When washerwoman Jeannie MacLean (Vera-Ellen) suddenly comes into some money, she immediately declares "you're only young once" and leaves her Vermont hometown for a fabulous trip to Scotland, where, unbeknownst to her, a continental romance -- and all its ensuing complications -- awaits. In this, her final movie shot on location in Scotland, Vera-Ellen gets to show off the intuitive dance intelligence she brought to musicals like On the Town (1949) with Gene Kelly and Three Little Words (1950) with Fred Astaire. Whether she's celebrating her new adventure with a raucous game of make believe while surrounded by children, or skipping giddily around a luxurious hotel room in her pajamas, the former Rockette's alert and lithe presence proves how she was one of the underrated dance stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals. While her post-retirement years were full of private pain (anorexia, arthritis, and withdrawal from the public after the premature death of her infant daughter), in Let's Be Happy the skill and precision of her dancing lets us believe she's happy -- and it's impossible not to share in her joy.

By Violet LeVoit