Episode 148 - Cover Girl

“Cover Girl” released in 1944 is a Technicolor musical that highlights the beautiful dancing of Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly’s choreography and dancing genius. Director Charles Vidor gives Mr. Kelly the opportunity to create several wonderful dance sequences including the “Alter-Ego Dance” and a sound stage dance along an entire street that was accomplished in one take. It was a foreshadowing of the marvelous rain scene in “Singin’ in the Rain” from 1952 Episode 20. In addition, the movie gives us the popular original song “Long Ago (and Far Away). Rita Hayworth is the talented Rusty Parker and Maribelle Hicks, Gene Kelly as nightclub owner Danny McGuire, Phil Silvers is the comedic Genius, Eve Arden as Cornelia “Stonewall” Jackson, Otto Kruger as magazine editor John Coudair and musical producer Noel Wheaton played by Lee Bowman lead a cast of talented and committed dancers and singers. Interestingly Gene Kelly reprised the Danny McGuire character 36 years later in “Xanadu”. Released in March of 1944 “Cover Girl” went on to become a huge success and a welcome relief from the horrors of World War II. Enjoy this engaging film.