Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are the perfect duo. They have instant likeability. They both light up the screen. Their chemistry together is magic in an effortless way. They both have great comedic timing. Oh yeah, and they dance better than any two people in the world.
John “Lucky” Garnett (Astaire) is a dancer and a gambler, whose current dance troupe doesn’t want him to get married and leave them. So they make him late for his wedding to rich girl, Margaret Watson (Betty Furness, MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION). Once Lucky arrives after all the guests have left, Margaret’s father Judge Watson (Landers Stevens, ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS) wants to throttle him at first, but consents to letting Lucky marry his daughter if the young man can go to the city and make $25,000.
So Lucky, along with dimwitted hustler Everett “Pops” Cardetti (Victor Moore, THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH), heads to the city. Soon Lucky meets dance instructor Penelope “Penny” Carroll (Rogers), who he gets fired and then rehired within moments. Their first dance number to show Penny’s boss, Gordon (Eric Blore, voice of Mr. Toad in THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD), how much she has taught Lucky is arguably the best in the film. It’s the most lively and ends on the perfect note.
The rest of the film is a very light and tight romantic comedy, which presents cocky bandleader Ricardo “Ricky” Romero (Georges Metaxa) as a competing love interest for Penny. The film really hits its stride when Lucky, Penny, Pops and Penny’s wisecracking friend Mabel Anderson (Helen Broderick, TOP HAT) go to a snowy weekend retreat. It sets up and reveals Lucky’s dilemma between Penny and his fiancée. The way the song “What A Fine Romance” starts with Penny and then flips to Lucky is really clever crafting.
It’s the music and the dancing that raises this standard romantic comedy to another level. The scene where Lucky tries to win back Penny is much more emotionally powerful, because of the fluid dance. Countering Lucky and Penny’s innocent love is the silly and funny adversarial relationship between Pops and Mabel. Now back to the dancing.
Both Astaire and Rogers were perfectionists. The final dance number took 48 takes and drug on until 4 am. More people remember Astaire as an amazing dancer than Rogers, but think about it — Rogers did every step that Astaire did only in heels and backwards. They are both movie icons in my book. The film really captures the “oh gosh” happiness of being in love. Classic movie magic.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
