Easter Parade

Hannah Brown:Oh look, the Easter Parade, isn't it beautiful?
Don Hewes:It's all right if you like Easter Parades.

Premiered June 30, 1948

Don Hewes (Fred Astaire), a Broadway star and showman, is walking through New York, exchanging wishes of "Happy Easter" with passersby.  Don visits his girlfriend and co-star Nadine Hale (Ann Miller). He's shocked when Nadine tells him she's leaving their dancing team ("Nadine & Hewes") and won't be going on tour with him. Nadine has received an offer to headline her own show. Don pleads with her, but she has already signed a contract to star in another production.

Nadine breaks up (professionally & personally) with Don.

Their mutual friend Johnny (Peter Lawford) also tries to get Nadine to stay with Don, but she rebuffs him too. It also appears that Nadine is attracted to Johnny and vice versa.

Don is crushed, until he finds showgirl Hannah Brown (Judy Garland) and believes she can replace Nadine. He offers her $100 a week to be his dance partner and tells her to come meet him for rehearsal later.

On Easter Sunday,their first rehearsal doesn't go well, Hannah is having trouble telling the difference between her left and right feet. Afterwards, they walk outside and stumble on the Easter Parade. Nadine is there too, she's is getting more attention than anyone else. Don tells Hannah that he will make her a huge star and that in next year's Easter Parade, Hannah will be the object of everyone's interest.

Later, Hannah gets caught in a rainstorm and meets Johnny, who helps her find shelter.  Johnny is immediately attracted to Hannah and decides to pursue her.  But Johnny is simultaneously pursuing Nadine.  Don also seems to be noticing Hannah, so a "love quadrangle" is created.

Can Don make Hannah a star? Will they fall in love? Will Nadine and Johnny get in the way of Don and Hannah, professionally and/or romantically?  Will Hannah be the star of next year's Easter Parade?

J.A. Morris says:

I'll state up front that I generally don't like musicals. There are a few exceptions, though, and this is one. Easter Parade contains 11 song and dance performances, only one ("The Girl on the Magazine Cover") feels pointless. The story is basically an excuse to showcase the production numbers, sandwiched between two Easter Parades.  And if you're going to watch a musical, you can't do better than one that stars Astaire and Garland with songs by Irving Berlin!

The absolute high point of the film comes when Astaire performs "Steppin' Out With My Baby".  Astaire dances with dozens of dancers in this show-stopping production number.  Director Charles Waters  does a great job super-imposing a slow-motion Astaire near the end of the scene. 

In addition to the classic title song, the film opens with Astaire singing a song called "Happy Easter".  I enjoyed that song and I'm sorry it never caught on as an "Easter song". 

Despite their 20+year age difference, Garland and Astaire have great chemistry.  It takes a little while for them to fall in love and it doesn't feel forced.

Ann Miller is also good in her role as Nadine.  She plays a somewhat thankless role, since she's an obstacle between Don and Hannah getting together.  Miller is not as well remembered as other stars of classic musicals, but this film shows that she was a fantastic dancer.  Miller's performance of "Shakin' The Blues Away" is another highlight of the movie.

Nadine shakes "the blues away".

Rounding out the main cast is Peter Lawford, who performs solid work as Johnny.  And Jules Munshin (best remembered as Ozzie in On the Town) has some funny scenes as Francois the maître d'.  

Francois tells Hannah & Don how "Salad Francois" is made.

Easter Parade is a classic Hollywood musical.  It's available on dvd, streams on Amazon and is probably the only "Easter" movie that has aired on television at Easter time for as long as I can remember, which makes it the "Citizen Kane" of Easter movies!  This movie is strongly recommended for fans of musicals and non-fans (like me!) alike!

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 Easter Eggs!  

RigbyMel says:

Unlike J.A. Morris, I am a fan of musicals generally.  Easter Parade is a very fun film to watch.  It falls more into the "musical revue" category, combining music, dance and vignettes -  the songs are there because they are great songs, not so much because they further the plot or give much in the way of character development. That being said, the film's plot carries convincingly throughout and the romance between Astaire and Garland's characters develops in an interesting and un-forced way, making this a cut above the average revue-type show.   

