(101 min) Released 1937-11-19
Director: George Stevens
Stars: Fred Astaire, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Joan Fontaine.
Hermes Pan ... dance director, Oscar winner for "Fun House"; Oscars 1938
Fred Astaire ... choreographer (uncredited)
Angela Blue ... assistant choreographer (uncredited)
Genres: Comedy | Musical | Romance
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028757/
The plot is fine (although reviewers have complained at how much it strays from the Wodehouse novel). The young page (Harry Watson, b. 1921) and major domo Reginald Gardiner add lots of interest; the father (Montagu Love) is very good and Helen Westley is reliable in her usual cranky pompous Aunt role. Ray Noble, who plays Reggie, the local suitor and stepson of the aunt, has 88 soundtrack credits, mostly for writing music, with a handful of titles appearing repeatedly; this is 3rd of 7 acting credits, usually played Orchestra Leader; he also gets "additional arrangements" credit here. So he may actually be playing all those instruments in the film.
All these songs were written by the Gershwins:
- 11:40 I Can't Be Bothered Now, Song and dance performed by Fred Astaire
- 24:30 The Jolly Tar and the Milkmaid, Performed by Pearl Amatore, Betty Rome, Jack George, Fred Astaire, Jan Duggan, Mary Dean, chorus
- 38:30 Put Me to the Test (I've Just Begun to Live), Dance performed by Fred Astaire, George Burns, Gracie Allen
- 47:30 The Fun House number: Stiff Upper Lip, Song performed by Gracie Allen, Dance performed by Fred Astaire, George Burns, Gracie Allen, chorus
- 1:04:00 Things Are Looking Up, Song performed by Fred Astaire, Dance performed by Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine
- 1:08 Sing of Spring, Performed by Madrigal Singers
- 1:13:00 A Foggy Day, Performed by Fred Astaire
- 1:17:20 Nice Work If You Can Get It, Performed by Betty Rome, Jan Duggan, Mary Dean, Fred Astaire, Pearl Amatore
- 1:34:50 Nice Work If You Can Get It, Dance performed by Fred Astaire while playing the drums
A Foggy Day and Nice Work If You Can Get It are the 2 familiar songs here. I love the trio of George & Gracie dancing with FA at 38:30; the fun house mirrors take away my enjoyment. George displayed some real skills here; looked to me that he was jumping higher than FA at some point.
Joan Fontaine is a definite weak link in the one dance she performs. It's strange to imagine how the film would have changed if Jessie Matthews, a highly capable and pleasing dancer, had accepted the invitation to play JF's role: which dance numbers would we have lost to gain her numbers? The love match certainly would have been more understandable between the 2 power dancers.
Joan Fontaine is a definite weak link in the one dance she performs. It's strange to imagine how the film would have changed if Jessie Matthews, a highly capable and pleasing dancer, had accepted the invitation to play JF's role: which dance numbers would we have lost to gain her numbers? The love match certainly would have been more understandable between the 2 power dancers.
Don't tell Pan, but I would have given the Oscar to the Sonja Henie movie, Thin Ice, for the Prince Igor number. The camera angles, the occasional rush of speed, the large number of skaters somehow beats the fun house gimmicks for me. It also might be familiarity: I've seen this film more often than hers.
RKO, dir. Stevens; 7+
My post on Oscar, Best Dance Direction, 1936-38
