Invitation to the Dance (1956)
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Synopsis of Invitation to the Dance
MGM's Invitation to the Dance was the fruition of Gene Kelly's long-standing dream to create a plotless "concert" feature. Eschewing dialogue, Kelly tells three stories entirely through the medium of dance. The first sequence is a mime-like Pagliacci story, with Kelly as the Clown and Igor Youskevitch and Claire Sombert as the Lovers. The second vignette, "Ring Around the Rosy," tells the story of a bracelet as it is passed from owner to owner. The best is saved till last: "Sinbad the Sailor," wherein Kelly shares screen time with a plethora of animated cartoon characters, courtesy of MGM house cartoonists William Hanna and Joe Barbera. Carol Haney appears briefly as Scheherezade, and also posed for the writhing cartoon serpent. Considered totally unsellable by the MGM higher-ups, Invitation to the Dance was shelved upon its completion in 1952, and didn't see the light of day for nearly four years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Complete Cast of Invitation to the Dance
- Gene Kelly - The Clown
- Claire Sombert - The Loved
- David Kasday - The Genie [Sinbad The Sailor]
- Tamara Toumanova - The Girl
- Diana Adams - Hat Check Girl [Ring Around The Rosy]
- Daphne Dale - The Wife [Ring Around The Rosy]
- Gene Kelly - Sinbad
- Sigurdur Sverrir Palsson - The Husand
- Igor Youskevitch - The Lover
- Carol Haney - Scheherazade [Sinbad The Sailor]
- Tommy Rall - Flashy Boyfriend
- Claude Bessy - The Model [Ring Around The Rosy]
- Belita - Femme Fatale
- Irving Davies - The Crooner [Ring Around The Rosy]
- Gene Kelly - The Marine
- Director(s):
- Gene Kelly
- Writer(s):
- Gene Kelly
- Producer(s):
- Arthur Freed
- 1956 - Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear
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