they would meet there ten years later and still be best pals in 1945 after V-J Day.

Well it's now 1955 and Gene Kelly is a native New Yorker. Michael Kidd actually comes down from Schenectady thinking his two friends will be there. Dan Dailey is an advertising executive working on a third ulcer and happens to be in from Chicago. Both Kelly and Dailey realize the day and half heartedly go to the bar and the three do run into each other. But life has led them down three different paths and they have nothing in common, but military service.

Dailey's firm advertises on a show hosted by Dolores Gray which seems to be a combination Queen For A Day, This Is Your Life, and Candid Camera. Her producer Cyd Charisse thinks the reunion of the veterans would be a great show and she contrives to make sure they're all there for the broadcast. Kelly she gives her personal attention to. He's got the most trouble. He's a fight manager whose heavyweight is going into the tank for gangster Jay C. Flippen.

Mix all those elements and you have a nice original story idea with some good songs, none of which became any kind of hit. The best numbers are by Gene Kelly dancing on rollerskates proclaiming his new found love for Charisse down the city streets just like in Singing In The Rain. I also liked Dolores Gray's numbers as well.

But I like her character as the overbearing TV host. I don't think it was any accident she bears some resemblance to Jean Hagen's Lina Lamont in Singing In The Rain as Comden and Green wrote that screenplay also. Hard to believe there were really shows like Madeline's back in the day.

It's Always Fair Weather, another quality product from the Arthur Freed unit at MGM. You can never go wrong there.

Stormy Weather Ahead

[mmallon4 · 7/10 · 20 October 2014]

It's Always Fair Weather will go down in history as the film musical which "could have been". Had it been made a few years earlier it could have been in the same leagues as Singin' In the Rain and On the Town but several shortcomings, some determined by the period the film was made prevent it from being so. Even the studio had that little faith in it they dumped it as a second feature alongside Bad Day At Black Rock.

It's Always Fair Weather differs from other musicals of its time in its sombre tone with the tale of three war buddies who are reunited ten years later to find out they can't stand each other upon discovering one is a hick, a snob and a goon. This is juxtaposed to a world of beautiful, bright colours and welcome artificiality with urban sets to die for. It's Always Fair Weather was originally conceived as a sequel to On the Town, reuniting Gene Kelly with co-stars Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin. However, by 1955, Munshin no longer had box office credibility while Sinatra was too big a star that the studio was unwilling to work with him. In their place, we get Dan Dailey and Michael Kidd, both of whom get the job done but lack the same electric chemistry Kelly's On the Town co-stars possessed. Frank Sinatra in particular I find is sorely missed as I loved his three-picture partnership with Kelly in which they made an excellent comedic duo. None the less the roaster does get a big boost with the casting of the great Cyd Charisse, whom like Ann Miller in On the Town, plays a glamorous woman with contradictory personality and an encyclopedic knowledge of well, pretty much any topic.

However, I find It's Always Fair Weather's biggest drawback are the sections of the film which are uneventful and doesn't have the lightning-fast pace of On The Town or Singin' In The Rain. The film could definitely benefit from the trimming or removal of whole scenes; there is a faster-paced, snappier film in here. The film does help make up for this though in its musical numbers. It's Always Fair Weather does showcase some of the best moments of any MGM musical with the soundtrack being one of the best in the MGM catalogue. The musical numbers and compositions are fantastic and all written for the film itself by the great Betty Comden and Adolph Green, while the majority of MGM musicals took their songs from their back catalogue as well as other stage musicals.

The five-minute Gershwin like dance number "The Binge" showcases the then-new cinemascope format by having three dancers occupy their own third of the screen as they dance and create percussion with trash can lids on their feet as they work together in great physical tandem of drunken joy. Once Upon a Time, on the other hand, is a heart aching number if there was one as the three men sing about their broken dreams while Music is Better Than Words couldn't be more enchanting if you asked for it. The centrepiece of the film, however, is Gene Kelly's number 'I Like Myself', featuring him tap dancing on roller skates, no trickery! Like Singin' In the Rain, the number is an encapsulation of pure happiness (just look at the faces of the onlooking extras). This is of my favourite musical numbers of all time and is an unbelievable display of talent if I ever saw it. The film's only crime in the song and dance department is the lack of a dance number between Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse, despite one actually being filmed.

I feel widescreen technology came too late the MGM musicals which could have used it to great advantage but by 1955 musicals had already lost most of their economic viability due to the rise of television. It's Always Fair Weather is Hollywood coming to terms with the existence of its rival television but relishes the opportunity to satirize the format as superficial and ridden with advertising.

Splendid 'dark' musical, clearly ahead of its time.

