You'll Never Get Rich

There is the usual silly (even by musical comedy standards) plot but it doesn't get in the way of some funny situations and pleasing dance numbers. Highlights are the beauty of Rita Hayworth (with a dubbed singing voice), vaudevillian Cliff Nazarro with his famous *double talk* routines and one standout musical number " So near and yet so far" Many familiar faces in the supporting cast do their stuff expertly.

When Rita Hayworth was paired to star in this film opposite the phenomenal Fred Astaire, there was speculation over whether or not the emerging star could match the superstar of dance. Hayworth proved herself to be one of the best dancing partners he ever had, Ginger Rogers notwithstanding. The exceptional dance scenes are reason enough to stick with the hokey plot to the end. There's "Boogie Barcarolle," "Shootin' the Works for Uncle Sam," and "So Near and So Far," all of which typify the swinging, patriotic 1940s. "The Wedding Cake Walk" is the best of boogie-woogie. --from Musicals on the Silver Screen, American Library Association, 2013

Impresario Martin Cortland has a big crush on the showgirl Sheila Winthrop.Her wife may not like that.Mrs. Susan Cortland happens to find a diamond bracelet with Sheila's name on it.He tells a lie that choreographer Robert Curtis bought that to her.They all go out together, which suits Sheila just fine, since she has a crush on Robert.But she starts loathing him after she finds out the game they were playing.Robert notices he has feelings for Sheila.Then Uncle Sam wants him and he is drafted into the army, where he gets in and out of prison.But they'll meet again.Sidney Lanfield's You'll Never Get Rich (1941) is a wonderful wartime picture.It has the brilliant score by Cole Porter.This was the first movie that teamed Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth.What a great pair they make! Fred even made Rita his favorite dancing partner, before Ginger Rogers.He even knew her father before she was born, as they were dancers on the New York City vaudeville circuit.The movies she made with Fred were Rita's own personal favorites.Robert Benchley does a great job as the womanizing impresario.Frieda Inescort is marvelous as his wife.Osa Massen is very good as his new girl Sonya.John Hubbard is terrific as Captain Tom Barton.Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams is terrific as Kewpie Blain.And so is Cliff Nazarro as Swivel Tongue 'Swiv'.Donald MacBride is magnificent as Top Sergeant.This romantic musical comedy is very entertaining, and often very funny.I had most fun watching that restaurant scene, where they're trying to convince Mrs. Cortland that Sheila is Robert's girl.Also the double-talk routine by Cliff Nazarro at the train station is funny.Or him trying to get some water to Robert as others are trying to sleep.Astaire in a captain's uniform is quite hilarious.And when he goes AWOL.And you could never get bored of watching Fred Astaire's tap dancing.

This under-rated film in the Astaire canon deserves another look. Not for its mediocre merits as a musical comedy or its sparkleless gaucheness as a romantic comedy. No. This is one of the great explorations of the Astaire persona. Mr. Top Hat and Tails is put in a squalid army environment, and roundly subverts it with lies and disguises, injecting the surreal, and having startling homoerotic dreams. Furthermore, the 'gentleman' persona is exposed in primitive conditions, exposed as mendacious, cynical, cowardly, downright unpatriotic! Extraordinary.

You'll Never Get Rich had a lot going for it, and while it is slightly disappointing with a very silly, contrived and thin story, Sidney Lanfield having moments when his direction was leaden, a couple of stale army jokes and Cliff Nazarro and his double-talk schtick starting off funny but grew irritating. But it is still makes for pleasant viewing. You'll Never Get Rich boasts lovely costumes for Rita Hayworth and beautiful photography, and probably a better-looking film than the second and superior Fred/Rita outing You Were Never Lovelier(and that was still a nice film to look at). Cole Porter's songs are not among his best, but Since I Kissed My Girlfriend Goodbye deserved its Oscar nomination, The Wedding Cake Walk is a lot of fun and So Near Yet So Far is just sublime. The score suits the tone of the film just fine. The choreography ranges from spirited to graceful, again the highlights being in those three songs, the tap-dancing routine between Fred and Rita being one of the main pleasures of You'll Never Get Rich. Although the script and story don't work entirely, they do have moments, Fred and Rita are really charming in their scenes and scenes like the restaurant one generate some amusement, and for all its flaws the film does have heart too. Of the supporting cast, the standouts are a hilarious Robert Benchley and a perfectly cast Frieda Inescourt. John Hubbard and Michael MacBride are good as well, only Nazarro didn't do much for me. The main attractions of You'll Never Get Rich were always Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth, and they are also the best thing about the film. Fred is a suave and charming leading man and makes an effort to not make the comedy seem forced while Rita is effortlessly graceful and you totally see what Robert sees in Sheila in the first place. They are also just magical together. Overall, a decent and pleasant film but there was the potential for it to have been better than it turned out to be. 7/10 Bethany Cox

