Invitation To The Dance (1956)

Sans dialogue, three short stories told in mime and dance choreographed and directed by Gene Kelly. CIRCUS, with music by Jacques Ibert, has a clown (Kelly) secretly in love with a bareback rider (Claire Sombert) who loves a high wire walker (Igor Youskevitch). Depending on your tolerance for mimes and clowns, both of which I have an aversion to, one might enjoy this but I found it insufferable. RING AROUND THE ROSY is a roundelay with a bracelet that goes from lover to lover to lover until it ends up with its original owner. Andre Previn did the music for this one and it's the best of the three. In addition to Kelly and Youskevitch, it features Tamara Toumanova (TORN CURTAIN), Tommy Rall (KISS ME KATE) and Belita. The third, SINBAD THE SAILOR, danced to Rimsky-Korsakov, is partially animated and features Carol Haney. Outside of an amusing dance with Kelly and an animated lady dragon, it's pretty tedious. I'm all for encouraging dance on film but for a movie about dance, there's simply not enough dancing. A lot of movement yes, but not dancing. Apparently it was filmed in 1952 but not completely finished until four years later. It's a pity it isn't better because it's clearly a labor of love for Kelly. But it lacks imagination and passion.