[movibuf1962 · 7/10 · 18 August 2003]

I just saw this again on TCM, in the only format it deserves to be viewed in: letterbox. While it is a Gene Kelly vehicle and the leads are three buddies from wartime, that's pretty much where the "On The Town" similarities end. It is a surprisingly sharp, cynical story in which the heroes' dreams are voiced, but not realized (at least not at first), due to life circumstances. The daring plot of three soldier buddies who part company at the end of the war, reunite 10 years later to settle a bet they've made with a barkeep, and then realize that they really don't have anything in common except a dislike for each other, probably broke amazing ground back in the 1950's when it dared to show what happens to friends who 'don't' live happily ever after. (After all, musicals are usually free of such cynicism and vulgarity.) Betty Comden and the late Adolph Green- responsible for so many great film scores as well as the scripts of "Auntie Mame," "Bells Are Ringing," and "What A Way To Go-" contribute very witty songs here, including the three-way, split-screen dance "Once Upon A Time-" which shows the three buddies reflecting on their wartime friendship and whether or not they'll ever get it back; Dolores Gray's wicked "Thanks A Lot, But No Thanks;" and the requisite Gene Kelly solo (on roller skates), "I Like Myself." The big revelation, however, is Cyd Charisse- fine as ever, but in a rare, 'real' acting role which calls upon a bit of cynicism and smug defensiveness. Her cool demeanor is wonderfully thawed by the wise-guy boxers who worship her in the the gymnasium ditty, "Baby, You Knock Me Out." She goes from a diva to a siren in a tight green sweater and skirt in just 2 minutes. Have mercy!!

"Boys, don't be like me, live clean, use Klenzrite."

[Ash-65 · 14 March 1999]

It's Always Fair Weather has a somewhat ironic title, because it's not like most every other M-G-M musical in that things don't always turn out perfectly. I believe that its darker-than-average humour (for that time at least) contributed to its being ahead of its time. For instance, the plot has to do with a friendship not being the same after ten years, a boxing match being fixed, a jaded woman (Charisse), a corporation sell-out (Dailey), and a "small-time operator" (Kelly). The numbers, though, are typically excellent, particularly the dance in the beginning where the trio is drunk, Cyd's Baby You Knock Me Out, and Kelly's famous I Like Myself, in which he tap dances on rollerskates! Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen's choreography is nothing short of dazzling. And yes, Gene's smile could still melt stone. Cyd Charisse is great and beautiful as always, too bad she had only one number. So go see It's Always Fair Weather, just don't expect anything real fluffy.

The weather begins to turn for the big MGM musicals

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 6 December 2014]

The age of the big MGM musical production was beginning to wind down by the time this film was made. It has more story to it than most MGM musicals, revolving around three G.I. buddies and their vow in 1945 to meet in a particular bar ten years later. They all keep their word and keep the date, but each is vastly disappointed in how the other two have turned out and initially have nothing much to say to each other. There's some interesting commentary here on life in the 50's and in particular the early days of TV and advertising's place in it. Gene Kelly is entertaining as always, but I was really surprised by Dan Dailey's talent as the ad executive that comes to a startling self-realization at an inopportune time and does quite a performance dancing and singing about his plight.

This film was a product of the famed Arthur Freed unit, which made many lavish musicals in their time. Its fate parallels the fate of this film, due to the managerial chaos at MGM and changing audience tastes. Betty Comden of the Arthur Freed unit said that the staff was accustomed to seeing their musicals open at the best movie theaters, and were surprised when "It's Always Fair Weather" opened at numerous drive-ins! That's when they knew they were nearing the end of an era.

Surprisingly cynical MGM musical

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 20 January 2016]

Audiences in the 1950s probably didn't appreciate this song-and-dance offering from MGM in 1955, which is darker in tone than the studio's cheery perennials and harbors an embittered streak (likely a reflection of the times, but not exactly musical escapism). Writers Betty Comden and Adolph Green came up with an intriguing story of WWII buddies meeting 10 years after V-J Day, only to find they have nothing in common but the war. Solid production is more an interesting mix of downcast drama and dance rather than a successful one, though co-directors Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly clearly relished the opportunity to do something a little headier (with the accent on character). Unfortunately, Donen and Kelly throw everything out the window for a slapstick finish, an unfunny free-for-all that nearly cripples the film. For years, this big studio misfire was but a cinematic footnote in Kelly's career; the film has since attained a new legion of admirers willing to overlook its weaknesses. Certainly a curiosity piece, and the cast is uniformly excellent. **1/2 from ****

Flawed Previn-Comden-Green musical

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 21 March 2009]

Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, and Michael Kidd are army buddies in "It's Always Fair Weather," a 1955 musical film directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly. The film also stars Cyd Charisse and Delores Gray.

At the end of World War II, Ted Riley (Kelly), Doug Hallerton (Dailey), and Angie Valentine (Kidd) return to the states and make a bet with a bartender that they will be friends for life. They agree to meet on October 11, 1955, which is in ten years, at the same bar. When that day comes, they all show up, and have absolutely nothing to say to one another. Riley is a playboy and gambler who won a prize fighter in a game, Hallerton is an ulcer-ridden advertising man on the verge of divorce, and Angie is the happily married owner of a diner in upstate New York. Thanks to a talk show host (Delores Gray) who refuses to do her show as planned, and the show's beautiful consultant (Charisse), the three are destined to be reunited again - on network television.

This is a nice movie with some great dancing and singing, but given the cast, directors, writers and composer, one expects a little more than "nice" and "pleasant." The music by Andre Previn is uninspired. The choreography fares better, with a delightful roller skating sequence by Gene Kelly, and a fun sequence in a boxing gym by Cyd Charisse. The glamorous Delores Gray sings the heck out of her numbers, but her acting, unlike in "Designing Woman," is way over the top, more of a stage performance.

