Movie Classics

Cover Girl (1944)
Runtime: 107 min
Director: Charles Vidor
Cast: Rita Hayworth, Gene Kelly,
Phil Silvers, Otto Kruger, Lee Bowman, Eve Arden

Rusty Parker (Rita Hayworth) is one of the lead dancer at her boyfriend Danny McGuire's (Gene Kelly) Night Club in Brooklyn. She dreams of becoming a successful star, and enters a contest to be a "Cover Girl". She is given a chance by the wealthy publisher John Coudair (Otto Kruger), who was in love with Parker's grandmother a long time ago. She left Coudair at the altar, because she loved someone else. Parker continues to work at McGuires' club, but as she is pursued by the musical producer Noel Weathon (Lee Bowman) to become a star on Broadway, the two worlds collide and Parker has to choose between Weathon or McGuire.

This is one charming and bubbly musical. The costumes are adorable, the setting is fantastic and the muic is lovely. The cast is wonderfull, and I can't decide which of the main stars I adore the most. This is in so many ways a Rita Hayworth movie and even though Gene Kelly (on a loan from his company) takes the backseat, he has still feels like huge partof it. Hayworth and Kelly really carry the movie together. She is stunning and cute as always, and he is charming and down to earth as the night club owner. They are a perfect couble, and the perfect trio with the funny Phil Silvers as Genious.


Every musical number has it's own charm and brings something special to the entire movie, but my favorite acts have to be Gene Kelly's dance number, Phil Silvers number with all the girls, "Make Way for Tomorrow" number with the trio and the "Long Ago & Far Away" number between Kelly and Hayworth. The "Cover Girl" number is also good (fantastic set design), but is too long for my liking.