The production numbers are pretty wonderful and the dancing is amazing.  Some of the song and dance numbers are reminiscent of some numbers in Singin' In The Rain, which may or may not have something to do with Arthur Freed serving as producer for both films. (For example,  compare the vaudeville scenes in both films -  "Fit As A Fiddle" from Singin' In The Rain is quite similar to "The Ragtime Violin" in Easter Parade in terms of staging.  Both films also feature bits where magazine cover type images are staged with live models.)  I think one of my  favorite bits of the film is the "Drum Crazy" number.  The "We're A Couple of Swells" number is also great, silly fun.  You can't really go wrong with Irving Berlin music performed by luminaries like Judy Garland and Fred Astaire.     

This is a film well worth adding to your Easter viewing list.  

RigbyMel's rating:

 





4 Easter eggs

The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town

First Aired April 6, 1977

The Easter Bunny is comin to town today

Here's hopin' he's hippity-hoppin' your way

So get your brushes and paints, give him a hand

It's Easter throughout all the land!
-S.D. Kluger, in his introductory song.

Mailman Special Delivery "S.D." Kluger (Fred Astaire, reprising his roll from Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town) answers letters sent from children about the Easter Bunny. They want to know "Where does the Easter Bunny come from?", "Why do we color eggs at Easter?", "Why are Easter flowers called lillies?", "Who made the first chocolate bunny?". It turns out S.D. is an old friend of the Easter Bunny, so he tells a story that will answer the kids' inquiries.

Fred Astaire narrates the special as S.D. Kluger.

The story opens in a town called Kidville, its population was made up entirely of orphaned children. S.D. was a child-mailman in Kidville. It was cut off from the rest of the world by Big Rock Mountain. Life in Kidville was peaceful, except for one thing: a bear named Gadzooks (Allen Swift) would occasionally interrupt the children's celebration of holidays and birthdays.

One Easter morning, the kids find a baby bunny (Skip Hinnant) who is also an orphan. They decide to name him Sunny. He grows up (rabbits mature faster than children) and quickly becomes a leader in Kidville.

Sunny is given a "Carot Cake" on his 1st birthday.

Sunny says they need to share the things they make with the outside world. He sets out to sell hard boiled eggs, but doesn't know where to go. Sunny encounters a hobo named Hallelujah Jones (Swift again), who directs him to a town called...Town.

Sunny encounters Gadzooks.

On the way to Town, Sunny is chased by Gadzooks, who wants Sunny's eggs. Sunny escapes and arrives in Town, and learns that there are no children in Town, when babies are born their parents are forced to leave with them.  It is a very dark and depressing community.

Sunny arrives in Town.

The only kid in Town is seven year-old King Bruce The Frail (James Spies). Bruce is very lonely, he doesn't want to be king, he longs to be "just an ordinary kid". He is pushed around by his Aunt Lily Longtooth (Meg Sargent), the real power behind the throne. Lily orders Bruce to eat his beans, which seems to be the only food  ever served in Town. Sunny observes this and is determined to bring cheer to Town, and to Bruce's life.

Lilly scolds King Bruce.

Hallelujah suggests that Sunny color the eggs so that Gadzooks won't know they're eggs. The plan works (he tells Gadzooks the eggs are "colored stones") and Sunny runs to Town.

The Hendrews Sisters lay Easter Eggs for Sunny & set up an assembly line for decorating them.

The people love the eggs, especially Bruce (he's thrilled to eat something other than beans), who christens Sunny "The Easter Bunny, Royal Knight Of The Easter Eggs."

Sunny is Knighted by King Bruce.

But Lilly puts a stop to this, forcing Bruce to declare eggs illegal.  She sends Bruce to bed without dinner.

Gadzooks realizes it's better to be loved than feared & gets a girlfriend.

Next Easter, Sunny devises a way to get around the "no food but beans" rule.  With the help of Hallelujah and Herbert the baker, Sunny invents jelly beans.

Sunny, Hallelujah and Herbert cook the first jelly beans!

They are a hit with the people of Town.  This enrages Lilly and she tells her soldiers to use any means necessary to stop Sunny.

Bruce & his servants enjoy some jelly beans.

J.A. Morris says:

I remember when The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town first aired.  It was a regular part of network Easter programming for several years in the 70s and 80s.  I've always enjoyed it.