Despite the spoofing of advertising and early television shows and the singing and dancing, the film has a strange edginess; when it's dark, it's almost too dark, and the light moments aren't light enough. There's just something unhappy about it, which you don't find in the fabulous "Singin' in the Rain." But I suppose you can't ask lightning to strike twice.

Dan Dailey has the strongest role and is more than up to it, giving the film's best performance. And of the three, he's the only one who bothered to age ten years.

Disappointing, given the talent involved.

On The Turn

[ptb-8 · 9/10 · 23 February 2004]

A perfect antidote or bookend to ON THE TOWN this excellent, mature and solid cinemascope musical is an absolute knockout. Made by MGM to placate Kelly for refusing to loan him to Samuel Goldwyn for GUYS AND DOLLS this film is probably one of the few 50s MGM efforts that plays well to audiences in 2004........but only of one sees it in cinemascope. Inventive use of the widescreen allows superb choreography to become ironic and witty......and the bewildering idiocy of TV stations to only show the center of the screen is an insult to any audience seeking to enjoy this clever and thoughtful musical. A small profit on first release and a drive in future saw this pic drop from view early in its life. the dance numbers are uniformly (no pun) astonishing and sometimes hilarious (especially Dolores Gray) BUT... I yi yi...Cyd Charisse in Baby You Knock Me Out lives up to its title. Trivia alert: one of the old boxers at Stillman's Gym is Gus Mecurio, father of STRICTLY BALLROOM lead dancer and actor Paul Mecurio. Kelly on skates is as good as Kelly singin in the rain...it's the same number but on wheels!.....this is a great film and a perfect musical. Imagine Kelly's rage at MGM after refusing him the Guys and Dolls loan out and they they distribute that film for Goldwyn anyway! No wonder WEATHER is such a suitably dark film of the disillusionment met head on in the American mid 50s. A full revival is much deserved.

"I Like Myself": Well, I Liked Everybody ELSE.

[hec-8 · 7/10 · 29 January 2007]

I found this movie to be pretty entertaining, but it needed a bit more of the supporting players and a LOT less of Gene Kelly. I've never found him that appealing, and it doesn't surprise me that he ordered the removal of amazing dancer Michael Kidd's solo number - and nearly did the same to Dan Dailey. I'm glad Donen prevailed and Dailey's number stayed in; he's a pleasure to watch. Most song-and-dance men are small, wiry fellows; it is SO nice to see a big, tall man who can dance with the best of them. In the "Up In Smoke" number, I noticed that his timing was right in tune with Kidd's; it was Kelly who was out of sync. As for the women: Dolores Gray's parody of a "Queen- for- a- Day" type host was simply FABULOUS - you can't play that kind of a character straight! - but Cyd Charisse seemed out of place as the program director. (Maybe I've got too strong a memory of her as the slinky siren in "Singin' in the Rain"?) Finally I've never liked the dance number on roller skates, however difficult it might be: Kelly is supposed to be crowing about the girl, but instead he's singing a valentine to HIMSELF. I'm glad you like yourself, Gene; I'm going to rewind to Dan Dailey's "Situation-Wise".

The good easily outweighs the bad--and a highly underrated film.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 5 February 2013]

The film begins with three very obnoxious soldiers in a bar. They are celebrating because the war is over and they are all about to go home. However, before they go, these lifelong friends vow to reunite in 10 years.

Ten years pass. Doug (Dan Dailey) has NOT become a great bohemian painter but a very stodgy business with a busted marriage. Ted (Gene Kelly) did NOT marry the girl of his dreams but is a gambler and boxing promoter who has contempt for women. And, the most innocent of the three, Angie (Michael Kidd), is pretty happy--owning a burger joint and having a wife and kids. But, what they really discover about each other is that they have nothing in common and don't even like each other any more. And, in some cases, they also see that they don't even like themselves. Fortunately, through the course of the film this meeting ends up changing Ted and Doug for the better. And, it also provides a very strange opportunity to redo this reunion.

Considering this film stars Dan Dailey and Gene Kelly, it's not surprising that it's a musical. As for Michael Kidd, most folks won't even recognize him but he was also an exceptional dancer. I honestly think the reason the studio picked this unknown guy was entirely because Frank Sinatra couldn't be in the film, so the producer found the actor who looked the most like Sinatra as possible. To heighten it, they also dressed Kidd like Sinatra and had him imitate his style. Kidd was fine in the film, but they really did NOT need to do this.

So is it any good? Well, yes and no. As for the songs, some were absolutely hilarious--which is a shame, as apparently no one went to see the film when it came out in 1955. I loved the song where the three guys sang inside their heads about how much they hated their 'friends' when they reunited! It was hilarious. I also loved the surreal song and dance number in the gym. The song's lyrics were great but it was also great how cute these palookas were! You just have to laugh when they sing and behave so gentlemanly. But, on the other hand, a lot of the other songs fell a bit flat. The story itself was original but it also suffered, a bit, because at first it was very tough to like two of the three leading men--they WERE jerks. But, at least they changed! Plus, it also had a nice sense of humor that picked it up a bit--such as the ultra-horrible TV host! She was a hoot. I also was amazed seeing Kelly dancing on roller skates!! Wow...and a far cry from his embarrassing roller skating in "Xanadu". So overall, is it worth seeing? Well, if you like musicals, of course. If not, you might want to try another one first. Of course, even if you don't like musicals, you might want to see it so you can get a glimpse of Cyd Charisse in a sweater!

