User reviews

It took a loan out film to Columbia for Gene Kelly's home studio MGM to realize his creative talent and give him some control over what he did in his own films. Cover Girl also became Rita Hayworth's signature film for the GIs and their pinup fantasies during World War II.

Kelly plays the owner of a small nightclub in Brooklyn where Rita is a featured dancer and Phil Silvers the comic. Of course Kelly does a bit of hoofing himself there.

Hayworth comes to the attention of millionaire Otto Kruger when it turns out that Kruger had loved and lost Hayworth's grandmother. In some flashback sequences from the gaslight era, Hayworth also plays her own grandmother with Jess Barker playing the young Kruger. You might remember Jess Barker was the husband of that other legendary screen redhead, Susan Hayward.

Broadway producer Lee Bowman also is attracted to Hayward, but he's not interested in nostalgia. He wants her for his Ziegfeld Follies revue and in fact the biggest number of Cover Girl is the title song of the film. It's nicely done in Follies style.

Hayworth also gets to sing A Sure Thing in a gaslight era number and in the only song in the show not written by Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin, Hayworth also does an old English music hall number Poor John. When I say sing, as everyone knows Rita mouths words. Singing here is done by Nan Wynn.

The biggest hit of the show is Long Ago and Far Away which is introduced by Gene Kelly. It was one of the biggest hits of the World War II era and one of the biggest sellers Jerome Kern ever wrote. It happens in fact to be a favorite of an aunt of mine who with my uncle will be celebrating 60 years of marriage this September. Long Ago and Far Away was nominated for Best Song, but lost to Swinging on a Star.

What really sets Cover Girl apart and what makes it a milestone film for Gene Kelly is the two numbers Put Me to the Test and the Alter Ego number. Harry Cohn decided to do what Louis B. Mayer had refused at MGM, to give Kelly creative control of his own material. Kelly later said the alter ego number was one of the hardest things he ever attempted in his career. In it he dances with a pale reflection of himself and the choreography is dazzling and intricate.

In fact after one more loan out film, Christmas Holiday at Universal, Louis B. Mayer never loaned out Gene Kelly for the rest of the time he was at MGM. And he did get creative control from then on.

With that dazzling technicolor cinematography and Rita's red hair and Gene Kelly's boundless creativity, Cover Girl was and is a classic and will forever be so.

Cover Girl has had its champions and detractors--as a cursory review of the IMDB critical comments clearly demonstrates. What may not be so clear is whether these reviewers ever saw this film when it was first released during WWII. Cover Girl (CG) came out in the middle of that conflict, when news about the war was often grim and the need for uplifting escapist entertainment at the home front was at its height. CG was an ideal way to spend a little time with beautiful girls, great sets, gorgeous color, catchy songs, brilliant dancing, engaging characters and a story that gently pushed reality to the back burner.

If CG is considered in the context of its time, the film rises to the level of near classic status. As one who actually did see CG when it first came out, I can assure the IMDB community that watching it then was a very special event--one that fondly lingers in the memory to this day. Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth danced their way into our hearts, and Phil Silvers created a "best friend" character that set the standard for similar efforts in later musicals by such other diverse performers as Donald O'Connor (Singin' In The Rain), and Oscar Levant (An American In Paris). Eve Arden sparkled in a witty, edgy role that formed the blueprint for subsequent performances by Thelma Ritter. And Otto Kruger's suave, elegant presentation almost made him seem like a precursor to Cary Grant at the twilight of his career.

There have been better musicals than CG to be sure. But to those like me who were exposed to its many charms during the first time around, CG will always be a grand memorable entertainment event capturing perfectly some cheerful moments during a dark time in America's history. For that, I will always be thankful.

In Brooklyn, the nightclub dancer Rusty Parker (Rita Hayworth) has a simple but happy life dancing in the McGuire's, owned by her boyfriend Danny (Gene Kelly). Rusty, Danny and Genius (Phil Silvers) have a ritual on Friday nights: they order oysters in a bar, trying to find a pearl. The life of Rusty changes when she participates and wins a contest to be the cover page of the Vanity magazine. She is invited to work in a huge theater in Broadway, whose owner proposes to marry her. She loses her happiness and starts drinking in her new life style, missing the love of Danny and her old friends.