Sunny inspires the first Easter Parade!

Sunny is a likeable champion who fights for a just cause.  And he's very cute too, especially as a baby.  This is the 2nd Rankin-Bass special that tells the "origin" of the Easter Bunny, following The First Easter Rabbit.  

S.D. Kluger with Chugs, the Little Engine Who Could.

The main problem with this special is that it's very derivative of other Rankin-Bass offerings.  It's a sequel to Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town and borrows much of its story.  It also owes a lot too Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer too.  Gadzooks is sort of a combination of the Bumble and the Winter Warlock, just like them he is ultimately reformed.  But Gadzooks looks very amusing in his "Easter Outfit".  Lilly seems to be channeling the Burgermeister Meisterburger.

The Hendrew Sisters perch on Gadzooks, after he joins the good guys.

The songs by Maury Laws aren't as good as the ones featured in earlier specials like Rudolph, but they're mostly nice and help move the story along.  I've had several of the songs stuck in my head for days, ever since I re-watched the special.  "Someone's Gotta Take A Taste" is the strongest song of the bunch. 

Sunny gives the first Easter toys to King Bruce.

Unlike other specials of the era, it doesn't feature many famous voice actors (with the obvious exception of Astaire's narration).  But Sunny is voiced by Skip Hinnant.  If that name doesn't ring a bell, you might remember Hinnant from his time as cast member on The Electric Company, where he played Fargo North, Decoder (among other characters).  Hinnant does a great job in this special, his voice is perfect for the Easter Bunny.

Skip Hinnant as Fargo North.

I'm not sure how often this special airs on TV these days, but it's available on DVD and is worth seeking out  

 The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town is a solid special that features a likeable protagonist, and an entertaining origin story but it's derivative aspects prevent me from giving it our highest rating:

J.A. Morris' Rating:

 3 and 1/2 Easter Eggs.

Another image of "Baby Sunny" because he's so darned cute!

RigbyMel says:

This particular special was not one that I saw until a couple of years ago.   As J.A. Morris says, it does suffer  from feeling a bit too much like other, better Rankin-Bass offerings.    Sadly, the songs are not particularly memorable and I find the "Which came first the chicken or the egg song" to be a bit ontologically troubling. This is a cute enough special,  but definitely not a great one, in my opinion.

RigbyMel's rating:

2 and 1/2 Easter Eggs.

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown

First aired January 28, 1975

Charlie Brown is hanging around his mailbox, hoping to get a Valentine from someone.  Lucy sarcastically wishes him "good luck", believing he won't get any Valentines. 

Meanwhile,Linus has a crush on his teacher Miss Othmar.  When she calls his name (while taking the roll), he sees it as a sign of affection.  Sally reckons he's just another kid as far Miss Othmar is concerned.

Linus gets excited when Miss Othmar asks if he can pound the erasers after class, calling it an "honor".

Linus decides he will get a Valentine present for Miss Othmar to express how he feels.  He goes to the store and buys her a large heart-shaped box of candy.   Linus runs into Violet at the store, she tells him falling in love with his teacher is a bad idea.  Linus says he doesn't love Miss Othmar, but he is "very fond of the ground on which she walks." 

Sally witnesses this and presumes the candy is for her.  She feels like she needs a Valentine for Linus, so she attempts to make one.  It does not go well.

When Valentine's Day arrives, Charlie Brown brings a brief case to school.  He tells Schroeder he can carry his Valentines in it, in case he gets a lot of them.  

Sally has a homemade Valentine for Linus.  She presents it to him and expects candy and a kiss in return.  Linus ignores her and hurries off to give Miss Othmar her candy heart.  Violet says the teacher is outside waiting for her boyfriend.  Linus freaks out a bit and chases after her. 

Sally puckers up for Linus' kiss, while he ignores her.

All the Valentines have been deposited into a box, and Schroeder is handing them out.  Charlie Brown waits expectantly, but Schroeder does not call his name.  

Will Charlie Brown get any Valentines?  Will Linus get the chance to present Miss Othmar with her gift? 

