I'm in heaven
I got back to Evanston a bit too late to get tickets for The 40 Year-Old Virgin. But sitting in the lobby of my apartment waiting for me was a copy of Warner and TCM's new Astaire/Rogers box set. Which, love Steve Carell though I do, is clearly a trade-up. Anyway, expect for me to post regularly on the Fred & Ginger goodness for a few days.
First up: Top Hat, one of the two films from the five-film box I had previously seen. The plot is by-the-numbers, in the best possible way: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl by dancing really fucking well. Edward Everett Horton and Helen Broderick provide support. Just like all of their films, really. I don't know what to say that hasn't already been said - it's a perfect movie. The numbers are all classic, to say the least; "Cheek to Cheek," "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails," and "Isn't This a Lovely Day" were all written for this film. The dance for "Cheek to Cheek" is of course famous, with Ginger's feather dress, and Fred in, well, a top hat, tie and tails. But the number that stands out for me is "Isn't This a Lovely Day," in which you can practically see Ginger falling in love, despite herself. (Doubt Ginger Rogers is a great dancer? Watch how clearly she projects being ashamed of herself for dancing, even as she's having the time of her life).
What else? It's a perfect Golden Age Hollywood construct. The people are beautiful, the costumes are glamorous, the sets are opulent, even if "Venice" looks somewhat less realistic than its counterpart in It's a Small World. I haven't seen enough of their work together to say if it's Fred and Ginger at their most elegant, but I can hardly imagine they had anyplace to go but down from here. See it. Trust me, I know more about classic Hollywood than you. And it doesn't get better than this.
Heaven,
I'm in heaven,
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak,
And I seem to find the happiness I seek,
When we're out together, dancing cheek-to-cheek.
First up: Top Hat, one of the two films from the five-film box I had previously seen. The plot is by-the-numbers, in the best possible way: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl by dancing really fucking well. Edward Everett Horton and Helen Broderick provide support. Just like all of their films, really. I don't know what to say that hasn't already been said - it's a perfect movie. The numbers are all classic, to say the least; "Cheek to Cheek," "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails," and "Isn't This a Lovely Day" were all written for this film. The dance for "Cheek to Cheek" is of course famous, with Ginger's feather dress, and Fred in, well, a top hat, tie and tails. But the number that stands out for me is "Isn't This a Lovely Day," in which you can practically see Ginger falling in love, despite herself. (Doubt Ginger Rogers is a great dancer? Watch how clearly she projects being ashamed of herself for dancing, even as she's having the time of her life).
What else? It's a perfect Golden Age Hollywood construct. The people are beautiful, the costumes are glamorous, the sets are opulent, even if "Venice" looks somewhat less realistic than its counterpart in It's a Small World. I haven't seen enough of their work together to say if it's Fred and Ginger at their most elegant, but I can hardly imagine they had anyplace to go but down from here. See it. Trust me, I know more about classic Hollywood than you. And it doesn't get better than this.
Heaven,
I'm in heaven,
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak,
And I seem to find the happiness I seek,
When we're out together, dancing cheek-to-cheek.
Categories: comedies, farce, fred and ginger, hollywood in the 30s, love stories, musicals
