The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939), 6

The story of married couple Irene Castle and Vernon Castle, sensational ballroom dancers prior to World War I.
1h 33min || 29 March 1939
Director: H.C. Potter
Stars: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edna May Oliver, Walter Brennan.
Irene Castle ... technical advisor
Hermes Pan ... dance director

Genres: Biography | Drama | Musical | Romance | War
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031983/
DVD died after 1st hour. Watched remainder online, fuzzy print. Ordered replacement disc.

In Tap! Appendix for Fred Astaire/Sonny Lamont.

The problem is: F&G are portraying dancers of a prior era, and being faithful to that style, That's why Ginger doesn't get a mention in the Tap! Appendix; she doesn't tap. So their dances lack the exuberance of their normal fare. The dances they do while courting are rehearsals, not seductions. And we don't get any ensemble dancing beyond snips of social dancing. So we get little of the elements of 30's musicals I like, much less what I love about F&G.

Notice the genres. The story is ultimately sad. We get comic moments, aided by Brennan and Oliver, but not enough to earn an inclusion in Comedy.

Italicized chapters (the Soundtracks list is enormous, mostly with snippets of songs):

• Ch 4: The Yama Yama Man, Sung and Danced by Ginger Rogers 
• Ch 5: By the Light of the Silvery Moon, Danced by Fred Astaire and Sonny Lamont
• Ch 9: Only When You're in My Arms, Sung by Fred Astaire 
• End dance: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
• Ch 10: Waiting for the Robert E. Lee, Danced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers 
• Ch 15: Too Much Mustard, Danced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers 
• Ch 16: fame montage
• Ch 18: Hello, Hello, Who's Your Lady Friend, Performed at benefit by Fred Astaire, Emmett O'Brien, and soldier chorus 
• Ch 21 of 25: Missouri Waltz, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers 

I remembered this as not great. Unfortunately, I agree now.

RKO, dir. Potter; 6