With today being Easter, I’m reviewing the 1948 musical, Easter Parade! But this is not the only reason why I’m writing about this movie. Since the protagonists would be considered a “mismatched couple”, the film was eligible for Realweegiemidget Reviews’ and Cinematic Catharsis’ Mismatched Couples Blogathon. Easter Parade was also recommended by Michaela from Love Letters to Old Hollywood. Prior to this year, the only Easter themed movie I wrote about was the Hallmark production, Easter Under Wraps. While I have reviewed faith-based films, those pictures were not about the Easter holiday. Because this was my first time watching Easter Parade, I was curious how Easter would play a role in this story. I was also curious how the film would compare to other musicals from the Breen Code era. So, without delay, let’s begin this review of Easter Parade!

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: Fred Astaire portrays Don Hewes in Easter Parade, a veteran dancer who is looking for a new dance partner. In this same movie, Judy Garland portrays Hannah Brown, a singer who is trying to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry. Together, Judy and Fred are an on-screen pair that not only works well together, but also dances well together! One of my favorite scenes is when Don mentions to Hannah how she doesn’t capture men’s attention. In an effort to prove Don wrong, Hannah walks in front of him, at first looking discouraged by her fruitless efforts. A few minutes later, Don sees men are taking notice of Hannah. He looks confused and even baffled at how Hannah could prove him wrong. When Don catches up with Hannah, he discovers she is making funny faces, explaining why men were noticing Hannah. This scene was hilarious because of Fred’s and Judy’s expressions and interactions!

Even though Judy and Fred worked well together, I think Judy and Peter Lawford had strong on-screen chemistry! Despite Hannah being from a small-town farm and Johnny being from the city, their interactions make it seem like they have a deep understanding for one another. While on a dinner date, Hannah confesses she dreams her true love will give her flowers and sweep her off her feet. When she reflects on her time with Don, she realizes Don only gives her flowers and sweeps her off her feet when it relates to dancing. During this reflection, Hannah looks defeated and sad by how she didn’t receive what she wanted the way she wanted it. Meanwhile, Johnny looks genuinely sympathetic toward Hannah. As I watched this scene, I wanted Johnny and Hannah to fall in love with each other!

The use of color: In Easter Parade’s opening credits, Technicolor was revealed to be incorporated into the production. I’m thankful Technicolor was used in this movie because capturing scenes in black-and-white would not have done this picture justice! Because parts of Easter Parade’s story take place around Easter, creative decisions such as costume designs and décor are very colorful. Toward the end of the film, Fred and a large group of dancers perform a number to “Steppin Out with My Baby”. Every performer’s costume boasted bright hues, from one dancer’s yellow shoes to another dancer’s blue gloves. At the beginning of the movie, during the musical number, “Happy Easter”, flowers in vibrant shades are present as Don makes his trip to the store. Though it’s a small detail, these flowers play a role in complimenting the colorful landscape of the story’s spring season!

The musical numbers: Musical numbers can make or break a given film. But in Easter Parade, the musical numbers are a major strength because of the choreography and delivery of the numbers themselves. One of the most creative numbers I’ve ever seen was Fred’s solo, “Drum Crazy”. This solo shows his character, Don, tap dancing and playing drums in an attempt to trick a child into giving him a stuffed bunny toy. The combination of dancing and instrument playing provides a captivating performance that not only highlights Fred’s signature talent, but also pairs dancing with other artistic mediums. Another strong solo was Ann Miller’s solo, “Shakin’ the Blues Away”. While portraying Don’s former dance partner, Nadine, Ann’s solo was a tap number that involved a lot of turning. What makes this musical number so memorable is how the cinematography closely follows Ann during her performance. This focus forces the audience to give their undivided attention to Ann and her number. The number itself is fast-paced and energetic, with Ann consistently delivering the choreography in precise and fluid movements!

What I didn’t like about the film:

A premise-driven story: When I reviewed The National Tree last year, I explained the difference between a premise-driven story and a plot-driven story. After watching Easter Parade, I can confirm the movie has a premise-driven story. The premise of Don transforming Hannah into a star entices viewers to watch Fred and Judy acting and dancing together. But the film doesn’t really make the audience ask “and then what happened”? Even though the story is simpler and easier to follow, the story itself lacked a compelling hook, making it feel less intriguing. I wish the characters were given a conflict to resolve, similar to musicals like Singin’ in the Rain and Anchors Aweigh.

The “insta-love” trope: The romantic-comedy genre carries a collection of tropes and cliches. One of them is the “insta-love” trope, which features characters falling in love in a very short period of time. I understand there’s only so much story you can tell in an hour and forty-three minutes. But I thought Hannah and Don’s relationship progressed too quickly. I even thought the attraction between Hannah and Johnny happened too fast. The fast pace of these relationships made it seem like situations weren’t really resolved. Serious conversations and heart-felt discussions were either conveniently ignored or never brought up. The “insta-love” trope also affected how characters changed over the course of the story. Progressions in character development took place so quickly, it almost seemed too convenient.

Easter’s limited inclusion: With a movie called Easter Parade, I expected Easter to play a significant role in the story. While Easter is included enough to get the point across, I was disappointed by how limited its presence was. There were even scenes I could picture taking place within other holidays. Though the purpose of “Drum Crazy” was for Don to purchase a stuffed bunny toy, I found myself imagining this same musical number set during Christmas. Easter Parade is a story that could take place in almost any time of year and it wouldn’t make much difference.

My overall impression:

Some of the best, most iconic musicals were released during the Breen Code era. Their strong musical numbers and their overall timelessness have captured the hearts of viewers for decades. Easter Parade is one of these timeless musicals, showcasing its strengths through various creative departments! The colorful palette sprinkled throughout the story perfectly compliments the springtime atmosphere the film’s creative team was striving to present. Every musical number was well choreographed and performed, which definitely made the movie worth watching. Compared to other Breen Code era musicals, though, Easter Parade’s story was weaker. This flaw was due to the story being more premise-driven. Despite this and its other weaknesses, the 1948 film is an entertaining, mostly joyful production that is an appropriate selection for the Easter holiday!

Overall score: 7.6 out of 10

Have you seen Easter Parade? Is there an Easter themed movie you like to watch? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun on Easter!

Sally Silverscreen