Daddy Long Legs

Inert and lengthy version of the old chestnut. The musical numbers, rather than lightening the vehicle, tend to weigh it down. Jean Negulesco helmed this fourth version of Jean Webster's tale about a love affair that has everything going against it but eventually flourishes anyway. Caron is the waif in an orphanage; Astaire is the playboy who finances her from afar. Unless you've been under a rock, you know this means love. Johnny Mercer, writing both music and lyrics for one of the few times in his life, received an Oscar nomination for "Something's Gotta Give," which remains a standard; it's the only foolproof number in the score. Other tunes serve as almost adeq...