A spoonful of medicine doesn't make the sugar go down

[Hunt2546 · 6/10 · 4 July 2012]

I can just see the story conference where Gene and Stan say to Mr. Mayer, "Gee, L.B., you'll love it. An hour and a half on lacerating male self-hatred, in which three ex GIs, ten years into the rest of their lives, decide they really suck big time and finally come to accept their utter mediocrity!" But that's exactly what this very odd duck of a picture is up to, and it's not helped by gratuitous forays--certainly inconsistent with the overall theme of the work--into parody with TV, advertising, Dinah Shore and Dr. Joyce Brothers among its disparate and incoherent targets. So it doesn't amount to much beyond an interesting failure but it has a few good numbers, notably the famous "trash can dance" by Kelly, Daily and Kidd and a number in a boxing gym where Cyd Charisse throws her 38-22-38 bones around in a tight sweater--and I mean TIGHT!--among a bunch of sweaty pugs. But there are plenty of disappointments. Why on earth is there no climactic Kelly-Charisse number? Who do we get so little of Michael Kidd. In fact, while these guys are quickly sketching in how bad their lives after the war suck- -one's a sellout, one's a small fry, one's a fraud--there's not enough dancing and there's way too much self pity. The ending is an overlong, overchoreographed and underwhelming fist fight sequence which reunites the spirit of the three ex soldiers who thought they'd do so much better and and settled for so much less. After the ebullience of "On the Town," this one is a real bitter pill to swallow.

some classic novelty dances, but script problems

[weezeralfalfa · 8/10 · 22 January 2012]

Don't know why this title was chosen, as it doesn't seem to relate at all to the film. Apparently, it was intended as a parody on real life for most people, as demonstrated by our 3 male stars. It was perhaps appropriate for the theme of the TV show included in the film, hosted by Dolores Gray. Originally conceived as a sequel to the hit "On the Town", possibly with the 3 original male stars. But, two were quickly eliminated, with Kelly the sole returnee. Dan Dailey was an excellent choice as one replacement, having established similar screen skills to Kelly's as a dancer, singer and comedian, though with a more blase screen personality, as demonstrated in his too brief solo 'lampshade' act. Michael Kidd, normally an expert choreographer, was an unexpected choice as the third male lead. Unfortunately, his innovative solo scene "Jack and the Space Giants" was cut from the film, but can be seen as an outtake on the 2006 Warner DVD release.Another very ill-advised cut was the only dance featuring Kelly and Cid Charisse: the one romantic couple featured! Again,this outtake can be seen on the 2006 DVD. Dolores Gray provides a classy-looking hostess for a TV combo variety and "This is Your Life " program, primarily serving as a parody of the common sugary TV shows and their often inane commercials of the times. She could also sing, as demonstrated several times.

Despite a number of unusual dance numbers, including the 'trash can lid' dance by the drunken trio, Kelly's impressive roller skating street dance, Dailey's drunken unpredictable 'lampshade' act, and Cyd's"Baby You Knock me Out" song and dance , I can understand why this film lacked the audience appeal of "On the Town".It's not just the obvious fact that the 3 buddies at the beginning of the film realize they have become irrelevant strangers to each other for most of the rest of the film. It's not just that Dailey's and Kelly's characters have led mostly meaningless or shady lives since their GI days. The film mainly follows Kelly after the 3 have had enough of each other. Since the other 2 ex-buddies are married, we only have one quickie romance to follow instead of the 3 in "On the Town", and Kelly and Cid never have a 'mating dance', as occurred in "On the Town" and many other musicals of those times.On the other hand, I found the last portion of the film much the best. First, we have Kelly's roller skating dance routine,followed by Dolores's unusual "Thanks, but no Thanks" routine.This is followed by the 3 former buddies being reluctantly forced to meet and tell all on Dolores's over the top 'This is your Life' portion of her TV show, and the subsequent brawl with Kelly's mobster associates that brings them together again briefly: a hilarious and very clever device for ringing an apparently happy ending out of a largely pessimistic story, along with parodying the emerging competing entertainment medium of TV.

Incidentally, Kelly's impressive roller skating dance-comedy routine was not the first feature film roller skating dance to include some tap dancing. Nearly 20 years earlier, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers had done an impressive roller skate duo dance, including a bit of tap dancing, in "Shall We Dance". Also, 2 years earlier, Don O'Connor did a solo roller skate dance, including hopping up a series of stair treads, in "I Love Melvin".

