You'll Never Get Rich (1941)
Directed by Sidney Lanfield

Film Review

The film that transformed Rita Hayworth from a minor contract player to a major Hollywood star sees her partnered with another screen legend, Fred Astaire.  Since splitting with Ginger Rogers, Astaire's career was beginning to decline and he was reluctant to work with Hayworth, on account of her inexperience and height.  As it turned out, the sensual Hayworth and the debonnaire Astaire appeared to be made for one another, as their impeccable dance routines together testify.

Whilst not the best film for either star, You'll Never Get Rich is great fun, buoyed up by some uplifting Cole Porter numbers and stunning dance routines.  The plot is admittedly something of a dog's breakfast but at least there is plenty of decent comedy to compensate for that and, overall, the film is an enjoyable romp.  And if you are still wondering where the film gets its title from, recall the old army song: You're in the Army now. You're in the Army now.  You'll never get rich, by diggin' a ditch. You're in the Army now.  Astaire and Hayworth would appear together in You Were Never Lovelier (1942).

Film Synopsis

Martin Courtland is a womanising theatrical producer on Broadway whose latest fancy is one of the dancers in his company, Sheila Winthrop.  To show his interest, Martin offers Sheila an expensive bracelet, but in doing so he incurs the wrath of his wife Julia, who by now has had enough of his philandering exploits.  To save his marriage and his fortune, Martin sees only one way out - to admit to his wife that the damning bracelet was a gift from Bob Curtis, his choreographier and dancer.  Unfortunately, Sheila already has an admirer, in army captain Tom Barton.  To extricate himself from this muddle, Bob enlists in the army, but merely ends up becoming further entangled in his friend's lies when Martin turns up at his base and enlists his help in putting on a show for the troops...