You Were Never Lovelier

Fred Astaire's and Rita Hayworth's second (and last) dance pairing whisks them away from the Broadway and army settings of You'll Never Get Rich and off to the sizzling Latin rhythms of Brazil.

He is a dancer, drifting and penniless in Buenos Aires, she is the daughter of hotel owner Adolphe Menjou. Guess what: Menjou wants to marry her off and sees Astaire as the ideal chap! The gossamer plot provides the pair with plenty of opportunities for song and dance with the then-fashionable Latin touch (musical backing courtesy of Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra). Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer supply the sparkling score, Astaire is elegance personified and Hayworth dances beautifully, complementing him with natural ease. Highlights include the title number and the delightful I'm Old-Fashioned, set on a moonlit terrace. Those were the days!