Daddy Long Legs
Directed by Jean Negulesco
Written by Phoebe and Henry Ephron from a novel by Jean Webster
1955/USA
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] When an irresistible force such as you/ Meets an old immovable object like me/ You can bet just as sure as you live/ Something’s gotta give/ Something’s gotta give/ Something’s gotta give — Lyrics by Johnny Mercer[/box]
The May-December romance and dream ballet don’t do this musical any favors. It has its pleasures, however.
Jervis Pendleton III (Fred Astaire) is one of the world’s richest men, but is mostly interested in playing the drums and otherwise having fun. On a trade mission to France, his car breaks down and he has to go to an orphanage for help. There he spots eighteen-year-old Julie Andre charmingly teaching English to the other orphans. He wants to adopt her but the American ambassador convinces him that this would be unseemly. He then opts to finance her college education in the U.S. Julie is required to write letters to him and in the process develops a fascination with the anonymous benefactor she refers to as “Daddy Longlegs”.
After this has gone on for a couple of years without a response, Jervis’ aid (Fred Clark) and secretary (Thelma Ritter) become concerned that the girl is falling in love with him. Now intrigued, Jervis visits the school and after one dance at the hop falls in love with his charge. She loves him, too, but a new encounter with the ambassador messes things up until the happy ending.
I really wish they could have done this without Astaire and Caron becoming a couple. It should have been easy enough. There is some fantastic dancing here though, not least from Caron. It says something that I could take my eyes off Astaire long enough to appreciate her footwork. Unfortunately, there is a long dream ballet sequence that, while well danced, stops the movie in its tracks.
Daddy Long Legs was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color; Best Music, Original Song (for “Something’s Gotta Give”) and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture.
Clip – Astaire and Caron dance to “Sluefoot”