J.A. Morris says:

This is generally a very good special, but because we're talking about Charlie Brown, it doesn't have a very happy ending.  But it is a realistic (maybe even pessimistic) take on Valentine's Day.  While I enjoy giving candy hearts as much as anyone, I've never had a lot of use for this "greeting card" holiday.  It's also a day where single people are often made to feel like losers.  

Snoopy shows Sally how to make a Valentine.

Charlie Brown gets no Valentines.  Like many other kids, I felt so sorry for him when I first watched this.  Someone could've given him a Valentine!  According to Charles Schulz, kids all over the country sent Valentines to Charlie Brown.  

Charlie Brown gets no Valentines and gets insulted by a candy heart!

I never had a crush on a teacher, but I'm sure many viewers sympathized with Linus too.   Not to mention Sally, who is once again denied a kiss from her "Sweet Baboo".  

There are two scenes involving Lucy that don't relate to the main plots.  She attends a puppet show put on by Snoopy where she is the victim of a "special effects" attack.  This is one of the rare times Lucy gets her comeuppance in a special.    Lucy also gets a scene with Schroeder where she tells him the history of Valentine cards.  This ends with her trashing his piano.  

I liked the scene at the end that featured Charlie Brown and Linus discussing their respective Valentine experiences at the end.  It was a reminder that these two are good friends, and in spite of their lack of success on Valentine's Day, at least they could vent to each other about their respective Valentine "disasters". 

Linus & Chuck reflect upon their Valentine's Day experiences.

This special also features a reading of the poem "How Do I Love Thee" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.  Sally gets a candy heart that contains the text of the poem (in very small print!), she reads it while Snoopy acts it out behind her.  That's a great way to introduce kids to one of the greatest love poems of all time.

Sally reads "How Do I Love Thee" while Snoopy "interprets" the poem.

It's also nice to see a minor character like Violet get some lines.  Violet wonders what to get for a "man teacher" for Valentine's Day, she gets him some "heart-shaped shaving lotion"!

Linus has his heart broken by Miss Othmar & and takes it out on a defenseless box of candy.

There's one weak point near the end.  Charlie Brown wishes "that little red haired girl" would send him a Valentine.  She is not mentioned before or after that line and it seems to come out of nowhere.  

During the credits, the people who worked on the special are depicted as puppets, here's Charles Schulz.

I believe there is a bit of a continuity error in this special.  In past specials, it's been mentioned that Peppermint Patty, Franklin and Marcie go to a different school than Chuck, Linus and the rest.  But all three are present during the Valentine's Day Party.  I suppose the creative team felt like they had to be there because the viewers expected to see them.

Snoopy flashes his trademark smile!

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown certainly captures the darker side of Valentine's Day, but it's also funny and will likely remind most of us of a Valentine's Day (or two) gone awry in our own lives. 

  

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 Valentine Hearts.

RigbyMel says: 

This is a great, albeit a bit heartbreaking, special that demonstrates how Valentine's Day frequently doesn't go according to our own plans for it.   I remember watching this special when I was younger and being quite outraged at Charlie Brown's treatment by others.     Now I watch it and am still sad for him, but also touched by his optimism in bringing a briefcase to collect all the Valentines he hopes to receive!  

(I also remember being kind of grateful that when Valentines were exchanged at my school, since we were always required to give cards to everyone in the class to prevent exactly the situation poor Charlie Brown experiences!) 

Favorite scenes include Snoopy's "Pawpet Show" performance - the deliberately melodramatic story and added special effects never fail to crack me up.    

"Pawpet" Show with added "4-D" effects!

 I also love the scene where Snoopy creates super elaborate 3-D Valentines with just a few snips of his scissors! 

Snoopy's Valentine handiwork

 There is one thing that J.A. Morris touched upon above that always bothered me a bit though ... if Peppermint Patty and Marcie are at the Valentine exchange at Charlie Brown's school (despite going to a different school themselves),  surely one (or both) of them would have given Charlie Brown a Valentine??   

See?  Peppermint Patty and Marcie are both there!!

 The overarching theme of unrequited feelings on Valentine's Day is poignant and this plus the deft touches of humor in this special make it a "classic" in my estimation, even if Valentine's Day isn't one of my favorite holidays! 

RigbyMel's rating: 

 4 Valentine Hearts