Fred Astaire

Ziegfeld Follies

by tfraymond
September 28, 2013April 21, 2021

Ziegfeld Follies (1945) starring Red Skelton, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Lucille Ball, Lena Horne, Kathryn Grayson, William Powell and many more

Ziegfeld Follies is an attempt at recreating the spectacle of Flo Ziegfeld’s famous Broadway shows. And so the film is a series of unrelated musical and comedy routines. They’re unconnected except by the narration of the ghostly Flo Ziegfeld. The part is played by William Powell. He sits back in Heaven, thinking of the spectacles that he could create with then-current stars.

Three Little Words

by tfraymond
February 22, 2012March 23, 2024

Three Little Words (1950) starring Red Skelton, Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen, Arlene Dahl

Three Little Words is a long-time favorite movie of mine, for several reasons. First, I’m a large fan of the comedy of Red Skelton, and he’s given plenty of room to work his comedy, both physical and verbal. Likewise, I’m a fan of Fred Astaire, and I love to watch him dance. And he has his own very good sense of humor, that plays against Red’s very well. And thirdly, I’m a fan of well-done musicals, and Three Little Words definitely counts in that regard.