''You'll Never Get Rich'' is a 1941 Hollywood

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

with a wartime theme directed by

Sidney Lanfield Sidney Lanfield (April 20, 1898 – June 20, 1972) was an American film director known for directing romances and light comedy films and later television programs. The one-time jazz musician and vaudevillian star started his first directing job ...

and starring

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

Robert Benchley Robert Charles Benchley (September 15, 1889 – November 21, 1945) was an American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor. From his beginnings at ''The Harvard Lampoon'' while attending Harvard University, thro ...

Cliff Nazarro Clifford Nazarro (January 31, 1904 – February 18, 1961) was an American double-talk Double-talk is a form of speech in which inappropriate, invented, or nonsense words are interpolated into normal speech to give the appearance of knowledg ...

, with music and lyrics by

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

. The title stems from an old Army song which includes lyrics "You'll never get rich / by digging a ditch / you're in the Army now!" This was Hayworth's first starring role in a big budgeted film from her home studio

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

. While the film was in production, ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...

'' magazine put her on its cover, and featured inside a photo of Hayworth kneeling on a bed in a nightgown, which soon became one of the most widely distributed pin-ups of all time. Hayworth cooperated enthusiastically with Astaire's intense rehearsal habits, and was later to remark: "I guess the only jewels in my life are the pictures I made with Fred Astaire." The picture was very successful at the box office, turning Hayworth into a major star, and provided a welcome boost to Astaire, who felt his career had flagged since he had broken with

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

. One of the film's songs, ''Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye,'' was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Song.

Plot

Theater owner and womanizer Martin Cortland (

) asks for the help of his choreography manager Robert Curtis (Fred Astaire) to impress beautiful head-strong dancer Sheila (Rita Hayworth) in his classes. Robert is impressed by Sheila's attitude, which one of the dancers, Margo, finds remarkable as Robert is not usually impressed by his dancers so easily. Sheila goes on to visit Martin at his office, where he presents her with a diamond bracelet, which was originally for Martin's wife, for whom Martin bought a back-scratcher for instead. Sheila thanks Mr. Cortland, but leaves the bracelet in the bag. When Mrs. Cortland arrives, she finds the bracelet with a note for Sheila, and accuses her husband of cheating on her. Martin once again asks for Robert's help to pretend he and Sheila are dating and that the bracelet was a present from him to her. Robert takes Sheila to a restaurant where the two dance together. While Robert is attracted by Sheila, Sheila believes that Robert is deeply in love with her and returns his affections. When the Cortlands arrive, Robert presents Sheila with the bracelet once again, for which she unexpectedly kisses him for it, shocking Martin and his wife. The next day, Robert finds out the newspapers are reporting on him and Sheila, accuses Martin of being behind this, and wants to join the army to get out of trouble. At Sheila's home, Captain Tom Barton ( John Hubbard), Sheila's potential boyfriend, invites Sheila and her Aunt Louise (

Marjorie Gateson Marjorie Augusta Gateson (January 17, 1891 – April 17, 1977) was an American stage and film actress. Biography Gateson was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Augusta and Daniel Gateson. Her maternal grandfather and brother were clergymen; So ...

) to visit him and his mother (

Ann Shoemaker Ann Shoemaker (born Anne Dorothea Shoemaker; January 10, 1891 – September 18, 1978) was an American actress who appeared in 70 films and TV movies between 1928 and 1976. She portrayed Sara Roosevelt, mother of Franklin D. Roosevelt, in b ...

) on his Army base. The same day when Cap. Tom arrives, Robert wants to talk to Sheila about the newspaper. Sheila wants to get revenge on Robert for lying to her and makes a plan involving Tom and Aunt Louise. While Sheila is "talking" to Robert, Tom pretends to shoot Sheila, in which Robert takes the opportunity to leave. Robert gets into the army (after faking his weight) where he quickly befriends fellow draftees Swivel Tongue (

) and Kewpie Blain (

Guinn "Big Boy" Williams Guinn Terrell Williams Jr. (April 26, 1899 – June 6, 1962) was an American actor who appeared in memorable westerns such as ''Dodge City'' (1939), ''Santa Fe Trail'' (1940), and '' The Comancheros'' (1961). He was nicknamed "Big Boy" ...