Summary and Review

[eksrox-40-902286 · 6/10 · 28 April 2011]

It's Always Fair Weather is a light-hearted, witty, and humorous musical. The three main characters begin as war buddies and are having a drink at a local bar, when therefore they say their good byes before they go and lead their civilian lives. As best friends, they make an agreement to meet at that same bar ten years down the road to see how their lives turned out. They collect money from each of them and put it in the hanging light fixture. There is a song after this scene that shows how each of their lives progress. This scene is especially comical. Each one of the men have a distinct personality: one is a ladies man with no ties, one is a family man, and the other a business man. When they meet up, they quickly discover that they were not the same men they were during the war. The progression of their lives have separated them and made them quite different. A dramatic and ridiculous TV hostess decides to base one of her episodes on getting these three gentlemen back together as friends. It turns into a chaotic scene, including fights, chases, and accusations. In the end, the three rekindle their friendship. This movie is also a critique on television itself. There are several jabs in the movie about how phony television is compared to the movie industry. An example of this is the dancing girls that are wearing boxes as advertisements for the television commercials. This makes the television industry look silly compared to the high class world of the movies. This movie was made in a period of time where television was on the rise, and the movie industry was having to work at keeping ahead and their profits up. This was a technique. Overall, this was an enjoyable movie with a lot of laughs and impressive dance numbers.

Harsh.

[onepotato2 · 4/10 · 19 September 2004]

A truly strange, late entry into the musical canon. MGM must've felt the formula was running out of steam or they were attempting more challenging story lines. The musical format hits an early snag long before the difficult late sixties and seventies.

Three pals heading overseas agree that they're friends forever and plan to meet after the war. They pursue lives apart, but reunite again many years later to appear on a schmaltzy TV show that provides viewers with saccharine emotional payoffs contrived from real-life stories. When they regroup they've changed to the point they can't stand each other and they resent that the TV show will portray them as close friends. After a conflicted day in New York, they eventually re-team to upset the TV Show hostess' plans and tell the real story.... (which is ???)

Imagine a movie where the lead characters think Oprah is a force of evil (!?) and you're supposed to root for her humiliation. It's just not possible to despise a TV personality (Dolores Gray) who can trump every femme-fatale number ever filmed with the uproarious, much-loved "Thanks a Lot, but No Thanks."

"Fair Weather" has it's fans, but half a dozen incongruities like this (and that elaborate plot!!!) leave you puzzled. It's as if they started with one storyline and a different villain but asked everyone to play their part neutrally while the producers mulled swapping villains. Characters are snotty and unpleasant. What does that title mean? Why do the guys agree to be on the show if she's a fraud? They all grow identically in one day to the point that she can be universally reviled? Sure, she's a phony, but it's not like she personally bombed Dresden.

The suggestion that the American Dream has holes in it is surprising for this genre. One wonders who the target audience was... It cannot be the droves who went to the previous sweet, light efforts. And it's a decade after the close of World War II. Sure the world is a more realistic place, but Singin in the Rain was made after the war too. The departures are provocative, but the results are odd. Certainly worth seeing as a change from simplistic romances but even if you're intrigued don't be surprised if you exit with mixed feelings.

Gene Kelly's joyful roller skate dance is a pleasure.

A Unique Hybrid Of A Musical

[dencar_1 · 14 March 2005]

Keep in mind that the era of the movie musical was pretty much in the dust when IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER hit the screens in 1955. Yet the story is an odd hybrid for benign musicals, and a rather dark story of three GI's coming home from the war, vowing a loyal, buddy-buddy reunion, then, upon reuniting years later, realizing they have outgrown one another and have virtually nothing in common. There is a reunion dinner at a posh nightclub, and try as they might, hostility and acrimony flare up among the men as they gradually discern they have now little in common. The movie also teams Dan Daily and Michael Kyd with Kelly, a Grade A, winning combination for the few, but excellent numbers, they perform.

However, this movie should be seen for one and one reason only: Gene Kelly's dance on roller skates to one of the most beautiful tunes ever written by Comden and Green. As the story goes, Kelly had been searching for just the right opportunity to dance on skates in a film for years. Betty Comden has said she lived close to Kelly in Beverly Hills and that he had purchased skates years before at a hardware store near-by and that she'd watched Kelly take his daughter skating many times. It's not a stretch that Kelly spent a lot of hours imagining just where and when he'd do a roller skates number as he flew around Beverly Hills on wheels.

Another delight is the very robust and creative "trash can lids" number featuring Kelly, Dan Daily, and Michael Kyd. With a trash can lid stuck to one foot, the trio bounce up and down a street to a snappy melody while still in uniform. For those who thought lanky Dan Daily was "just another hoofer," this number proves he could hold his own with the best of them.

I have heard Comden and Green also relate the story that after the movie opened someone told them they had seen the film in a drive-in. "I knew that the end had come," (for the movie musical) commented Adolf Green.

IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER is very much worth seeing for being one of the last studio movie musicals of its kind. Moreover, the novelty of watching Kelly teamed with Dan Daily and Michael Kyd--the only time those three dancers appeared together--is supremely enoyable. IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER remains underrated to this day and serves as one of the final signposts for the demise of the great screen musical.

