Fred Astaire - Swing Time/Top Hat/You'll Never Get Rich/You Were Never Lovelier [DVD]

This is a wonderful collection of some of the finest Hollywood musicals. Featuring the elegant, sophisticated Fred Astaire and his sublime leading dance partners, the glamourous blond Ginger Rogers and redheaded beauty Rita Hayworth. Worth the price of admission alone.
SWING TIME (1936). Arguably the finest of Astaire/Rogers movies. Astaire is a hoofer hooked on gambling. He leaves his fiancee Margaret Watson (Betty Furness) at the altar whilst on the town with his mate Pop Cordetti (Victor Moore). Packed off by his incensed father-in-law to be to make his fortune before returning to his daughter, Lucky and Pop befall upon New York where he encounters dance instructor Penny Carroll (Ginger Rogers). He feigns dancing inadequacies to lull Penny into giving him dance lessons. Problem is she is engaged to bandleader Ricardo Romero (George Metaxa). Lucky and Penny inevitably become a dance act to win acclaim on the nightclub scene for their performances. The plot is a skeleton to hang upon the artistry of Fred and Ginger, although it does have twists and turns, comic moments and romantic interludes. The bubbly 'Waltz in Swing Time', the rhythmic patterns of Astaire's blacked-up 'Bojangles of Harlem', clever tongue-in-cheek 'Pick Yourself Up' (Astaire pretends he can't dance), the scenic snow surround to 'A Fine Romance', the beguiling 'Never Gonna Dance', to the enchantingly haunting serenade from Astaire to Ginger (off her guard), 'The Way You Look Tonight', all make this a dazzling musical comedy. Music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Dorothy Fields.

TOP HAT (1935). Perhaps the best remembered and most popular of Astaire/Rogers musicals no doubt, in part, due to the exberant Astaire's attire of top hat, white tie and tails. The tremendous success (critically and financially) of this musical comedy lies with the crackling chemistry between the two stars, imaginative dance routines and memorable score by one Irving Berlin. The plot is flimsy involving a case of mistaken identity. Hoofer Jerry Travers (Astaire)is in London to do a show and falls in love (at first sight) with tourist Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers). Somehow, Dale is convinced that Jerry is married to her friend Madge Hardwicke (Helen Broderick). Madge is,in fact, married to prissy Horace Hardwicke (Edward Everett Horton). Dale leaves London for Venice. Jerry pusues her to woo her. Jerry and Dale squabble. Dale slaps Jerry in the face whenever she can. Madge pokes Horace in the eye. Dale is involved with Italian dress designer Alberto Beddini (Erik Rhodes) who later appears thrusting his rapier haphazardly. Explanations sort out the mix-ups with inevitable outcome. Fortunately this does not detract from the music.
'Cheek to Cheek' is sung by Astaire and danced with Rogers. Classically romantic and memorable. 'No Strings' sung whilst tap dancing by Astaire.Charmingly courting Rogers in a bandstand during a rain shower with 'Isn't This A Lovely Day'.The debonair Astaire in tuxedo, cane in hand, singing and dancing 'Top Hat,White Tie and Tails' shooting similarly clad gentlemen with his cane simulating a rifle. The local carnival choral extravaganza 'Piccolino' completes the film (Fred and Ginger are used sparingly in the dance routine). Delightful.

YOU'LL NEVER GET RICH (1941). Starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth (the ads proclaimed 'triumphant teaming of beauty and rhythm') for the first time. Miss Hayworth was a superbly skilled dancer. Astaire apparently loved dancing with her describing her as 'dynamite'. Broadway dance director Robert Curtis (Astaire) is drawn towards dancer Sheila Winthrop (Hayworth) but is drafted into the army,curtailing the romance,and spends much of the war tap dancing in the guard house. The pair are later reunited.
Rita Hayworth is not overshadowed by her partner in the least. She demonstrates an extraordinary ability as a dancer matching Astaire step by step,especially in the rhythmic 'So Near And Yet So Far' and 'Boogie Barcarolle'. Other highlights include 'Shootin' The Works For Uncle Sam' by Astaire backed by chorus girls, 'The Astairable Rag' danced by Astaire backed by The Delta Rhythm Boys',the ballad 'Dream Dancing',the swinging 'Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye' and the finale 'Wedding Cake Walk' a big production number with a large dancing chorus line atop a giant cake that had an army tank sitting on top of it. Songs by Cole Porter. Superlative talents with standout Rita Hayworth.

YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER (1942). The second pairing of Astaire and Hayworth. Similar titles but dissimilar plots. Music by Jerome Kern. Lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Regarded as a superior film to their first encounter with a more romantic theme and score. Set in Bueno Aires,Argentina, the plot seemingly has little to do with the location. Manhattan nightclub dancer Robert Davis (Astaire) goes to Argentina to play the horses. He loses his money. He seeks hotel work. The hotel owner thinks Davis is a potentially suitable match for the second of his four daughters Maria Acuna (Hayworth). A typical on-off-on theme leads to its inevitable happy-ever-after conclusion.
Astaire and Hayworth had some sensational dance duets. Marvellously choreographed and orchestrated, 'I'm Old Fashioned' was sung by Hayworth (dubbed by Nancy Wynn) and danced in a moonlit terrace and garden with Astaire, considered to be one of the great romantic sequences in musical film history. Also memorable is the 'Shorty George' routine, wedding number 'Dearly Beloved' and the exquisite title song 'You Were Never Lovelier' sung by Astaire to Hayworth and danced by both. The expression of love is never more apparent (rumoured the pair had an off-screen involvement). A dazzling display of dancing,song,romance,music. Wonderful.

my dad who is 87 is a big fan of fred astaire as he used to dance in his youth ,was glued to the tv when i put this on ,the house was silent and he was smiling all the way through the films ,one of my better present ideas ,and made me smile to see how happy he was watching the films.

Have always adored Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films so when I hired a VW campervan called Ginger Fred had to go along too. Ordered these to play on portable dvd and was not disappointed good sound quality no skipping on film and as good a dvd for films this age as you are going to get. The whole compilation of dvds for that money was excellent and dvds arrived promptly and in good packaging