Let's Dance
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Norman Z. Mcleod
Betty Hutton
Fred Astaire
Roland Young
Ruth Warrick
Lucile Watson
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In London in 1944, performers Kitty McNeil and Donald Elwood entertain British and American troops. Kitty becomes infuriated when Donald, after years of being non-commital, unexpectedly announces onstage that they are to be married. Because Kitty has already married Richard Everett, an American flyer whom she met in a hospital outside London, the performing act splits up. Kitty soon becomes a widow, however, and five years later, she and her son Richie are living with the wealthy Everett family in Boston. Although Dick's sister Carola is sympathetic, Kitty feels stifled by her grandmother-in-law Serena's disapproval of her former profession, and her strict discipline of Richie, and secretly moves to New York with him. Donald is an unsuccessful New York investment broker, and continues to perform for a meager salary at Larry Channock's nightclub. Although Donald first sees Kitty again in the Chili Cabana café, he pretends to run into her on the sidewalk. The former partners try to impress each other with exaggerated success stories, but Donald soon learns the truth, and promises to get Kitty work at the nightclub. That night, Donald falls asleep in Kitty's apartment after telling Richie a story. Unknown to Kitty, a private detective is following her and takes note of her nighttime visitor. Kitty is soon working as a cigarette girl at Larry's nightclub, and the staff looks after Richie, providing him with an education as well as regular meals and naps. Serena's lawyers, Edmund Pohlwhistle and Charles Wagstaffe, show up at the nightclub and threaten Kitty with a subpoena unless she gives Serena custody of Richie. Even Elsie and Bubbles Malone, two beautiful showgirls, fail to dissuade the lawyers from their mission, and the next day, Donald helps defend Kitty when she appears before a judge, who grants her sixty days to find more lucrative employment or a husband. Donald proposes to Kitty, but while they are in line at the marriage license bureau, she learns that he still intends to give up entertaining and pursue investment brokering, at which he is a dismal failure. Kitty rejects Donald, and also refuses to accept $20,000 from Carola, who earnestly wants to help her. Kitty starts dating Donald's friend, wealthy playboy Timothy Bryant, but when they announce their engagement, Donald determines that they are mismatched, and insinuates to Timothy that Kitty is a gold digger. When Kitty then appears wearing his mother's heirloom necklace, Timothy breaks off the engagement. As sixty days have passed, Serena takes custody of Richie. Donald, meanwhile, has invested Carola's $20,000, which she turned over to him, in a racehorse, and impresses Serena when he gets an exorbitant offer to purchase the horse, after it wins a $50,000 sweepstakes. Having charmed Serena, Donald, who plans to give the winnings to Kitty, then declines Serena's offer to become her business manager because of her selfish treatment of Richie. At the same time, Kitty sneaks Richie out of the house. Serena, Pohlwhistle, and Wagstaffe report Richie's kidnapping to the police and then go to the nightclub to find him. Donald and the restaurant staff help hide Richie, and Kitty pretends to be distraught over news of her son's "kidnapping." However, when she learns that Donald has finally accepted his destiny as a dancer, Kitty goes on with the show, and announces their impending marriage onstage. After the show, Serena offers them her country home.
Director
Norman Z. Mcleod
Cast
Betty Hutton
Fred Astaire
Roland Young
Ruth Warrick
Lucile Watson
Gregory Moffett
Barton Maclane
Shepperd Strudwick
Melville Cooper
Harold Huber
George Zucco
Peggy Badey
Virginia Toland
Sayre Dearing
Syd Saylor
James Burke
Charles Evans
Nana Bryant
Jerry James
Oliver Blake
Ida Moore
Charmienne Harker
Mary Field
Susan Scott
Carol Brewster
Eve Whitney
Mary Ellen Gleason
Kerry O'day
Duke York
Boyd Davis
Jack Trent
Esther Somers
Mary Benoit
Charles Dayton
Todd Karns
Delmar Costello
Loyal Underwood
Bobby Barber
Eddie Johnson
Paul Lees
Herbert Vigran
Rolfe Sedan
Ralph Peters
Fred Datig Jr.
Fred Zendar
Paul Pierce
Jerry James
Eric Alden
Howard Joslin
Harry Woods
Roger Creed
Charles Hamilton
Harry Raven
Milton Delugg
Ethan Laidlaw
Lyle Moraine
Diane Mumby
Bert Stevens
Frank Hagney
Philip Ahlm
Bob Crosby
Eddie Baker
Robert R. Fortier
Chester Conklin
George Davis
Wilbur Mack
Paul Bradley
Hall Bartlett
Sam Harris
Bess Flowers
Marion Gray
Warren Mace
Ottola Nesmith
Stanley Blystone
Dick Keene
Don Brodie
Sylvia Lamarr
Brahm Van Den Berg
Lee J. Sneddon
Marjorie Jackson
Harry V. Cheshire
Peggy O'neill
Crew
Roland Anderson
George Barnes
Richard Blaydon
Monroe W. Burbank
Frank Caffey
Art Camp
Peggy Carroll
Tommy Chambers
Sam Comer
R. D. Cook
John Cope
Ruth Davis
Robert Emmett Dolan
Ross Dowd
Hans Dreier
Farciot Edouart
Richard English
Robert Fellows
Lyle Figland
Bud Fraker
Bill Greenwald
Hugo Grenzbach
Lee Hall
Edith Head
Henry Heimus
Ellsworth Hoagland
Harry Hogan
Gordon Jennings
Al Jermy
Richard L. Johnston
Howard Kelly
Grace Kuhn
Eugene Liggett
Joseph J. Lilley
Frank Loesser
Dane Lussier
Nellie Manley
Al Mann
Danny Mccauley
Bert Mckay
Earl Metz
Hedvig Mjorud
Hermes Pan
Aza Rayner
Gertrude Reade
Robert Reed
Dave Rogel
Edward Salven
Virginia Sanctos
Troy Sanders
Barney Schoeffel
Joe Schuster
Allan Scott
Eric Selig
Arthur Sheekman
S. Smith
Frank Thayer
Darrell Turnmire
Van Cleave
James Vincent
Jack Warren
Dick Webb
Wally Westmore
Bill Woods
Maurice Zolotow
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Little Boy Blue. Information in the Paramount Collection at the AMPAS Library reveals the following information about the production: Paramount postponed production on the film from May 15, 1949 to July 5, 1949 so that actress Betty Hutton could appear in Annie Get Your Gun for M-G-M. A lengthy studio memo noted that although production officially began on July 5, 1949, many of the musical numbers were worked on prior to that date. In addition, the memo indicates that the script was frequently re-written on the set, and the finished film initially ran for two hours and twenty minutes. Although a production number titled "Ming Toy" was shot on September 13, 1949, it was not included in the final film. The song "Tunnel of Love" was originally written by Frank Loesser for the 1949 M-G-M film Neptune's Daughter, but was not included in that production (see below). Modern sources report that this number featured a solo performance by Hutton. A Hollywood Reporter news item indicates that Jane Cowl was initially cast in the role of "Serena," but withdrew from the film due to a knee injury.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 1950
Re-released in United States on Video August 6, 1996
Released in United States 1950
Re-released in United States on Video August 6, 1996