Dennis Caracciolo

enjoyable musical

[xtina09 · 7/10 · 7 May 2011]

It's Always Fair Weather is an enjoyable musical that tells the story of three young men who arrive back in the United States after fighting across the seas together. At the beginning of the film, the three men share a great bond and "know" that they will stay close in the years to come. The bartender on the other hand believes life will lead them to drift apart. And so they make a bet (between the three soldiers and the bartender) that in ten years they will meet at that same bar on that same date to prove that they will be friends forever. They split a dollar bill and each goes their own separate way. The film flashes forward ten years and shows that the three veterans have indeed taken very different paths in life. So the rest of film focuses on this reunion and also depicts a bit of romance that takes place between the characters Ted Riley and Jackie Leighton. Although musicals usually take place within a happy environment, It's Always Fair Weather has its moments in which there is a bit of a dark feel to it. Because it's a film about friendship, it's odd that for the majority of the film they don't get along after the three friends don't exactly see eye to eye when they first reunite. However, the film still uses a lot comedy to get past this and make the film less of a downer. The film was released in 1955, but when I was watching it I felt like it was much more recent. Compared to other musicals and other films during this time, It's Always Fair Weather was the type of film that kept the audience very entertained. Even if you are not the greatest fan of musicals this film does the job in being an entertaining piece of work. I found it to be funny and overall a pleasant film from the 1950's that I would definitely recommend.

10 years, with nothing to show.

[kbunck · 7/10 · 9 May 2011]

When I first watched "It's always fair weather" I expected it to be another 1950's typical Hollywood musical, and in some sense I was correct. Not being musically gifted myself, I find it hard to sit through an hour watching someone else sing, if I wanted that I would go to the opera. I don't mind musicals such as The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, or Charlie and the Chocolate factory, since I've never had the chance or the inclination to watch "Singing in the Rain" I really can't compare performances. In the movie, three soldiers returning from World War II, promise to meet up in their favorite bar, ten years down the road. Ignoring the bartenders scoffs, that they will never remember, they make a pact… each vowing to return with their dreams played out. Ten years pass, and the waited day arrives, only one of the three seems to have remembered, the other two through a series of luck, happen to be in the city that exact day, and head to the bar. It seems to me that the one who purposely came back, may have remembered because he wanted to show his two friends, that he, in his simple married life, has everything he ever dreamed of. His two friends, who had forgotten about the meeting, may have subliminally been making the decision not to show up, since their life was not the way they had hoped it would be ten years ago. The show also seems to project the fear that Hollywood had of television in the early half of the twentieth century, portraying the television show (on which the friends are going to be reunited) as a frivolous show, headed by a bunch of money/publicity hungry people. Quite like Hollywood at the same time, if truth be told. This portrayal shows how Hollywood felt threatened by the emergence of television and television show.

Definitely worth it for the dance sequences

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 13 September 2016]

'It's Always Fair Weather' had so much potential from the get go, with the amount of talent involved. And on the most part, while all have done better it lives up to it.

There are better musicals generally out there than 'It's Always Fair Weather', and outside the dance sequences and dancing it's somewhat of an uneven film. However, it does boast some of the best choreography and dance sequences in film musical history, and they are the film's main attraction. Despite its faults though, 'It's Always Fair Weather' is enjoyable as an overall film too.

Not perfect by all means. The script has many great moments of a witty satirical edge and remarkably dark cynicism unusual in musicals at that time, but some of it is sappy to the point of making the toes curl and occasionally it's ponderous. Pacing also slackens in scenes where dancing isn't featured, and the more upbeat, slapsticky ending with the fist-fight is overdone and silly, also not quite fitting with the tone of the rest of the film and it isn't as funny as it should have been. Michael Kidd is underused, and comes over as a bit bland.

From a more subjective point of view as well, Cyd Charisse did deserve more than just one dance, that is superbly choreographed and one of the film's highlights but too short, and she and Gene Kelly were seriously robbed of a dance duet together, as they were a fantastic partnership which should have been more obvious here. Both instances were featured in outtakes, and to be honest the film would have been even better if they remained intact and were included.

However, it is dazzlingly filmed in CinemaScope and costumes and sets are very lavish. While there isn't a hit or timeless classic among the songs, they are still very pleasant to listen to and there isn't a bad egg among them at the same time. Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly direct with an assured touch and avoid being too overblown or heavy, while the clever and sardonic satirical wit, in its poking fun at television, advertising and sports, contrasts well with the darker and more cynical edge 'It's Always Fair Weather' has.

Kidd aside, the cast are great, Kelly is charismatic, Dan Daily shines in his scene-stealing drunk dance, Cyd Charisse dazzles with her dancing (and legs) and Delores Gray is a sheer delight with the best singing voice out of everybody.

What really captivates here, as aforementioned, are the dance sequences and the dancing. Kelly's roller skate dance in "I Like Myself" has been described as his last truly great solo dance number and it is easy to understand why, he makes something that is so difficult to do, almost impossible, and intimidating, look so easy and while the dance is closely indebted to the routine in 'Shall We Dance' Kelly's is perhaps done with more abandon and more daring. The number with the bin lids is also incredibly clever, while "Baby You Knock Me Out" and "Thanks a Lot But No Thanks" showcase Charisse and Gray's talents to show-stopping effect.

In conclusion, a good if uneven film worth seeing for the spectacular dance scenes. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Kelly Singin'&Dancin' on Skates-Always Fair Weather ***1/2

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 5 January 2009]

Delightful musical with Gene Kelly proving over and over again that he was the master of dancing. Three years before he danced in that rainstorm in "Singin' in the Rain," and now he was singing and dancing while on skates. How did he do it?