), and clearly stands out from the rest of the army with his irreverent behaviour and tap-dancing. Curtis finds himself imprisoned in the guardhouse after a series of confusions, but when he finds out that Sheila is around, pretends to be army captain and tricks Aunt Louise and begs Sheila to come visit him in the guardhouse, to which Sheila agrees. Martin appears on the base to produce a show for the enlisted men and (at his request) is assigned Curtis as his assistant, who offers Martin the use of his apartment in town and insists that Sheila be included as his partner in the show. However, Martin is now in pursuit of another dancer, Sonya (

Osa Massen Osa Massen (born Aase Madsen Iversen, 13 January 1914 – 2 January 2006) was a Danish actress who became a successful movie actress in Hollywood. She became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1941. Background and early career Bo ...

), and has promised the lead to her. Robert refuses to do the show with anyone else but Sheila and tells Martin to try the both out in a rehearsal. Martin agrees and Robert and Sheila dance (So Near, And Yet So Far) where Sheila understands that her feelings for Robert are not completely gone. After the rehearsal, Tom tells Sheila that he is being transferred to Panama and asks Sheila to marry him. Sheila says she will think about it, and tells Aunt Louise that she thinks Robert will propose to her that night and that she still loves him. Robert invites Sheila to Martin's apartment, where he tells Sonya to hide so Sheila doesn't think Robert is cheating on her. Robert gives her a diamond gift, which is addressed to Sonya by Martin, angering both Sheila and Robert. Sheila refuses to perform with Robert, which causes the soldiers to come up with a We Want Sheila rebellion. Finally, Sheila agrees, so Robert puts his plan to work: in the show, the leads get married, so why not get a real priest and the two will be really married? And the plan is put to work. In the end of the show, a real priest marries them off, unknown to Sheila. After the show ends, Robert kisses Sheila and announces that the priest wasn't an actor, but a real priest, to the audiences shock. Martin confesses his machinations to Sheila, who embraces him in relief and calls on her new husband in the guardhouse. The jilted Captain Barton generously arranges for Robert's release for his honeymoon; the film ends with Swiv and Blain's inept attempt to break into the guardhouse to free Robert, not aware that he is already on his way to the honeymoon with Sheila.

Cast

as Robert Curtis *

as Sheila Winthrop *

as Martin Cortland * John Hubbard as Captain Tom Barton *

as Sonya *

Frieda Inescort Frieda Inescort (born Frieda Wrightman, 29 June 1901 – 26 February 1976) was a Scottish-born actress best known for creating the role of Sorel Bliss in Noël Coward's play ''Hay Fever'' on Broadway. She also played the shingled lady in Joh ...

as Mrs. Julia Cortland *

Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams Guinn is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname: *Bill Guinn or Lew Meehan (1890–1951), American film actor *Colin Guinn, contestant in ''The Amazing Race'', a U.S. TV series *Dominick Guinn, (born 1975), A ...

as Kewpie Blain (as Guinn Williams) *

Donald MacBride Donald Hugh MacBride (June 23, 1893 – June 21, 1957) was an American character actor on stage, in films, and on television who launched his career as a teenage singer (making several recordings in 1907) in vaudeville and went on to be an ...

as Top Sergeant *

as Swivel Tongue 'Swiv' *

as Aunt Louise *

as Mrs. Barton * Boyd Davis as Colonel Shiller *

Patti McCarty Lois Patricia McCarty (February 11, 1921 - July 7, 1985) was an American actress. Biography Baker was born in Bakersfield, California, and grew up in Healdsburg. She graduated from Covina High School in Covina, California, and she attended Los ...

as Young Girl (uncredited)

Key songs and dance routines

Dance director was

Robert Alton Robert Alton (2 January 1902 – 12 June 1957) was an American dancer and choreographer, a major figure in dance choreography of Broadway and Hollywood musicals from the 1930s through to the early 1950s. He is principally remembered today as the ...

