Royal Wedding

 (1951)
Directed by Stanley Donen
Written by Alan Jay Lerner
Starring Fred Astaire, Jane Powell, Peter Lawford, Sarah Churchill, Keenan Wynn
IMDB Entry 

Some movies are known only for one classic scene. The most obvious is Five Easy Pieces, for Jack Nicholson ordering in a diner: that's been shown often, but far fewer people have seen the entire movie. Another example is Royal Wedding. 

Tom (Fred Astaire) and Ellen (Jane Powell) Bowen are Broadway stars who take their show to London around the time when Elizabeth marries Prince Phillip. On the voyage over, Ellen falls for Lord John Brindale (Peter Lawford). Later, in the UK, Tom meets Anne Ashmond (Sarah Churchill) and falls for her. Complications ensue:  Brindale, despite being a lord, is a playboy who's unwilling to settle down, and has very little money. Anne is engaged to be married to a man who has moved to the US, but still keeps up the long distance relationship.

This is a romantic comedy and the story is a very slight one. It's sabotaged by having the romantic couples join up early on, which leaves little room for conflict. Lots of movie musicals used a similar plot, but in this it seems very tired.

But the movie achieved immortality due to Astaire's "Dancing on the Ceiling" routine, which shows up in any compilation of his work. It is still technically impressive today, and probably even more so when it first came out. This is also the movie where Astaire danced with a hat rack, and where he and Powell performed "How Could You Believe Me when I tell You that I Loved You when you Know I've been a Liar All My Life?"  There's also the technical challenge of "Open Your Eyes," where Astaire and Powel dance on the ship as it goes through a storm. Its rocking causes them to slip and fall, and musical instruments to roll behind them.

Astaire is Astaire, performing his usual light romantic comedy to perfection. Powell is also quite good.* Lawford is a bit too stiff as a romantic lead, but manages all right.

Sarah Churchill was primarily a stage actress and doesn't have much chemistry with Astaire. She is the daughter of Winston Churchill and was successful at that despite having a British national hero as a father.

Also of note is Keenan Wynn as their American theatrical agent, Irving Klinger, and his English twin brother agent, Edgar Klinger.

Alan Jay Lerner wrote the script and lyrics. He did better when he joined with Fredric Lowe a couple of years later.

The movie had a difficult production history. June Allyson was first hired to play opposite Astaire,  under the direction of Charles Walters. Allyson got pregnant and Judy Garland was tapped for the role. Garland was in a troubled state of mind and missed rehearsals until she was fired and replaced by Powell. Walters left at about this time (possibly due to Garland's firing) and Stanley Donen took over.**

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*It's interesting that her character dates several different men, sometimes going from one to another an back in a few days, much like Lawford's character going through women,  The the movie's credit, this is treated lightheartedly, with no shame attached.

*Donen directed Singin' in the Rain the next year.