A to Z Challenge
.....Audrey Hepburn starred with Fred Astaire (Funny Face) and Fred Astaire starred in...
1. YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER-1941-MUSICAL
DIRECTOR: William Seiter
STARS: Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Adolph Menjou
PLOT: ok..plot...her father has the dumb ass tradition that the girl must marry in the order of their birth. The eldest gets married so now the 2nd must marry before her younger sisters. Her dad decides to create a secret admirer by sending flowers etc... Unsuspecting American dancer drops on in and she believes he is the admirer much to her dad's chagrin
QUOTE: I wish you wouldn't speak while I'm interrupting-sounds like my hubby:)
OSCAR NOMS: Best Sound, Best Song, "Dearly Beloved" (Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer), Best Score
OSCAR WINS: Nil
LOVE: The dancing of course!
FAVOURITE SCENE:This dance to So Near yet So Far
FAVOURITE CHARACTER: Maria Acuna (Rita Hayworth)
TIDBITS: Fidel Castro was an extra in this film! Fred Astaire did mention that Rita Hayworth was his favourite dancing partner. Rita Hayworth said that this film and the other she did with Astaire (You'll never get Rich) were the only 2 films she could watch and which she valued. Astaire and Hayworth did all their practicing over a funeral parlour and had to keep quiet when there was a funeral taking place.
SIX DEGREES (MORE OR LESS) OF SEPARATION: Fred Astaire starred with Gregory Peck (On The Beach) who was directed by Alfred Hitchcock (Spellbound). Alfred Hitchcock directed Sean Connery (Marni) and Sean Connery starred with Gene Hackman (A Bridge Too Far). Gene Hackman starred in...
2. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN-1975-COMEDY
DIRECTOR: Mel Brooks
STARS: Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Terri Garr, Cloris leachman, Peter Boyle, Gene Hackman
PLOT: The long lost grandson of Frankenstein (pronounced Frankensteen) inherits the estate and he travels there, meets up with Igor(pronounced I-Gore) and with a lovely assistant proceed to create a human being using the brain of Abbey Normal.
QUOTE:
OSCAR NOMS: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound
OSCAR WINS: Nil
LOVE: The comedic genius of the script and the actors
FAVOURITE SCENE: When the monster meets the blind man. It's so hard to pick 1 scene!
FAVOURITE CHARACTER: Igor(Marty Feldman)
TIDBITS: Mel brooks used the actual sets from the original 1931 Frankenstein. Aerosmith went to see this film and were inspired by the scene where Marty Feldman says to Gene Wilder, "Walk this way" to write their famous song "Walk This Way".
SIX DEGREES (MORE OR LESS) OF SEPARATION: Gene Wilder starred with Warren Beatty (Bonnie & Clyde) who starred with Natalie Wood(Splendor in the Grass). Natalie Wood starred with Maureen O'Hara (Miracle on 34th St) and Maureen O'Hara starred with....Until tomorrow-the last day!
I haven't seen the first featured film, but it sounds like it was a good one. Fidel Castro? Seriously? :)
ReplyDeleteI loved The Young Frankenstein - totally bonkers.
Susan A Eames from
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Yup Fidel Castro was I. This but only as an extra. The 40's was big into having films take place in South America, Mexico etc..
DeleteI haven't seen the first featured film, but it sounds like it was a good one. Fidel Castro? Seriously? :)
ReplyDeleteI loved The Young Frankenstein - totally bonkers.
Susan A Eames from
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Never knew about the song Walk This Way, that is a neat inspiration indeed. Never even heard of the first one. But second I've seen indeed.
ReplyDeleteCool eh? I love it that they were inspired by Marty Feldman..hahahaaaa this film just cracks me up
DeleteI'm jumping up and down right now! Okay not really because I'm sitting on my couch, but in my mind's eye I am because you highlighted one of my all time favorite movies: Young Frankenstein. LOVE IT!! "Put the candle back" and "Abby something?" so many great lines :)
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that I made you happy:) just about every part in this film makes me laugh and is classic. In fact, at my wedding, my now ex and I did the shaking of elbows so as not to disturb my hair or face:) I also just loved it when Kahn started singing....hahahaaaa
DeleteHi, dear Birgit!
ReplyDeleteI avoided that musical but I saw the hysterically funny comedy film Young Frankenstein (correctly pron. Fronk-en-steen :) I can hardly believe it was released so many years ago, 1975, because it is still fresh in my mind and holds up very well today. Mel Brooks assembled an all star cast of comedy greats and crammed more one liners and sight gags into that movie than you'd likely find in a hundred other such films. I agree that it would be very difficult to pick one favorite scene. Gene Wilder was sensational in this movie. Marty Feldman's comedic acting always reduces me to tears. Maddy Kahn and Terri Garr are long time favorites of mine. Peter Boyle, who later became famous on Everybody Loves Raymond was recently joined in the afterlife by cast mate Doris Roberts. Thanks for the trivia about Brooks' use of the Gothic set of the original Frankenstein movie of the early 30s and how a line of dialogue inspired Aerosmith's song and hit "Walk This Way."
Thanks, dear BB!
I thought, being a music lover, you would like this tidbit. I love it actually and whenever I heard that song, even though it has nothing to do with the film, I would think of this funny movie just because of Feldman saying this to Wilder. Now if you'll excuse me I must go roll, roll...roll in se hay.
