Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, and Michael Kidd are army buddies in "It's Always Fair Weather," a 1955 musical film directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly. The film also stars Cyd Charisse and Delores Gray.

At the end of World War II, Ted Riley (Kelly),Doug Hallerton (Dailey),and Angie Valentine (Kidd) return to the states and make a bet with a bartender that they will be friends for life. They agree to meet on October 11, 1955, which is in ten years, at the same bar. When that day comes, they all show up, and have absolutely nothing to say to one another. Riley is a playboy and gambler who won a prize fighter in a game, Hallerton is an ulcer-ridden advertising man on the verge of divorce, and Angie is the happily married owner of a diner in upstate New York. Thanks to a talk show host (Delores Gray) who refuses to do her show as planned, and the show's beautiful consultant (Charisse),the three are destined to be reunited again - on network television.

This is a nice movie with some great dancing and singing, but given the cast, directors, writers and composer, one expects a little more than "nice" and "pleasant." The music by Andre Previn is uninspired. The choreography fares better, with a delightful roller skating sequence by Gene Kelly, and a fun sequence in a boxing gym by Cyd Charisse. The glamorous Delores Gray sings the heck out of her numbers, but her acting, unlike in "Designing Woman," is way over the top, more of a stage performance.

Despite the spoofing of advertising and early television shows and the singing and dancing, the film has a strange edginess; when it's dark, it's almost too dark, and the light moments aren't light enough. There's just something unhappy about it, which you don't find in the fabulous "Singin' in the Rain." But I suppose you can't ask lightning to strike twice.

Dan Dailey has the strongest role and is more than up to it, giving the film's best performance. And of the three, he's the only one who bothered to age ten years.

Disappointing, given the talent involved.

The 1950s were a fascinating decade in film for their schizophrenia if for nothing else. Exhibit A: the same year, 1955, produced both "Kiss Me Deadly" and this dull musical that has no reason for existence.

I'm not opposed to musicals by any means. The year before had produced "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and the same year produced "Oklahoma!", two of the most joyous movies I've ever seen. But there is just nothing going on in "It's Always Fair Weather" to keep a modern day viewer engaged. I suppose to audiences at the time, the theme of buddies who bonded during war but find that they have little in common off the battlefield inspired a certain melancholy nostalgia that gave this film some power. But without that there's not really even a reason to watch this. If you want Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse, go watch "Singin' in the Rain" or "The Band Wagon" instead.

Unbelievably, "It's Always Fair Weather" brought Betty Comden and Adolph Green an Oscar nomination for their wisp of a screenplay, and Andre Previn received a nomination for his musical scoring.

Grade: D+

'It's Always Fair Weather' had so much potential from the get go, with the amount of talent involved. And on the most part, while all have done better it lives up to it.

There are better musicals generally out there than 'It's Always Fair Weather', and outside the dance sequences and dancing it's somewhat of an uneven film. However, it does boast some of the best choreography and dance sequences in film musical history, and they are the film's main attraction. Despite its faults though, 'It's Always Fair Weather' is enjoyable as an overall film too.

Not perfect by all means. The script has many great moments of a witty satirical edge and remarkably dark cynicism unusual in musicals at that time, but some of it is sappy to the point of making the toes curl and occasionally it's ponderous. Pacing also slackens in scenes where dancing isn't featured, and the more upbeat, slapsticky ending with the fist-fight is overdone and silly, also not quite fitting with the tone of the rest of the film and it isn't as funny as it should have been. Michael Kidd is underused, and comes over as a bit bland.

From a more subjective point of view as well, Cyd Charisse did deserve more than just one dance, that is superbly choreographed and one of the film's highlights but too short, and she and Gene Kelly were seriously robbed of a dance duet together, as they were a fantastic partnership which should have been more obvious here. Both instances were featured in outtakes, and to be honest the film would have been even better if they remained intact and were included.

However, it is dazzlingly filmed in CinemaScope and costumes and sets are very lavish. While there isn't a hit or timeless classic among the songs, they are still very pleasant to listen to and there isn't a bad egg among them at the same time. Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly direct with an assured touch and avoid being too overblown or heavy, while the clever and sardonic satirical wit, in its poking fun at television, advertising and sports, contrasts well with the darker and more cynical edge 'It's Always Fair Weather' has.

Kidd aside, the cast are great, Kelly is charismatic, Dan Daily shines in his scene-stealing drunk dance, Cyd Charisse dazzles with her dancing (and legs) and Delores Gray is a sheer delight with the best singing voice out of everybody.

What really captivates here, as aforementioned, are the dance sequences and the dancing. Kelly's roller skate dance in "I Like Myself" has been described as his last truly great solo dance number and it is easy to understand why, he makes something that is so difficult to do, almost impossible, and intimidating, look so easy and while the dance is closely indebted to the routine in 'Shall We Dance' Kelly's is perhaps done with more abandon and more daring. The number with the bin lids is also incredibly clever, while "Baby You Knock Me Out" and "Thanks a Lot But No Thanks" showcase Charisse and Gray's talents to show-stopping effect.

In conclusion, a good if uneven film worth seeing for the spectacular dance scenes. 7/10 Bethany Cox