It's Always Fair Weather (1955)

Three G.I.s (Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Michael Kidd), who have bonded during the war, return home from Europe at the end of WWII and vow to meet in ten years time. Ten years later, they meet up for a reunion but each finds that they've changed and can no longer relate to the other two. This bittersweet, cynicism drenched musical was originally intended to be a tart follow up to the more ebullient ON THE TOWN but somehow morphed into this wry, sardonic examination of broken dreams and selling out. Co-directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen, this is one of the great unsung musicals (though its reputation has blossomed in the ensuing years) of the 1950s. The songs by Andre Previn and lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green aren't particularly memorable or melodic outside the film but within the context of the film, they work marvelously. There are several musical standouts: the Kelly/Dailey/Kidd dance number with trash can lids is amazing, Kelly has a great dance solo on roller skates and Dolores Gray, in a scene stealing performance, hits it out of the ballpark with the witty Thanks A Lot But No Thanks! Donen and Kelly make excellent use of the CinemaScope format, using the wide screen to enhance the story rather than just filling the screen. With Cyd Charisse, Jay C. Flippen, David Burns, Hal March, Herb Vigran and Madge Blake.