, Astaire's second-most-frequent choreographic collaborator after

Hermes Pan Hermes Pan (born Hermes Joseph Panagiotopoulos, December 10, 1909 – September 19, 1990) was an American dancer and choreographer, principally remembered as Fred Astaire's choreographic collaborator on the famous 1930s movie musicals starring A ...

. As Astaire generally choreographed his own and his partner's routines, Alton concentrated on the choruses. The choreography explores a diverse range of musical rhythms some of which are artfully juxtaposed in Cole Porter's score. * "Rehearsal Duet": Short but virtuosic tap number with Astaire and Hayworth dancing side by side. * "Boogie Barcarolle": Porter number which, not unlike

Robert Russell Bennett Robert Russell Bennett (June 15, 1894 – August 18, 1981) was an American composer and arranger, best known for his orchestration of many well-known Broadway and Hollywood musicals by other composers such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, ...

's ''Waltz In Swing Time'' from

Swing Time In music, the term ''swing'' has two main uses. Colloquially, it is used to describe the propulsive quality or "feel" of a rhythm, especially when the music prompts a visceral response such as foot-tapping or head-nodding (see pulse). This sens ...

, overlays two very different musical rhythms. Astaire leads the chorus which includes Hayworth in an exhilarating and, for Astaire, unusual routine. * "Shootin' the Works for Uncle Sam": Song and dance number where Astaire and chorus

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...

through

Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...

. The choreography expresses the notion that Broadway-style dance rehearsals and army camp drills have much in common. The music and dance contrast

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

rhythms. * "Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye": Haunting and melancholy Porter

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

introduced by the Four Tones - an

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

quartet (lead singer Lucius "Dusty" Brooks, Leon Buck, Rudolph Hunter, and John Porter) - followed by a short Astaire solo, and all executed in the unrealistic - for its time - setting of an unsegregated guard house. Astaire also made a successful recording of this number with

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

in September 1941, backed in this instance by the

Delta Rhythm Boys The Delta Rhythm Boys was an American vocal group active from 1934 to 1987. The group was formed at Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma, in 1934 by Carl Jones, Traverse Crawford, Otha Lee Gaines, and Kelsey Pharr. They moved to Dillard U ...

. * "March Milastaire (A-Stairable Rag)": Another Porter number contrasting march and jazz rhythms, danced in a "tour de force" tap solo by Astaire, who expresses his sudden joy of being in love by using his taps to make as much noise as possible. This time, the purely instrumental African-American backing group comprised the twenty-year-old

Chico Hamilton Foreststorn "Chico" Hamilton (September 20, 1921 – November 25, 2013) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He came to prominence as sideman for Lester Young, Gerry Mulligan, Count Basie, and Lena Horne. Hamilton became a bandleader, ...

on drums,

Buddy Collette William Marcel "Buddy" Collette (August 6, 1921 – September 19, 2010) was an American jazz flutist, saxophonist, and clarinetist. He was a founding member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet. Early life William Marcel Collette was born in L ...

(clarinet), Red Mack (trumpet), Alfred Grant (guitar) and Joe Comfort (jug). * " So Near and Yet So Far": Porter's

rumba The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba ...

melody is set to lyrics (sung by Astaire), which sum up the nature of Hayworth's irresistible allure. Astaire, clearly inspired by Hayworth's exceptional Latin dance pedigree, delivers his first on-screen synthesis of

Latin-American Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-ethn ...

and

ballroom dance Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television. ...

steps in a celebrated romantic partnering. * "The Wedding Cake Walk": Liltin' Martha Tilton's rendition of this cheerful song is followed by a routine involving Astaire, Hayworth and a large chorus, the former pair ending up dancing on a wedding cake in the shape of a tank.

References

* John Mueller: ''Astaire Dancing - The Musical Films of Fred Astaire'', Knopf 1985, .

External links

* * * {{Sidney Lanfield 1941 films 1941 musical comedy films 1941 romantic comedy films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films American romantic musical films American black-and-white films Columbia Pictures films Films directed by Sidney Lanfield Films scored by Morris Stoloff Films set in New York City Military humor in film Films produced by Samuel Bischoff 1940s English-language films 1940s American films