Invitation to the Dance
- 1956
- 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
Three different stories are told through a notably unusual way - no words, just dance.Three different stories are told through a notably unusual way - no words, just dance.Three different stories are told through a notably unusual way - no words, just dance.
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination
Luigi Faccuito
- Specialty Dancer
- (uncredited)
Diki Lerner
- Thief in 'Sinbad the Sailor'
- (uncredited)
Paddy Stone
- Speciality Dancer
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Gene Kelly
- Joseph Barbera(animation sequences) (uncredited)
- William Hanna(animation sequences) (uncredited)
- Writer
- Gene Kelly(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaGene Kelly's original intention was to make a film that would educate mainstream audiences about professional dancing in the world. To this end, he wanted to cast the greatest dancers in Europe for the four segments in leading roles. He himself would appear in only one - the Popular Song sequence, which ended up being cut. MGM, however, refused to allow the picture unless he appeared in all of them. Many of the professionals who worked in the film agreed that this was one of the film's great weaknesses.
- GoofsDuring the "Scheherazade" sequence, the color of the palace guard's costume changes from green to blue.
- ConnectionsEdited into American Masters: Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer (2002)
- SoundtracksCircus
Music by Jacques Ibert
Performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by John Hollingsworth
Danced by Gene Kelly, Igor Youskevitch and Claire Sombert
Featured review
Kelly's Dream Project
This is the result of many years of effort on the part of Gene Kelly to create an all-dance film. Since he was a major-studio rather than an indie production child, Kelly convinced his home studio, MGM, to finally take on the project.
The final results, unfortunately, are mixed. The movie is simply average, with long stretches of off-timed and miscalculated action and uninspired choreography. Were Kelly to have collaborated in the writing, choreographing and direction departments, rather than taking everything on himself, things might have gone better.
The project was simply too great a task for Kelly; with other imput he might have made a film with greater perspective and flair. The story in "Circus" is only fair, and there's more pantomime than dancing for Kelly as Pierrot. Unfortantely, Jacques Ibert's music doesn't help either.
"Ring Around the Rosy" suffers from disjointed continuity, with awkward bridges and motivations. Too, the fine Tamara Toumanova as the Streetwalker provides a clash of styles when paired with Kelly as the Marine. Physically, their types don't match well, try as they will. Nor was this Andre Previn's finest compositional hour.
Finally, Roger Eden's adaptation of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's score for "Sinbad the Sailor" makes for the most effective music in the film. Kelly at last gets to display his distinctive dancing manner, and does some impressive work (at age 44) in the interesting cartoon sequences.
It's not Kelly at his best, though, and "Inviation to the Dance" remains an interesting curio, earnest on effort and short on realization. Both dance fans in general and Kelly fans in particular will value this video in their collectiona.
The final results, unfortunately, are mixed. The movie is simply average, with long stretches of off-timed and miscalculated action and uninspired choreography. Were Kelly to have collaborated in the writing, choreographing and direction departments, rather than taking everything on himself, things might have gone better.
The project was simply too great a task for Kelly; with other imput he might have made a film with greater perspective and flair. The story in "Circus" is only fair, and there's more pantomime than dancing for Kelly as Pierrot. Unfortantely, Jacques Ibert's music doesn't help either.
"Ring Around the Rosy" suffers from disjointed continuity, with awkward bridges and motivations. Too, the fine Tamara Toumanova as the Streetwalker provides a clash of styles when paired with Kelly as the Marine. Physically, their types don't match well, try as they will. Nor was this Andre Previn's finest compositional hour.
Finally, Roger Eden's adaptation of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's score for "Sinbad the Sailor" makes for the most effective music in the film. Kelly at last gets to display his distinctive dancing manner, and does some impressive work (at age 44) in the interesting cartoon sequences.
It's not Kelly at his best, though, and "Inviation to the Dance" remains an interesting curio, earnest on effort and short on realization. Both dance fans in general and Kelly fans in particular will value this video in their collectiona.
helpful•325
- harry-76
- Sep 6, 2001
- How long is Invitation to the Dance?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $1,500,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 33 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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By what name was Invitation to the Dance (1956) officially released in India in English?
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