Dan Dailey and Michael Kidd are also wonderful in this tale of 3 returning soldiers who vow that they will meet 10 years later. While this comes to pass, they soon see that the years have caused them to have very little if anything in common with each other. The film deals with the one day that they realize this and how they finally come to grips that they're 3 guys who deserve each other.

Cyd Charisse becomes the romantic interest of Kelly here. Surprisingly, she isn't given that much to do, although one dancing sequence with her is marvelously staged. Delores Gray, who was so terrific as Sylvia, the following year in "The Opposite Sex," is quite funny here as the host of the television show that will honor our 3 comrades by surprise. How come Charisse had no dancing scenes with Kelly?

Bittersweet but Worth Seeing

[ErinKan214 · 7/10 · 9 May 2011]

This film was definitely a feast for the eyes. I loved the dance sequences, who does not like a good Chyd Charisse dance? I also loved the roller-skating number. I am a big fan of movies like "Singin' In the Rain" but to be honest, I had never heard of this film until I had to see it for a film class. This movies differs from those classic musicals though. In "It's Always Fair Weather" the three main characters are always drinking and smoking. This is a sign of the times but I can see why it would not be considered wholesome fun. Also, it is such a bittersweet musical while others are more of a classic, "tie it all in a bow" ending. I think this might have hurt its ability to become a classic. The music was alright, nothing extremely unique but definitely still enjoyable to watch. I did some research and it seems that "It's Always Fair Weather" premiered towards the end of the musical era. So I think it is fair to say that if you are a fan of this genre, it is a must see. Gene Kelly is fabulous as always, I am sad that we do not have talents like him anymore. I also wish this phase of Hollywood cinema would come back! It is such fun to watch. In conclusion, if you are expecting a completely happy musical, you may want to reconsider. These friends realize just how much they have grown apart which is a bittersweet truth for everyone. However, I would see it for Gene Kelly alone as well as the fabulous dancing by the other actors.

Wonderful MGM Technicolor musical, with a slightly sad tinge

[zetes · 9/10 · 29 May 2006]

Three Army buddies go their separate ways after they return home, but vow to meet at their local hangout in ten years to prove that they're still the best of buds. Doesn't turn out that way. They aren't the same people, they don't like each other much anymore, and they don't even really like themselves much. But the skeleton of the story sounds charming, and a TV exec (Cyd Charisse) plans to get them all on television in a surprise ambush. Gene Kelly steals the movie, mostly because he pretty much literally did so. Apparently he was a total diva during the production and post-production, cutting numbers and making sure he got all the best moments. His two Army buddies are far less interesting. But the film still works pretty damn well. All the musical numbers are fantastic, especially Kelly's roller skate number and Charisse's dance with the boxers (love the blue duds). Dolores Gray has a juicy supporting role as an arrogant TV hostess. Her musical number may be the best part of the film. All in all, a gem.

"No matter where our lives may lead us, in our hearts we'll still be friends". My idea of a feel-good musical from the golden days.

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 7/10 · 29 June 2023]

It's Always Fair Weather (1955) : Brief Review -

"No matter where our lives may lead us, in our hearts we'll still be friends". My idea of a feel-good musical from the golden days. Some of MGM's musicals are timeless and have got the recognition they deserve. But some films haven't been hyped enough by contemporary critics and audiences, or by people over the years. It's Always Fair Weather has to be one of those least-known films. I am sure many of old Hollywood fans have seen it and enjoyed it, but there is a section of modern movie buffs who need to see it before overhyping modern mediocrities like Chicago and La La Land. I request that they have a look at old classics so that they understand the 'real musical Cinema'. It's Always Fair Weather has everything that makes for a perfect weekend musical watchlist. Romance, musicals, dance numbers, comedy, and a sweet touch of friendship bond. You know, I have been acquainted with this idea of three friends reuniting after many years in many movies, but still, it made me sentimental. The more older stuff I see, the more I understand it. There are many good films made on friendship, but this film was such fun when I had to think of it as a 50s film, especially when you take the story a decade ahead, right after World War 2. Gene Kelly's dance, his cute romance, a superior brainy dame, two friends, and a wholesome package of entertainment with its heart in the right place. It's Always Fair Weather has everything done fairly. It may lack those emotional speeches, but the Lyrics have done the job. One of the main reasons why my review's tagline has a line from the song. Almost three decades before we got a classic friendship tale, "Stand By Me," there was this delicious musical for the fellas who were war veterans. Kelly and Stanley Donen understood the assignment well and submitted a solid copy at last. I am still humming "Although time has come to parting..."

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

a mature follow-up to On the Town

[shane_604 · 8/10 · 10 March 2006]

It's a shame that this musical is not as well known or often shown as On the Town its younger relative.

While On the Town is a great film in so many ways, it is not diminished by the more mature vision embodied by "It's Always Fair Weather", true to the maturing of the WWII vets who fathered the baby boom. These are the guys who compromised their dreams to raise these boomers

"It's Always Fair Weather" shows the three buddies of "On the Town" grappling with the changes that ten years have wrought as they went from kids in the army to adults in civilian life. It makes for a good story and a great deal of song and dance is hung on this frame.

