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Cover Girl (1944 film)

Cover Girl
Covergirlmp.jpg
theatrical release poster
Directed by Charles Vidor
Produced by Arthur Schwartz
Written by Story:
Erwin S. Gelsey
Adaptation:
Marion Parsonnet
Paul Gangelin
Screenplay:
Virginia Van Upp
Uncredited:
John H. Kafkr
Starring Rita Hayworth
Gene Kelly
Music by Score:
Saul Chaplin
Morris Stoloff
Songs-Music:
Jerome Kern
Henry E. Pether
Songs-Lyrics
Ira Gershwin
E.Y. Harburg
Fred W. Leigh
Cinematography Allen M. Davey
Rudolph Maté
Edited by Viola Lawrence
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • March 20, 1944 (1944-03-20)
Running time
107 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Cover Girl is a 1944 American Technicolor musical film starring Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly. The film tells the story of a chorus girl given a chance at stardom when she is offered an opportunity to be a highly paid cover girl. The film was directed by Charles Vidor, and was one of the most popular musicals of the war years.

Primarily a showcase for Rita Hayworth, the film has lavish modern and 1890s' costumes, eight dance routines for Hayworth, and songs by Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin, including the classic "Long Ago (and Far Away)".

Rusty (Rita Hayworth), a chorus girl working at a nightclub run by her boyfriend Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly), is given a chance for stardom by the wealthy magazine editor John Coudair (Otto Kruger), who years earlier had been in love with her grandmother, Maribelle Hicks. Offered an opportunity to be a highly paid cover girl, Rusty would faithfully remain with her nightclub act if only Danny would ask her. He doesn't want to stand in her way, so he picks an argument to send her packing. Rusty becomes a star on Broadway after appearing in a musical produced by Coudair's wealthy friend, Noel Wheaton (Lee Bowman), and decides to get married to Wheaton. At the last second she leaves the wedding and reunites with Danny.

Cast notes

Cover Girl marked the first film collaboration of Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin.

Columbia Pictures originally wanted to use Warner Bros. star Dennis Morgan for Cover Girl, but when Kelly's project at MGM, Dragon Seed, was postponed, MGM extended their loan of Kelly to Columbia, allowing this film to be made with him. Columbia's production head, Harry Cohn, was initially opposed to having Kelly do the film, but producer Schwartz nevertheless obtained him, promising Kelly that he would be able to choreograph, which MGM had not allowed him to do.


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