ABSTRACT
The love story concerns Astaire and his ballerina partner in the show, played by Cyd Charisse. Wary of each other at the beginning, they gradually become attracted, and finally sink into a clinch at the end. In some respects it's unfortunate that the love story must be given subplot status, for the problems that beset the Astaire-Charisse romance are interesting and have considerable potential for development. The two are kept apart not by contrived plot devices like mistaken identity but for reasons that derive directly from fundamental plot premises: self-consciousness about the differences in their ages (Astaire was fifty-four in 1953, Charisse thirty) and about their different backgrounds (the high art world of ballet, the lowly world of tap). In addition, Charisse is already 'taken' - she is the girlfriend of the show's choreographer, played by James Mitchell.
