As a Pygmalion riff, Easter Parade has the advantage of Fred Astaire and Judy Garland in the lead roles, Irving Berlin numbers throughout, and hats upon hats upon hats, some of which should qualify as supporting characters themselves. If it’s hard to get on board with the inevitable romance between Astaire and Garland (Peter Lawford is the real romantic catch here), their chemistry as song-and-dance partners is a delight. Garland, with impeccable timing and an expressively comic face, is especially good in the early scenes, where her Hannah Brown stumbles under the tutorship of Astaire’s accomplished Don Hewes. Astaire, meanwhile, gets a bravura, solo drum-and-tap sequence in a toy store at the movie’s start, then serves as the subject for some psychedelic experimentation by director Charles Walters. (There’s a trippy routine where Astaire tap dances in slow motion in the foreground while the chorus dances at regular speed behind him.) Berlin’s wonderful “It Only Happens When I Dance With You” makes three appearances, each time given a different emotional tenor and resonance. The number is exquisitely adorned and confidently worn; in a sense, it’s the movie’s most elegant hat.
