‘Let’s Dance’ (1950) Blu-Ray Review – Betty Hutton & Fred Astaire Shine In Effervescent Musical

The great Fred Astaire (Blue Skies) puts on his dancing shoes and says Let’s Dance to ebullient Betty Hutton (The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek) in this Technicolor treat from the Golden Age of the Hollywood musical. Hutton plays a war widow who, with the help of her song-and-dance partner Astaire, fights a desperate legal battle to gain custody of her son. Mirthful musical numbers highlight the heartwarming story, including “Oh, Them Dudes,” a wildly comic western spoof that has Astaire swap his top hat and tails for dusty cowboy duds. Then he tops it with “Piano Dance,” dancing on, under, around and in a piano to create one of his most celebrated routines. From the gifted Norman Z. McLeod, director of It’s a Gift, Topper, Road to Rio and The Paleface, Let’s Dance is the most dazzling, toe-tapping musical romp of 1950!

For thoughts on Let’s Dance, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

[youtube https://youtu.be/T7jBM3kHH9s?si=8Awl6lNmHOAqP7AN&t=2507]

Video Quality

Kino Classics presents Let’s Dance with a nice HD upgrade in the form of a new 1080p transfer in 1.37:1 sourced from a 2019 HD master from Paramount which looks very good. The film delivers a gorgeous Technicolor presentation that may not align as precisely as certain other labels, but it holds its own. The transfer is replete with rich hues within the costumes and elements of the production design that make an impression with favorable saturation. 

Skin tones appear to be natural, and the presentation offers up some mostly deep black levels that never veer into crush. The increase in fine detail is at the forefront with unique facets showing up. There does not appear to have been any unwanted digital manipulation of the source. The transfer provides consistent natural film grain absent of any compression artifacts or other such digital anomalies. The film features very little in the way of damage or dirt, but there are intermittent specks throughout and fleeting fluctuations in density. Kino Classics has done nice work here. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a lovely DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that translates this material carefully. This disc retains a robust sense of fidelity that is appreciated during the busy dance numbers. The vibrancy and clarity of the tunes enhance the narrative nicely. Despite the strength of this element, nothing ever overshadows the witty dialogue or other important information. The environmental elements such as the chatter of the club patrons or automobiles come through well. All of the sound effects and the music appear to be faithful to the original intentions. Dialogue comes through clearly without any signs of sibilance, and it remains in harmony with all competing elements. This track shows no major instances of age-related wear and tear such as hissing, drop-outs, or popping. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Film Critic/Historian Lee Gambin provides a very informative commentary track in which he discusses the state of musicals at the time of the film’s release, the background of the performers, the themes of the film, the background of the production, and much more that is well worth a listen. 

• Trailers: There is a two-and-a-half-minute trailer provided for Let’s Dance. There are also trailers provided for Daddy Long Legs, Has Anybody Seen My Gal, Flower Drum Song, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Change of Habit, Sweet Charity, and The Paleface.  

Final Thoughts

Let’s Dance is a somewhat middle-of-the-road musical comedy that stays notable thanks to the dynamic performances from Betty Hutton and Fred Astaire. Hutton especially draws you in from the first manic number and keeps things rolling until the last note. Astaire somewhat shows his age, but he is still a commanding presence on screen. The romance at the center of the story does not work, especially with the stark age difference, but the comedy is quite amusing. Not the best from anyone involved, but a good viewing experience. Kino Classics has provided a new Blu-Ray featuring a nice A/V presentation and a welcome commentary track. If you are a fan of the performers or the genre, this is a pleasant viewing experience. Recommended 

Let’s Dance is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.  

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.