I've never considered this one of the top film musicals of its period but not for the reasons usually given. As is well known, there was some thought given to shooting the film on location in Scotland but the studio had to settle for shooting it on a sound stage with painted backdrops. Considering the supernatural background of the story, I'm not sure that a more naturalistic setting would have improved it any.
But the casting!!! Gene Kelly was a dancer and not a major vocalist and to some extent the songs suffer. Cyd Charisse was miscast as Fiona Campbell (originally McLaren; why did they change it?) and here can't muster enough acting ability to add anything to her character. (Her singing, as always, is dubbed.) At the end of the film, they are both reduced to dancers posturing (almost as in curtain calls.) rather than any real emotion. And I just find Van Johnson's character to be relentlessly negative and unpleasant, a major sourpuss in fact! (Oscar Levant pulled this type of character off rather more successfully, perhaps because one could understand where he was coming from. Not that I'd recommend casting him here!)
The heart of the film though is the dancing, usually male. In the "Go Home With Bonny Jean" number, Jimmy Thompson shows off his dancing as well as his high notes. I'm not sure how it was done on stage but I thought having Gene and Van join them in this number was overkill though effective enough. The use of the fifes and the parallel 5ths in the winds was also very effective and similar exotic effects were used elsewhere. But I thought the tartan tights for some of the men were probably anachronistic and looked to me more than a little silly.
In the Gathering of the Clans-Wedding Dance numbers there was a similar skirling of the bagpipes with drums early and fifes later on, again very effective. I can understand why his Sword-Dance was cut as being too similar but since Hugh Laing (Harry Beaton) was a notable dancer with the American Ballet Theater, there seemed little reason to cast him in the first place if he didn't dance.
This number is included in the extras as well as "Come to Me, Bend to Me" sung by Jimmy Thompson and "From This Day on" and the audio only of "There but for You Go I".
A very interesting DVD for many reasons but a not-successful filming of a major stage musical.
But the casting!!! Gene Kelly was a dancer and not a major vocalist and to some extent the songs suffer. Cyd Charisse was miscast as Fiona Campbell (originally McLaren; why did they change it?) and here can't muster enough acting ability to add anything to her character. (Her singing, as always, is dubbed.) At the end of the film, they are both reduced to dancers posturing (almost as in curtain calls.) rather than any real emotion. And I just find Van Johnson's character to be relentlessly negative and unpleasant, a major sourpuss in fact! (Oscar Levant pulled this type of character off rather more successfully, perhaps because one could understand where he was coming from. Not that I'd recommend casting him here!)
The heart of the film though is the dancing, usually male. In the "Go Home With Bonny Jean" number, Jimmy Thompson shows off his dancing as well as his high notes. I'm not sure how it was done on stage but I thought having Gene and Van join them in this number was overkill though effective enough. The use of the fifes and the parallel 5ths in the winds was also very effective and similar exotic effects were used elsewhere. But I thought the tartan tights for some of the men were probably anachronistic and looked to me more than a little silly.
In the Gathering of the Clans-Wedding Dance numbers there was a similar skirling of the bagpipes with drums early and fifes later on, again very effective. I can understand why his Sword-Dance was cut as being too similar but since Hugh Laing (Harry Beaton) was a notable dancer with the American Ballet Theater, there seemed little reason to cast him in the first place if he didn't dance.
This number is included in the extras as well as "Come to Me, Bend to Me" sung by Jimmy Thompson and "From This Day on" and the audio only of "There but for You Go I".
A very interesting DVD for many reasons but a not-successful filming of a major stage musical.