I'm sorry, but even a musical with stars like FRED ASTAIRE and RITA HAYWORTH ought to have a plot. What little plot this one has is enough to drive you nuts. None of the comedy seems a bit believable, especially once Astaire joins the Army and gets into trouble with all of his Army buddies. It's just one stale joke after another and none of the service humor comes off as the least bit amusing--irritating is more like it. However, the musical sequences save the picture from being a complete zero in the entertainment department. Whether dancing alone or with Rita, Astaire shows that he is a master of his trade. And Rita, still with dark hair before she became more famous as a red-head, flashes that smile and puts her lush body into some torrid dance routines that show why she would soon be labeled "The Love Goddess" by the Hollywood press. ROBERT BENCHLEY has some lame comedy moments, and JOHN HUBBARD and OSA MASSEN are pleasant enough in supporting roles, as is DONALD MacBRIDE as an exasperated Top Sergeant--an exasperation that's sure to be shared by the audience at certain cringe inducing moments.

This was one of several transitional movies made by Astaire between his RKO and MGM years which means more or less that it's minor Astaire but let's face it even minor Astaire is light years ahead of major Kelly so that by and large this is an entertaining soufflé'. Most of us weren't of course around on its initial release - anyone who was even ten in 1941 would be 75 in today's money - so we probably buy the DVD for the Cole Porter score as much as the Astaire hoofing. Old King Cole doesn't disappoint though one of his finest ballads 'Dream Dancing' is only heard briefly and orchestrally but this still leaves So Near And Yet So Far and Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye, both top-drawer Porter plus Boogie Barcarolle and Wedding Cake-Walk both of which offer excellent hoofing opportunities. The plot - PLOT! you're kidding, right? - is typical of the time and about as believable as anything that ever came out of Nixon's mouth but Robert Benchley is on hand with his peculiar brand of whimsy and comic timing and Fred gets to dance with the gorgeous Rita Hayworth so whaddya want, blood?

You'll Never Get Rich finds Fred, as usual, working as a choreographer/dancer in NYC. Following one-too-many hot water situations cooked up by his boss, he gets his draft notice, and after some fancy non-footwork, gets inducted into the Army. From there it's off to basic training. The story follows the usual boy-meets-girl, boy-gets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-back musical comedy formula. What's fun is to see the very young Rita Hayworth and the always splendid Fred Astaire in an unusual setting. There are some swell dance numbers, and Astaire is said to have thought Hayworth one of his best partners. An especially nice bit has Fred dancing by himself in the guardhouse, while he listens to a group of Black soldiers playing and singing. This is a fun movie for anyone fond of either Fred Astaire or Rita Hayworth, but beautiful as she was, Rita just didn't bring out the best in Fred Astaire like Ginger Rogers did. Kathryn Hepburn is quoted as saying Rogers gave Astaire sex appeal, and Astaire gave Rogers class. I don't know whether that's the reason their movies are so much fun to watch, but she may well have been on to something.

. . . on his back in Hollywood's antebellum military farces such as YOU'LL NEVER GET RICH (1941), is it any wonder that Hirohito, Hitler & Co. hit us shortly after this flick was leaked to the world? Though Fred "Crazy Legs" Astaire has switched branches from the Navy (FOLLOW THE FLEET, 1936) to the Army in YOU'LL NEVER GET RICH, he's still an enlisted man with a penchant for decking officers, seemingly with impunity. Though he spends most of the running time of YOU'LL NEVER GET RICH in the "guard house," this military "jail" consists of a dance floor with a few benches scattered along the walls. As in FLEET, there are no consequences whenever Fred feels like going A.W.O.L., since Hollywood's version of the U.S. Military is a total joke. The only reason the sailors at Pearl Harbor weren't laughing at Fred's shenanigans as Hirohito's bombs started to rain down on them is that the Japanese Zeroes delivered their torpedoes more accurately during sunrise church services than they could have in the darkness of Saturday movie night.

Regarding the comments made by a previous poster, Astaire and Rogers were THE BEST dance team together - but who cares? Rita Hayworth is hot and sizzling all on her own!!! Don't get me wrong... I love Fred and Ginger and all of their movies together (they were my first love and intro into the wonderful world of classic movies!) But I just have to clarify that Rita in her own rights was every bit as great a dancer as Ginger ever was - maybe even better... in at least this instance. The "So Near And Yet So Far" dance number by Astaire and Hayworth in this movie is my favorite. However, I can't help chuckling at the fact that it looks as though Fred is slightly uncomfortable in this latin themed song. Rita is heavenly shaking those gorgeous hips of hers and dancing rings around Fred....... and Fred... well Fred looks as though he can't quite keep up with Rita... hee hee hee! Fred dances up a storm from beginning to end of this movie....we all know he's the greatest dancer ever known to the silver screen. But his "gringo" hips just can't keep up with Rita in this number. It was a valiant try though! So Ginger can keep Fred..... who cares.....we're all looking at Rita.