More cool F&G Magic!

An Excellent Fan Video!

They All Laughed

Today is the 75th anniversary of the release of the Fred and Ginger picture "Shall We Dance."  I don't have as much material on this film as I do earlier ones like "Top Hat", but this does have a Gershwin soundtrack, and some cool numbers.

Here's a nice shot of Ginger rehearsing the song for "They All Laughed", which I think is my favorite song from this film!  "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" is the more famous number, and it is interesting, but geez, there's only so much even they can do on roller skates!

Here's both the song and the wonderful dance that flows from it.  Take it away, F&G!



It also includes the beautiful song "They Can't Take That Away From Me."

And the very cool final scene where Fred dances with a pack of Ginger clones, having to find the Real One hiding in there somewhere!....But Love and Dance will out....

Despite this picture, Ginger and director Mark Sandrich didn't get along very well, and after this film, she had him specifically banned for working on one of her movies again! Sadly, he passed away just 5 years later...

Not my favorite film of theirs, but still many beautiful moments!

A bit of color from 1939

 Fred and Ginger -- in color! -- in a scene from 1939's Story of Vernon and Irene Castle. (no sound!) I believe this is Ginger's camera....

Brazil '33 with F&G!

A mere 115....

Ooops, I just missed the birthday (Sept. 10) of Fred Astaire's sister Adele....who turns a mere 115..... Happy Birthday, wherever you are, Adele!

Watch that boom!

Production shot during the making of The Continental in Gay Divorcee... 
(Fred and Ginger, slightly right of center.)  You can see more detail if you click on it....

75 Years Ago Today

Probably the most famous of the 10 dance films made by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Top Hat opened in Radio City Music Hall on Aug 30 1935. Let's let the director Garson Kanin describe this:

I remember going to see Top Hat at the Radio City Music Hall on its opening day. Never before and never since have I seen an audience stand up and cheer at the end of a picture. A standing ovation for a movie? I sat through the picture twice and that evening insisted on going again and taking my brother with me. Twice for him too, which meant four times that day for me. The next evening I was back again. Only once through this time. Then I went back every single evening, each time taking a beloved friend and enjoying it anew through his or her eyes.

Top Hat was, unquestionably, a breakthrough, a milestone. The musical screen was growing up. This was a brand of sophistication new, not only to it, but to most of the musical shows on Broadway.

Top Hat was the first movie specifically written for Fred and Ginger, and it was a huge success for them, the most financially successful of their films. Many stories surround the production of Top Hat, a lot of them around Rogers' feather dress used in Cheek to Cheek:

Rogers' own design and sketch.

One of my favorite pictures of Ginger.


Long shot of the dancing of Cheek to Cheek.

Here I pass along a few of the more interesting photos from Top Hat.

The outlandish bed of Gingers in the "No Strings" section of the film.

This poster is for my friend Victoria! Enjoy, m'dear.

An RKO design sketch of the "Lovely Day" gazebo.


A set picture taken during the shooting of "The Piccolino" production number near the end of the film.

Ginger, donating the "Piccolino" dress to the Smithsonian in the '70's.

A reverse still from the last scene, showing off part of "The Big White Set" of a fantasy Venice.

We Double Down!

On Drummer Fred!

For my drummer homies!

Teaching...

A very sweet F&G video made from stills.

What tha?!? These nuts have taken over my blog!

Those crazy Astaire kids just won't stop! Here's even more of their silliness...from 1926.




I think Dellie looks like Camie's daughter....80 years removed, of course!


Meanwhile, Ginger waits her turn...for what, I wonder!

Gershwin. Fred. Adele.

Fascinatin' Rhythm

hmmm...

Encouraged by Amba, I decided I would indeed like to have some kind of birthday party two weeks from Saturday. Not so much for myself, but it's turned into a kind of mid winter excuse for people to get together and have lunch, when normally people hole up. I've holed up more than most years for several reasons, and frankly, cabin fever has set in.

Now here it looks like Fred and Ginger are walking across the RKO lot in '38 to shoot a scene from Carefree, but really they're coming from 71 years in the past to join the birthday festivities, in spirit at the very least! So don't be a slug, let's go back for Hungarian/Polish food as we have done many times before...

Happy Austerlitz Day!

Hey! What's this pic of Astaire doing here? Well...it is Austerlitz Day here at The Stuffin', and that is Mr. Astaire's real last name....
Nappy looks on, unamused! May the Grande Armee of your life prevail for you as they did 203 years ago for L'Emperor!

Fred in my head

If you're not reading AmbivaBlog you should! Honest, intelligent, human, warm and inquisitive -- what more do you want? Her post about dancing the other day naturally brings forth the very charming "My Shining Hour" from 1942's "The Sky's the Limit" with the then 17-year old Joan Leslie:



Do yourself a favor. Go find a light fantastic and trip it, will ya?

Those Fabulous Astaires

So Fred Astaire is lovingly looking at his sister Adele here, but Adele...she's looking at us! I wonder what she's thinking...

Cyd Charisse

Farewell Cyd... gone at 86, with the longest current Hollywood marriage (I believe) at 60 years to Tony Martin...

This is my favorite number of Astaire's, outside the pictures with Ginger, Dancing in the Dark:

Put your dancing shoes on!

Go on, find someone you love, er, like, er don't hate that much and dance with them today! It'll be good for your mental health, and somewhere Fred & Ginger will see you and approve....