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DVD Shall We Dance
The chemistry between Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers was still going strong in their seventh spin around the dance floor, Shall We Dance? And this time--amidst the usual improbable plot confusions and on-again, off-again flirting between the two--they were backed up by a song score provided by the matchless George and Ira Gershwin. Among the highlights are "They All Laughed," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," and the Oscar-nominated "They Can't Take That Away from Me." Director Mark Sandrich, the most frequent helmer of the Astaire-Rogers pictures (including Top Hat), creates a gleaming showcase for his stars. He also brings back two devilish character actors, Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore, to repeat their support from previous outings. Ginger is kicky and fun; she was one of the few partners who didn't look intimidated onscreen by Astaire's incomparable dancing skills. Fred is in great form himself--so good you almost believe it when he pretends to be a Russian. --Robert Horton
The beloved "Shall We Dance" was the only Fred and Ginger film with songs from George and Ira Gershwin, and they were splendid. Songs like "They Can't Take That Away From Me" made for great entertainment when coupled with the opulent RKO sets in this Pandro S. Berman production. The lively tale of mix-ups and misunderstandings was from a screenplay by Allan Scott and Ernest Pagno, based on an adaptation by P.J. Wolfson of a story by Lee Loeb and Harold Buchman. Ginger's gowns by Irene were fabulous as always and Mark Sandrich once again took the helm.
On his stay in Paris, Pete (Fred Astaire), a famous ballet dancer also known as Petrov, wants to meet musical comedy star Linda Keene (Ginger Rogers), and in fact, would like to marry her! Pete and his pal Jeffrey (Edward Everett Horton) discover she's sailing on the S.S. Queen Anne and follow her. Pete uses a fake accent for a short time but is eventually found out, and finds out that dogs are the way to a girl's heart.
A wild story Jeffery told Lady Tarrington (Ketti Gallian) in Paris comes back to haunt Pete, as suddenly everyone on the cruise thinks he and Linda have been secretly married, and are going to have a baby! It's a bit much for Linda, who has sworn off reporters, and they decide to really get married, so they can get divorced. But it's too late for Linda, as she has fallen in love with the pursuing Pete, and there is a sadness as Pete sings "They Can't Take That Away From Me" on a ferry to Manhattan after it's all done. The tune was nominated as Best Song but lost the Oscar to "Sweet Leilani" from "Waikiki Wedding."
Hilarious moments in the film include Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore in a "hushing" duel with ballet patrons, Horton and Jerome Cowan getting tight, with Horton getting ill afterward, and Fred convincing Horton that he's seasick, even though the water is perfectly calm. Blore ends up in jail for the second time in one of the couple's pictures and is once again a riot.
Ginger sings "They All Laughed" and she and Fred share a lovely dance that culminates with a smile, as the couple sit on a piano. A fun and famous scene has them on skates in the park, dancing to "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off." Fred's character Pete wants to dance with Linda all his life, but what's he to do when she won't consider it? Dance with images of her, that's what. A charming conclusion has Linda joining the other girls, but Pete can't figure out which is the real Linda. Will Linda say yes to Pete? If you are a fan of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers you know the answer to that one!
Devoted fans of one of the most fondly remembered couples in screen history might be shocked to learn that during production, there were plans for this to be their final film. "Swing Time," their previous entry, now widely regarded by film historians, along with "Top Hat," as the zenith of their films together, had done huge box office business in large cities upon its initial release. But that business had quickly subsided and there were those at RKO who felt they had gone to the well once too often.
Fortunately for us, that theory was squashed, and we got to see the hilarious "Carefree" and the tender "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" before the couple said farewell. Again, fortunately, we don't have to say farewell, only "see you later," because we now have the ability to watch these wonderful films at home whenever we want. "Shall We Dance" is a charming reminder of a magic that passed this way only once, and something you'll want to capture forever by picking up a copy today.
Shall We Laugh?
