Cover Girl, 1944

Gene Kelly plays a night club owner in the theater where Rita Hayworth, who plays Rusty Parker, dances. She’s also his girlfriend. When she finds out that a major magazine is looking for a fresh face for their new cover girl, she applies for the job. She feels a little outnumbered when she sees the many beautiful ladies applying for the same job. When the publisher of the magazine sees her face, he remembers a very similar face from his younger years. He knew the girl’s grandmother.

Rusty Parker gets the job, and overnight, her face becomes famous. The owner of a Broadway theater tries to convince her to leave her old night club for a place on his stage. The new opportunity meant better costumes, more money, bigger stage, and a much different crowd. She wasn’t easily convinced, even though he sent flowers to her night club. He sent so many flowers, they weren’t romantic, but rather a nuisance.

This film stands out as the perfect place for Gene Kelly to dance outside on a sidewalk with his own reflection.

Some of the gowns were designed by Travis Banton, who also designed costumes for Carole Lombard in No Man of Her Own. Banton was one of three costume designers for this movie. Because of the rare opportunity to dress the many standout beauties in a variety of styles for magazine covers, they needed three experienced designers.