"Cover Girl" is a delightful romantic comedy, very naive and having magnificent parts, such as the beauty and talented Rita Hayworth dancing, singing and acting; Gene Kelly, especially in two scenes, dancing with himself and with Rusty and Genius on the street; the songs and the choreography of the dances are also spectaculars. Danny, the character of Gene Kelly, is almost nasty with his chauvinist behavior. Rita Hayworth surprised me with her talent: I found her amazing in "Gilda", but she is stunning in "Cover Girl". In accordance with the information on the cover of the VHS, "Cover Girl" was the first musical where the songs were part of the plot, giving continuity to the story, instead of just being "thrown" in the movie. My sixteen years old son saw this movie with a friend of the same age in a recent Gene Kelly festival and they also loved "Cover Girl"; therefore I dare to say that this classic is recommended to any movie lover and not only to the older generations. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): 'Modelos' ('Models')

Note: On 20 February 2014, I saw this movie again.

This love story is a comedy drama about a chorus girl named Rusty "Chicken" Parker (Rita Hayworth) working at McGuire's club owned by her boyfriend Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly). Columbia Studios made this a showcase for Rita Hayworth, but gave Gene Kelly control over the film, especially about dance routines, singing and choreography. The film has lavish costumes, great dance routines, and excellent music. Several dance routines performed by Danny and Rusty includes songs by Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin. The classic song "Long Ago and Far Away" won the 1944 Academy Award for best musical scoring. Danny's dance with Rusty; "Put Me to the Test", or the joyful dance "Make Way for Tomorrow" (with Genius) is simply outstanding and very entertaining. Phil Silvers as Danny's sidekick "Genius" has performed brilliantly; although he is known for his comedy routines (as Sgt. Bilko in the TV series); he fits perfectly in dance and singing routines with Danny and Rusty.

Many critics agree that Hayworth was the best dance partner Astaire ever had. Even when doing a fast tap routine, Hayworth could carry it off with great grace and look completely relaxed, as if she were having great fun. Check her out, for instance, in the Shorty George tap routine with Astaire from You Were Never Lovelier. She gives that same feeling of joy in dancing while working with Kelly. Everything, the sets, the costumes, the lighting, the make-up is handled with the kind of Hollywood studio perfection that isn't seen anymore. Even when the showgirls are putting on their makeup, they're perfectly made up. This movie is the first successful work of director Charles Vidor, who went on to make such classics as Gilda (Rita Hayworth), A Song to Remember (Cornel Wilde), and Love Me or Leave Me (Doris Day). This movie is highly recommended to all fans of Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly.

Overall rating: 9 out of 10.

One of my favorites non-MGM musicals, it's a classic!> Rita Hayworth is in top form, her beauty leaps out of the screen. Gene Kelly shows off his dancing skills and introduces to musicals his edgy and innovative choreography that eventually would change the way musicals are choreograph. Phil Silvers is the perfect second bananas, and Eve Arden injects this movie with a lot of class.

The structure is so theatrical that one has to wonder why, in this era where major Broadway shows come from the movies, Cover Girl hasn't been adapted to theatre.

The story surprise me, the girls clothes are FANTASTIC. It's a good movie to relax in a weekend alone. Love it.

What goes around surely comes around and round and round it goes; people spend their whole lives searching for a pearl in the sea of ordinary oysters but they don't realize that what's truly theirs will find a way to them anyhow.

1944's musical "Cover girl" is directed by Charles Vidor and stars the enchanting Rita Hayworth and the great performer Gene Kelly. The story revolves around Rusty and the chance of a lifetime she managed to get to finally become somebody but what she didn't know was that she already is somebody to somebody else - and it's no wonder. When tempting opportunities come knocking at your door you close your eyes and shut your ears and let them swallow you. I know that's what I did.

