Tonight's Movie: Shall We Dance (1937)
The films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were some of my very earliest classic film experiences, first on local television and then in Los Angeles revival theaters. Growing up I was very fortunate to see a majority of the 10 Astaire-Rogers films on a big screen.Needless to say, their movies have always been very special to me, but because I saw them so many times I've focused on other films in recent years which are new to me.
Happily I've been returning to these films over the last couple of years, beginning with the Criterion Collection Blu-ray release of SWING TIME (1936).
Next came last summer's drive-in showing of FLYING DOWN TO RIO (1933) -- which was apparently the one Fred and Ginger film I missed growing up! -- and then THE GAY DIVORCEE (1934) at the TCM Classic Film Festival in April.
SHALL WE DANCE, like the following year's CAREFREE (1938), ranks at the top end of my favorite Fred and Ginger films. I love them all, of course, but I find the late '30s screwball comedy sensibility of this pair of films particularly appealing.
SHALL WE DANCE runs a tad long at 109 minutes, but other than than it's absolute perfection, from the great Gershwins score to the fabulous Art Deco sets to the rib-tickling performances of the great cast. Eric Blore, Edward Everett Horton, and Jerome Cowan are all delightfully funny in the primary supporting roles.
Pete and Linda are attracted to one another, but their burgeoning romance keeps running into complications. Eventually, with the whole world believing they're secretly married -- it's a long story -- the pair decide to actually get married just so they can divorce!
Then, of course, they're not sure they want to divorce after all...though it takes a while to get to the happy ending.
The marvelous songs include "Slap That Bass," which Astaire dances to in the ship's engine room, and "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," performed by the pair on roller skates. Other songs include great tunes like "They All Laughed" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me"; the latter song also turned up in the duo's final film, THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY (1949), a dozen years later.
SHALL WE DANCE was directed by Mark Sandrich and filmed in black and white by David Abel.
SHALL WE DANCE is available on a single-title DVD, as part of a four-film Astaire-Rogers Collection from TCM, and on VHS.
posted by Laura @ 4:00 PM
3 Comments:
Nobody danced quite like Fred Astaire - the athleticism alone is staggering but he was a perfectionist, very demanding, especially from himself. The pairing with Ginger was somehow the perfect combination. And the music.....some of the best ever written IMHO.
I heard a quote recently that Astaire and Leslie Howard were the two nicest people to work with, always polite, always considerate. Somehow that doesn't surprise me.
I’m humming ‘Slap that Bass’ as I type this. Loved your review. Those fabulous Gershwin songs. Fred and Ginger really had the pick of the foremost songwriters in America.
Thank you so much for your comments, Jerry and Vienna! It's truly remarkable how everything came together in these films, from the leads to the music and more.
That's very interesting insight on the nice actors, Jerry. I've heard multiple positive stories about Leslie Howard recently. Makes his early passing during the war all the sadder.
Best wishes,
Laura
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