One hot summer night I have stumbled upon Daddy Long Legs when it was being broadcast on the TV; funnily enough I've started watching since 10-minute mark and sadly missed one of the greatest character introductions in movie history. This wonderful musical tells a story of a millionaire who "adopts" an 18-year-old orphan girl from France so that she could come to America and study while he remains in the shadow as her guardian. Fred Astaire is phenomenal in this role and despite the loss of his wife in the midst of shooting the movie he played absolutely stupendously, and his rendition of "Something's gotta give" is among the best ones for sure. Leslie Caron is on the other hand a bit stiff in her role but she makes it all up with her outstanding dance and ballet performances; in fact all of the numbers (which were choreographed partially by Astaire himself) deserve an extra round of applause. The only thing I can charge the movie with is that by second half the plot gets fairly unrealistic and overall too safe while not losing the good sense of humor along the way.
Review of Daddy Long Legs
