Royal Wedding (1951)

Description

If you like silly love stories with song and dance numbers and a happy ending, you will love this MGM jewel. The story is loosely based on the real-life partnership of Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele Astaire. Tom and Ellen Bowen are a brother and sister dance act whose show closes in New York. Their agent books them in London for the same period as the Royal Wedding. They travel by ship where Ellen meets and becomes involved with Lord John Brindale. This causes her to miss a rehearsal. Tom uses the time to dance with a hat rack and gym equipment. Later Tom and Ellen attempt a graceful dance number as the ship rolls. Upon arrival, Tom holds auditions and meets Anne. There is much indecision by the siblings about their romantic partners even though they are in the clouds. Tom dances on the walls and ceiling of his hotel room, which was accomplished by putting a whole room, attached camera and harnessed cameraman inside a 20-foot-diameter rotating “squirrel cage.” There is even a vaudeville-style dance number that features good old-fashioned slapstick. The film was retitled “Wedding Bells” in the UK so as not to make it appear to be a documentary of the recent wedding of Princess Elizabeth. The famous dance routine provided the inspiration for Lionel Richie’s hit song “Dancing On The Ceiling”.