Once there was a certain somebody in my life too and I loved her deeply but when the question arose: what would you choose, love or career, I took the latter. And after rewatching "Cover girl" with the eyes of today's me I see this movie in a somewhat different light than I used to - it showed me another take at how things could have been. Or should have? Anyway, I'm glad it turned out the way it did because every little (and not so little) thing we do and say will eventually become the best possible turn of events that happened on our way to the best possible life we have been leading all along - we just have to live each and every day to the fullest to see and hear it clearly.

The movie's fantastic sing and dance sequences are its great strengths, together with outstanding dramatic performances by both Kelly and especially Hayworth - Rita was the true star here despite Gene doubling all his abilities in a "dance with himself" number which looks absolutely brilliant to this day - and their chemistry together is undeniably real.

There will always be moments in our lives when we will question ourselves and decide what's best for us right now. Strangely enough letting go can also lead to letting in because even if your loved one has gone for now he will undoubtedly find his way back around if it's meant to be.

A fantastic musical starring Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth. He owns a nightclub where she dances. She's no star yet, but she gets a big break when she's chosen as a cover girl for Vanity, whose owner was actually in love with her grandmother. When he sees the resemblance, he picks her right away for a contest his maganzine is running. Hayworth's newfound fame at first works wonders for Kelly's club, but her star rises so quickly and so high up that his grasp on her begins to falter. This isn't the most original of plots, but the two leads really make it work. It also helps that the screenplay is great. Kelly's not yet at his peak, especially his peak as an actor. His dancing, however, wow. Hayworth is the star, but Kelly claims the film's most memorable moment as he dances passionately with his own reflection. It's obviously a take-off of Fred Astaire's shadow dancing in Swing Time, but I think Kelly one-ups it, which is hardly believable. In fact, this has got to be the most amazing dance sequence in film history, save perhaps the finale of An American in Paris several years later. The rest of the songs are also excellent, and the musical numbers are even better. Too bad Rita didn't sing her own songs (well, she may have a couple of them, as her singing voice seemed to be different sometimes). Her dancing is wonderful, as is the rest of her acting. It's hard not to love her in anything. She's really one of the few truly beautiful women from the classic era. Not plastic like many of them; no, you can really see the warmth in that woman. Her smile is so disarming. Phil Silvers has the role as Kelly's best friend, and he is also very funny. The trio of Kelly-Hayworth-Silvers is obviously the kernel which became the Kelly-Reynolds-O'Connor trio in Singin' in the Rain eight years afterwards. One of the biggest musical numbers in the film seems almost completely pilfered with the "Good Morning" number in Singin'. I do think Singin' in the Rain is the better film, as Cover Girl is a little rough around the edges. This roughness, though, just adds to the charm. There are aspects of this film that beat Singin' in the Rain, and even An American in Paris. For instance, the central relationship is more emotionally involving. Instead of the dominant older man chasing the little girl (Leslie Caron and Debbie Reynolds were just teenagers, after all), we have a very nice relationship with two people who seem more like equals. There is no chasing around - an aspect that does unfortunately turn a lot of the best musicals a little sour, you have to admit. Kelly and Hayworth are a couple from the start, and when that begins to fray, I really felt it. 9/10.

Long ago and far away they knew how to make a musical and "Cover Girl" is no exception to the rule.

A story of a dancer in a nightclub who becomes a cover girl and famous. The old adage applies here- that happiness and fame always don't mix.

The dance routines are marvelously choreographed. What dancing and chemistry between Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly.

Otto Kruger is the older gentleman who discovers Hayworth, when he sees her picture that shows a strong resemblance to the woman who left him at the aisle-Hayworth's grandmother Maribel.

A jealous reaction by Kelly drives Rusty (Hayworth) into the arms of Broadway producer Lee Bowman.

The picture is basically history repeating itself at the end.

To add to the glory of this fine film, there is the always wise-cracking Eve Arden and the hilarious Phil Silvers, appropriately named Genius in the film.