Royal Wedding

Rating:
Summary: Dancing on the Ceiling again
Review: Fred Astaire and Jane Powell are a highly successful sibling dance team. They are given the chance to take their show to London at the same time as the Royal Wedding. Fred and Jane each meet prospective mates (Jane's is a Lord) and in typical musical fashion, they all make their commitments at the end.

This is a classic movie with excellent acting, singing, dancing and good humor. This is the movie that inspired the song "Dancing on the ceiling" and is also the one where Fred shows he can make any partner look good (even a hat stand). You even get to see Fred and Jane try to impress an audience on an ocean liner while the boat rocks uncontrollably in the rough seas; hilarious.

There are no special features on this DVD (I often find special features to be a waste), but that does not detract form being able to own this timeless classic

Rating:
Summary: Dancing on the Ceiling again
Review: Fred Astaire and Jane Powell are a highly successful sibling dance team. They are given the chance to take their show to London at the same time as the Royal Wedding. Fred and Jane each meet prospective mates (Jane's is a Lord) and in typical musical fashion, they all make their commitments at the end.

This is a classic movie with excellent acting, singing, dancing and good humor. This is the movie that inspired the song "Dancing on the ceiling" and is also the one where Fred shows he can make any partner look good (even a hat stand). You even get to see Fred and Jane try to impress an audience on an ocean liner while the boat rocks uncontrollably in the rough seas; hilarious.

There are no special features on this DVD (I often find special features to be a waste), but that does not detract form being able to own this timeless classic

Rating:
Summary: This is a True Classic!
Review: Fred Astaire and Jane Powell are very convincing and highly amusing in this classic flick... "Royal Wedding." It's a fun movie about a brother and sister dance team that bring their act to London during the same time that the Royal family is making wedding plans. The whole movie is full of fun romantic mishaps and goofy happenings! The quality of this DVD isn't spectacular, but it's really not that bad. Definately worth the money! This DVD made a great addition to our home library!

Rating:
Summary: A Great Movie That Isn't Given Justice on This DVD
Review: I love this movie. Good acting by Powell, Astaire, and one of my favorites - Peter Lawford. Unfortunately the transfer to DVD is very poor. I think the film is badly in need of restoring. Even the colour (such as the skin on Jane Powell's face) is not constant in the film while watching. I bought it because I felt I had nothing to lose. It was a good price and is better than my EP copy that jumps, if that gives you any idea of the quality. It's probably better if you get a chance to get a hold of a SP version of the video. Of course the DVD is nice as you can skip to your favourite scenes, but there are no extra features with this one. Fred Astaire's dancing on the ceiling routine is a real classic though, and the movie is definitely worth seeing! If you buy the DVD just be prepared to overlook the flaws. Also, just a warning that there are two DVD versions, one in colour and the other is advertized as B & W.

Rating:
Summary: Good movie ruined by bad transfer
Review: I'll never understand why the major studios allow dinky little production companies to release their movies on below standard DVDs. I was looking forward to seeing this movie, but the horrible quality spoiled it for me. The color is muddy; in nighttime scenes, any one wearing dark colors pretty much fades into the surrounding scenery. The sound is uneven; I had to turn the volume way up to hear the dialogue, then quickly turn it back down with the music started. There are pop and skips in the soundtrack, and the picture is very scratchy. I would not recommend purchasing this awful edition of such a wonderful movie. Wait for a studio restoration release.

Rating:
Summary: Nice dancing and music, but very dull
Review: If you love Astaire, you'll love this one!! His amazing dance on the walls and ceiling from the movie has become so famous that, across the years, it has overshadowed the very real event around which the lush MGM musical was staged.

Fred and his sister (Jane Powell), find themselves performing in London at the time of the incredible festivities celebrating the Coronation of the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II. Just to get into the swing of things, they both fall in love, and in a marvelously staged finality, they make it a double wedding, just as the Queen receives her Crown. With an ensemble cast which includes Peter Lawford and Sarah Churchill, and Keenan Wynn, you'll need this one to keep your toes tapping!!

Rating:
Summary: A very enjoyable movie.
Review: It's a very enjoyable Fred Astaire movie and has the dancing on the ceiling episode that is regarded as a movie milestone. And the face and form of Jane Powell is very easy on the eyes. There is disappointment with the video quality (grainy), but the movie is delightful nonetheless. There are three DVD editions of this movie that I'm aware of, I've had all three. I've kept the Madacy set and given the other two as gifts.

Rating:
Summary: Fine movie, mediocre print
Review: Much has been made here about how poor this DVD transfer is. Well, it isn't great, but it's no worse than the old VHS copy I have -- and, of course, it's a DVD. This is a cheap way to get your hands on Fred Astair dancing on the cieling, or dancing on a tilting ocean liner floor, or dancing with a hat rack. Pick up this disc and you even have the great fun of watching the genuinely dreadful musical number, "I Left My Hat in Haiti." (Consider that a bonus feature).

I must confess, the DVD features ARE pretty bad. The scene selection drops you off in the middle of dance numbers. I don't quite follow the logic, but oh, well.

Great fans will want a fully restored transfer with a ton of bonus features, and will be willing to pay for it. For the rest of us, this cheap disc is a way to get Fred dancing on the cieling for a very low price.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Fred Film in the Worst Quality
Review: My wife and I have been Fred Astaire fans for many years, and look forward to these classics being released on DVD. We were excited at the release of Royal Wedding being reviewed here, but were very disappointed in the quality, both of the video and audio. The color was washed out and the sound truly unlistenable. An old VHS dub we once made from AMC was far superior. Try another version and see Fred dance on th cieling with the brilliant colors and clear soundtrack that you deserve. The price is low... and not worth it.

Rating:
Summary: love the movie, hate the transfer
Review: Royal Wedding is a minor Astaire movie, not even up to Easter Parade, but his dancing was (as always) just amazing. The scene where he dances with a coat-rack is one of my favorites from anyplace (and is clearly an inspiration for Mel Gibson's dance in "What Women Want" -- Mr. Astaire does it incomparably better...).

Jane Powell is too chirpy, but they have a very good number together ("How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Loved You When You When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life?"), and she can sing and dance. Sarah Churchill (as the love-interest), on the other hand, is really wooden, and the entire subplot with her family is dull.

The real problem is the transfer to DVD. I think that took a worn-out tape from a rental store, left in the trunk of a car for a month, and then made the transfer. It looks terrible. It only cost a few bucks, so I expected it to be poor, but I'd love for some reputable people to release it -- I'd buy it again.