Swing Time

There's something special about all of the Astaire-Rogers movies, and "Swing Time" is no exception. Directed by George Stevens, it tells the story of a dancer and a gambler - not seen as much of a catch by his future father-in-law - who, after he misses his wedding, goes to New York. He promises his fiancée's father that he will return, solvent, and ask again for his daughter's hand in marriage. Once in New York, he falls for Ginger Rogers, who was never prettier than in this film. One thing leads to another, and the wind up as dance partners.

Eric Blore, Helen Broderick, and Victor Moore supply able support, and the film has a beautiful Jerome Kern score: "Pick Yourself Up," "The Way You Look Tonight," and "A Fine Romance" being a few of the numbers.

There are two knockout pieces in this film - Astaire's tribute to Bill "Bojangles" Robinson is one of the most stunning numbers Astaire ever did. He manages to wear blackface and not have it be offensive, as it's very light makeup to suggest his portrayal of Robinson. The number, with its accompanying huge dancing shadows, is magnificent. And the final number - "Never Gonna Dance" surely is one of their top dances ever, with that incredible deco set, the double curving stairways, and Ginger in that glorious dress.

It's hard to sum up how their dancing lifts you up and out of whatever ails you. Definitely their smoothness, footwork, chemistry, and glamor reach out to my soul every time I see them.

You heard me. Yes, in the beginning he's chasing her, but when he gives her the cold shoulder in order to avoid falling for her so he won't have to tell her about his fiance, she snuggles up to him (amid the loveliest scenery ever; snow). The two actually kiss-- you don't see it due to some clever directing and an opened door, but the evidence is all over Fred's face. Another great moment earlier in the movie (when he's still wooing her) is when he's singing The Way You Look Tonight and she comes out and puts her hand on his shoulder; he looks absolutely delirious. This is, in my humble opinion, the very best of the excellent Astaire-Ginger movies. Every move danced, ever note sang, every expression expressed in this masterpiece is flawless. It doesn't get any better than this. I see a lot of musicals and Swing Time will remain in my top five for years.

I agree that George Stevens contribution to Swing time is noteworthy however it is the brilliance of Jerome Kern that truly stands out from this production. Kern's beautiful melodies:- 'Pick Yourself Up', 'A Fine Romance' and the 'The Way You Look Tonight'had left an indelible effect on my conscience, because programmers had been clever enough to utilise their qualities in advertisements and TV sitcoms in the UK in the 70's & 80's. But when I learnt recently that these numbers all originated from the same production I was surprised.

I had the pleasure of seeing this picture for the first time over the Christmas holidays (2004) and was entranced by the execution of these compositions in their original form. Of course much of the credit goes to Dorothy Field's lyrics - perfectly delivered by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. No wonder Irving Berlin and George Gershwin also wrote for them. We should remember that Astaire the vocalist is the equal of Astaire the dancer! Notwithstanding Kerns's melodies - which like Mozart's piano concertos are pure and simple but undoubtedly the work of a master - it is also the sexual chemistry of Astaire and Rogers that is expertly conveyed by Stevens and far ahead of its time! Forget Mike Nichol's Closer (2004) it is George Steven's Swing Time (1936) which suggests the leading players and their companions have an interesting private life and are far nicer people than Closer's protagonists too!

An excellent feature in almost every respect, "Swing Time" is usually (and deservedly) considered to be, along with "Top Hat", the best of the series of Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire musicals. And while "Top Hat" is a well-crafted and enjoyable movie, "Swing Time" might be even better. The story is light but entertaining, and the singing and dancing sequences are not only first-class, but also contain quite a variety of material, making this an ideal showcase for the stars and their talents.

Fred and Ginger are joined by Helen Broderick, who fits in very well. Victor Moore has some good moments, although his character is a bit over-used, and ceases to be funny after a while. The four of them carry almost all of the load - Eric Blore and Betty Furness are in the cast, but they do not get a lot of screen time.

The story is not bad, but it is the musical numbers that make this so enjoyable. Practically all of them can be watched a number of times without becoming dull. The upbeat sequence in the dance studio, and the "A Fine Romance" song in the snow both show, in different ways, the two stars working together closely. Astaire's tribute to Bojangles is an impressive display of talent and choreography. Then there are the more thoughtful sequences between the two, which show yet another side of their talents.

If "Swing Time" had Edward Everett Horton back in the cast, instead of the Victor Moore character, this would easily be the best of all of the Astaire/Rogers musicals. Even as it is, it's awfully good.

'Swing Time (1936)' is typically held as one of the finest Fred Astaire and Gingers Rogers musicals, of which nine were made between 1933 and 1939 {' The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)' would follow a decade later}. Directed by George Stevens, the film abandons the often-silly mistaken identity subplots of previous films, and presents a more credible love story, supplemented by some of the most remarkable dance numbers I've yet had of enjoyment of seeing. Replete with the usual stock of enjoyable comedic actors, 'Swing Time' is a professionally-produced film, and Astaire and Rogers, as always, bounce off one another exceedingly well. Though the storyline isn't quite as entertaining as in 'Top Hat (1935)' or 'Shall We Dance (1937),' the picture relies purely on its terrific dance routines to elevate it to such a high status. Jerome Kern provided the film's music, and Dorothy Fields wrote the lyrics, including the Oscar-winning song, "The Way You Look Tonight."

John "Lucky" Garnett (Astaire) loves home-town sweetheart, Margaret (Betty Furness), and wants to marry her… or, at least, he thought he did. After the master-gambler moves to New York City to acquire a $25,000 dowry for the wedding, he comes upon beautiful dance instructor Penny Carroll (Rogers), immediately recognising that she is the woman for him. Wasting no time to consider the logic of his actions, Lucky signs up for dancing lessons, and his incredible "progress" leads the pair towards considerable success. A promising romance begins to bloom, but Lucky cannot bear to tell Penny that he's already engaged to marry another woman; at the same time, he deliberately resists achieving success in his gambling activities, lest he win enough money to return home to Margaret. Pop Cardetti (Victor Moore) and Mabel Anderson (Helen Broderick), knowing members of an older generation, stand around to witness the pair's irregular romance, and form a close friendship of their own, though everything is thrown into turmoil when sleazy musician Ricky Romero (Georges Metaxa) attempts to coax Penny from Lucky's grasp.

The absence of Edward Everett Horton unfortunately detracts from the effectiveness of the film's comedy, though Victor Moore provides an amusing substitute; his tone and mannerisms are so ridiculously adorable that he could accurately be described as a real-life Elmer Fudd. Jerome Kern's musical numbers vary from lighthearted tap dance numbers ("Pick Yourself Up") to sarcastic quicksteps ("A Fine Romance") to a virtuoso, emotion-filled ballroom routine ("Never Gonna Dance"), perhaps the most stirring performance that Astaire and Rogers ever did. There's a certain indescribable desperation to the way in which the two dancers leap and twirl across the dance floor, their movements escalating almost imperceptibly from an idle walk, and Rogers' long dress twists and turns in the air behind her. In Astaire's continual search for creative perfection, his routines were filmed, wherever possible, in a single take, and this particular number was attempted no less than forty-seven times. Also notable is Astaire's frenetic tribute to Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, performing in black-face against three tall synchronised shadows on the wall behind him.