This film is primarily a screwball comedy with dance and song numbers thrown in for good measure. The story concerns a ballet star(Fred Astaire) and a stage performer(Ginger Rogers) who may or may not be married depending on whom you ask. Given the celebrity of the two parties involved hijinks and scandal ensue. Both Fred and Ginger are in top comic form with their verbal sparring. Need we redundantly state that they dance together exquisitely. Good supporting cast includes the perpetually nervous Edward Everett Horton, the droll Eric Blore, and Jerome Cowan("The Maltese Falcon"). Good score by the Gershwin brothers. You do not hear much about this film in the annals of screwball comedy probably because the principals are known primarily for their dancing. Check this film out if you want to see a first rate comedy.
Let's Get to the Dancing! (DVD Review)
When you watch a Fred and Ginger (F&G) movie you expect to see the two of them to dance together. In their seventh film together, Shall We Dance, you don't see their first dance routine until literally half way through the film (unless you count walking the dog as a dance). The way Harriet Hoctor bends backwards in the final dance number is incredible. Her body must be made of rubber. She's probably a better dancer than Ginger, but because she does not speak or act, we don't appreciate her as much.
As the title suggests, the featurette "They Can't Take That Away from Me: The Music of Shall We Dance" emphasizes the songs in the movie. There is some good information on the composers, George and Ira Gershwin. Did you know that the origin of the song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is based on how F&G pronounced certain words? It includes interviews with Ava Astaire McKenzie (daughter), archivists, and biographers with a mix of F&G photographs and film clips. (Run time 15:41)
In the musical short "Sheik to Sheik" a radio salesman is knocked unconscious by a golf ball and dreams of selling radios to the Foreign Legion and to the Arabs in the desert. The singing duet is quality. No F&G but it has a good plot and is humorous. (B&W, 1936, Run time: 21:28)
In the old Merrie Melodies cartoon "Toy Town Hall" the toys in a child's room come to life and perform. (1936, Run time: 6:31)
If you only had one Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers film to watch, this classic musical from 1936 would be your best bet. It was the dance duo's sixth film together, and director George Stevens handled the material with as much flair behind the camera as Fred and Ginger displayed in front of it. This time out, Fred plays a gambling hoofer who's engaged to marry a young socialite (Betty Furness), but when he's late for the wedding his prospective father-in-law sends him away, demanding that he earn $25,000 before he can earn his daughter's hand in marriage. When Fred meets Ginger in a local dance studio (where he pretends to be a klutz so she can be his instructor), he's instantly smitten and the $25,000 deal becomes a moot point. Featuring six songs by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields (including... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Fred Astaire - Ginger Rogers Director(s): George Stevens DVD Release Date: Released the 16 August 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Even the best Fred and Ginger musicals are merely lavish excuses for some of the most elegant dancing ever put on screen, and Top Hat is no exception. The story is a silly but timeless tale of mistaken identity that compounds itself to extremes. Fred Astaire is the famous American hoofer Jerry Travers, in London preparing for a new show with his befuddled producer Horace Hardwick (the always entertaining Edward Everett Horton) when he falls for Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers), a lovely, wisecracking American girl as light on her feet as Jerry. Dale believes Jerry to be Horace, the husband of her best friend Madge (Helen Broderick) and rebuffs his advances by marrying her dressmaker Alberto (Erik Rhodes), but in the best tradition of musical comedy, true love finds its own way.... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Fred Astaire - Ginger Rogers Director(s): Mark Sandrich DVD Release Date: Released the 16 August 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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The MGM reunion of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, 10 years after their last RKO picture, happened by accident. The Barkleys of Broadway was meant to pair Astaire with Judy Garland as a follow-up to their 1948 hit Easter Parade. Garland, however, had to drop out due to health problems and was replaced by Ginger, who had gone on to a successful career in nonmusical drama and comedy. As it turned out, the plot probably suited Ginger better than it did Garland. Josh and Dinah Barkley are a veteran song-and-dance couple whose routine bickering turns into a complete breakup when Dinah decides she hasn't received enough credit for her talent and leaves Josh to take a straight dramatic role as Sarah Bernhardt. Fred and Ginger are as charming and comfortable together as a veteran... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Fred Astaire - Ginger Rogers Director(s): Charles Walters DVD Release Date: Released the 16 August 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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