DeleteI saw a lot of Fred Astaire movies on TV but not sure if this was one of them. I didn't see Young Frankenstein.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to laugh and need a good laugh, this is the movie to see
DeleteIf I need a laugh it's Young Frankinstein it lives beside the DVD's player!....I shall look for the Fred Astaire one as believe it or not it's one I haven't seen.....have a good weekend Birgit, we have snow today....brrrrrr xxxxxxx
ReplyDeleteYou have snow?? Yikes! That movie is priceless because each part is hilarious...poor Liam Dunn at the beginning of the film. Oh and Feldman, for kicks, kept changing his hump to different sides and no one noticed until half the film was done and they kept that in the film and added a remark about it, said by Wilder aka Fronkensteen (Shady was right in the pronounciation)
DeleteI saw Young Frankenstein; I can't believe how old that movie is! The year I graduated high school. It was sooo funny!
ReplyDeletebetty
I know it is 41 years old but I still consider it a modern film. What is weird is that a film that was 41 years old back then was 1934!
DeleteEvery scene in Young Frankenstein is a great scene so your choice is valid. HOWEVER, I would go with "Put ze candle back!"
ReplyDeleteI almost went with that since my best friend and I often say that line along with Frau Bleucher...cue the horses.
DeleteThese movies have been wonderful from A to Y, and I'm sure Z will be, too. I've enjoyed your posts and your beautiful cards with each visit.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you have enjoyed my posts and I have enjoyed yours and have learned a lot. I glad you like my alphabet cards
DeleteYoung Frankenstein is a classic. I need to watch this again.
ReplyDeleteOnly one more letter to go? Where did the month go???
It flew by! I fell so behind but I plan to visit afterwards too.
Delete"Young Frankenstein." I can't decide whether that or "Caddyshack" is my favorite movie.
ReplyDeleteProbably YF, if pushed. Great movie, great source of quotes.
BTW, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" is #3.
OMG..love Holy Grail and almost chose that for M but another year perhaps. I love the Knights who say neigh, or is it kniegh, or just plain nee??
DeleteYoung Frankenstein is a great send-up of all those Universal horror movie cliches. Great flick.
ReplyDeleteIt is priceless and it's done with fondness
DeleteYoung Frankenstein had its moments, although I'm not as infatuated with it as some.
ReplyDeleteOh my.....what is your favourite comedy or comedies??
DeleteSaw Young Frankenstein but not the first one.
ReplyDelete[Frankenstein, Igor and Inga in front of HUGE castle doors]
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: What knockers.
Inga: Oh, thank you doctor.
Hahahaaa.....I love it when Kahn comes and Fronkensteen says to grab the bags...Igor's reply is priceless and I always wondered if that was ad-libbed.
DeleteIt totally makes sense that Castro was in the movies (somehow) before taking over Cuba...
ReplyDeleteWell he is a bit of a conundrum since he also loves baseball
DeleteFidel Castro in a film! OMG that's amazing.
ReplyDeleteHe was an extra but not even sure where I could place him
DeleteYoung Frankenstein is getting a lot of love today you are the second blog today that featured it.
ReplyDeleteIt deserves all the love
DeleteI was thinking I hadn't seen the first until I read the plot. I've seen it. Maybe not the whole thing, but close enough. (I went through this Fred Astaire phase. And Ginger Rogers. Together and separately. So, that encompasses quite a few films.)
ReplyDeleteYou're the 2nd person to have Young Frankenstein on today. I haven't seen it. Only heard good things about it. Maybe one of these days.
Love the musical and Hayworth is so great in it. If you ever feel down, this is a film to perk you up.
DeleteI'm almost positive I came in on the Fred/Rita movie about an hour from the end. I love movies with dancing, so I watched it. Anyway, that plot sounds familiar...
ReplyDeleteThe main thing is the superb dancing between those two. Simply magical
DeleteThis Fred Astaire movie I've got to see. Rita Hayward and Eleanor Powell always surprise me when I see them dance. Surprise in a good, happy way. I wonder if anyone has juxtaposed Astaire and the Monster dancing to Putting on the Ritz.
ReplyDeleteNow that would be fun to see Asatire dancing with the monster....great scene in YF
DeleteBoth of these sound fun! I enjoy musicals with dancing and I've heard good things about Young Frankenstein :) And Fidel Castro? How odd!
ReplyDeleteYup...Castro was in this but only as an extra. In my bio of Astaire it is mentioned and in a couple of other books plus the Internet. Great dancing and if you need to have a laugh, YF is the film to see
DeleteYoung Frankenstein was such a riot. I remember going to the theater to see it. That was a long time ago!!
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool how Aerosmith was inspired to write Walk This Way.
Great movie!
Michele at Angels Bark
I love that film and can quote so much from it...it is brilliant
DeleteI love Young Frankenstein. I've seen You Were Never Lovelier but it was many years ago and I can't really remember it. I shall have to revisit.
ReplyDeleteThat's Purrfect
I haven't seen Never Lovelier in a long time either but I remember the dances and how good the two of them looked together
DeleteAudrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire were from a different era but ideally matched in "Funny Face." I truly laughed when I heard the soft serious overtones in her voice. Hepburns acting mesmerized viewers because she was that good with Astaire as a co-star or was it the other way round?
ReplyDeleteFunny Face is really quite good and Hepburn was so young but because she was so classy and such a true lady one never gave it a second thought that she was often paired with men many years her senior
DeleteI love all the old movie musicals because of their big show stopping numbers. Recently saw Something Rotten on Broadway which had some and it was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteYoung Frankenstein is one of my favorites and as you know in my post for Y too.
You are lucky to have seen something on Broadway. YF is a great movie to see when one needs a laugh
DeleteI think the dancing is the most interesting part of these kind of movies.
ReplyDeleteBirgit, The vintage flick I haven't seen, but Young Frankenstein is one of my favorite retro picks. That's the funniest film and I find myself quoting lines from it all the time! Thanks for the smiles!
ReplyDelete