Once again, the action all takes place within a day. The three vets have promised to reunite ten years after the war at the bar that was their hang-out. They do and, as in so many reunions, bring with them disappointments and distance from their past. In fact, after a lunch at a swank restaurant uncovers the differences that the years have brought, they split up in an unfriendly fashion and play out their scenes separately until the climactic reunion, a surprise cooked up by a cheesy television show created by one of the boys (Dan Daily) at the behest of Gene Kelly's love interest, the never hotter Cyd Charise.

Like every Kelly movie, this is a film that features dance. Here Kelly pulls out all the stops in a feature on roller skates. Kelly shows a knack for skating and dancing that makes me think he could have been an Olympic champion on ice. The number, "I Like Myself" ought to be studied by ice dancing competitors if it isn't already. The exuberance he communicates on skates is wonderful.

The choreography is a highlight also in Delores Gray's "Thanks but no thanks" and also Cyd Charise's paean to boxing and the Stillman Gym, which encapsulates in a short song the history of modern heavyweight boxing. This number also features a lovely choral ensemble made up of rather old and cauliflower-ed pugs.

There are several good songs here, though I'd have to say that Delores Gray is the only pure singer in the cast. Dancers Cyd and Kidd were dubbed . Delores does a great job with "Thanks but no Thanks" which follows a satirical commercial for the detergent company that sponsors her show, "Midnight with Madeline". Her Madeline is a great spoof on television especially as she "ad-libs" with the uncooperative vets, who do not in the least like their surprise reunion.

So, to sum up - great story, great dancing, nice songs and a great cast with lots of good chemistry. Show this movie more often TCM.

"Baby, you knock me out!" sizzles with original choreography...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 13 December 2006]

Noteworthy for a couple of stunningly choreographed numbers--namely, "Baby, You Knock Me Out!" with CYD CHARISSE and the boxers at Stillman's Gym going through some fantastic acrobatics, and DOLORES GRAY singing "Thanks A Lot, But No Thanks" to a bevy of loose-limbed chorus boys who gyrate to the tune with some acrobatic flip-flops--well, in those moments IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER really sizzles and comes to life.

But unfortunately, the script by Comden and Greene is only fitfully witty and is not on par with some of their other MGM greats and the other numbers are not quite catchy enough to create much more than a passing remark and likely to be quickly forgotten.

Even more detrimental is the fact that while GENE KELLY gets a fair share of nice musical turns (his cool roller-skating routine is really polished), DAN DAILEY (a great singer/dancer talent) is given the worst material imaginable and much less screen time to shine. MICHAEL KIDD is also underused but shows a nice flair for comedy, as well as his dancing skills. But the three men, when sharing a split screen for a couple of their dances, are as nimble and talented as can be.

DOLORES GRAY has to get mixed reviews. When she's acting as the TV host of a "reality" show that puts surprised guests on the air, she's as phony as a three dollar bill--and overacts to the nth degree with what she supposes is syrupy charm. But when she goes into her big dance routine with those acrobatic chorus boys, well--it's on par with Judy Garland's "Get Happy" routine from SUMMER STOCK, which is high praise indeed since that's considered a Garland highlight. Gray's routine is even more imaginatively staged for maximum effect.

While not quite up to the standards of other Stanley Donen-directed musicals, IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER is worth watching for the splendid performances (even CYD CHARISSE warms up in that boxing scene). The only drawback is it never quite overcomes the dark streak that runs through the plot, showing how three men can despise each other when a ten year reunion brings them together and forces them to realize how their values have changed. This must have given the plot extra relevance after the war years ended, but it does put a damper on the overall plot line.

Stormy Reunion.

[rmax304823 · 3/10 · 11 May 2009]

The end of the war (kids, that's a reference to World War II, which ended in 1945; P.S., we won.) finds three ex-GIs celebrating at Tim's Bar on Third Avenue in New York. The GIs are Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, and Michael Kidd. When they finally part, they agree to meet again in Tim's Bar at noon, exactly ten years hence. They do, and it's an immediate disaster. Kelly has turned into a shadowy fight promoter and gambler. Dailey is an ulcer-ridden snobbish advertising man. Kidd is the owner of the Cordon Bleu, a hamburger joint in the Hudson Valley.

Not that the reunion scene is badly done. It provided the impetus for a casual line from "The Great Gatsby" to drift back to me. "And so it happened that on a warm windy evening I drove over to East Egg to see two old friends whom I scarcely knew at all." And the book -- by the always competent Comden and Green -- and the direction by Kelly and Stanley Donen -- are sometimes witty and keen. But the sharpness of the wit undercuts our enjoyment of the movie. I suppose there's something funny about the guest at a funeral stumbling into the casket but, well, there's humor and then there's humor. The notion of the heroine having a photographic memory is an old one and often resurrected as a source of puzzled irritation in the male.

There isn't a memorable song in the entire movie. One of them, about Stillman's Gym, sounds as if it had been ripped fresh from the quivering flank of the Broadway hit, "Guys and Dolls." "Baby, You Knock Me Out" is plain terrible.

I guess it doesn't measure up to expectations. Too much talent behind and in front of the camera, for too little issue. It gives me a sour stomach. It's one of the few movies that I respect that I might actually pay NOT to watch.