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Swing Time

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Swing Time (1936) starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers
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Swing Time (1936) starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers

Penelope “Penny” Carrol: [to Fred Astaire who’s pretending he can’t dance] Listen. No one could teach you to dance in a million years. Take my advice and save your money!

Product Description 

In this irresistible musical, the legendary dancing duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are at the pinnacle of their art as a feckless gambler and the shrewd dancing instructor in whom he more than meets his match. Director George Stevens laces their romance with humor and clears the floor for the movie’s showstopping dance scenes, in which Astaire and Rogers take seemingly effortless flight in a virtuosic fusion of ballroom and tap styles. Buoyed by beloved songs by Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern including the Oscar-winning classic The Way You Look Tonight Swing Time is an exuberant celebration of it’s stars’ chemistry, grace, and sheer joy in the act of performance.

Review

There’s a lot to like in “Swing Time”. At the beginning, professional gambler Lucky (Fred Astaire) is engaged to a nice, lovely socialite. But his friend Pops and other friends conspire to stop it! And then, Fred has to earn a large amount to prove to the girl’s father that he’s a suitable potential husband.

So, Pops and Fred go out to do that — and accidentally get on the wrong side of a lovely lady (Ginger Rogers) who’s working at a dance studio. So Fred follows her, and pretends that he has two left feet! After a little while, Penny’s willing to give him a chance. But Lucky’s still engaged to the other girl — and multiple times he almost earns enough money to go back to her! But Pops warns him.

Then, Lucky actually wins a profitable night club in an “honest” card game. Which Pops makes sure that he wins! Later on, the gambler, wants a rematch to win it back! And there’s some other conflict before the “happily ever after” conclusion.

I absolutely love “Swing Time” and I recommend it unreservedly.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Cast of characters

Additional Cast

Songs

  • Pick Yourself Up (1936)
    • Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
    • Music by Jerome Kern
    • Sung and Danced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
    • Danced by Victor Moore and Helen Broderick
    • Played in the score often
  • The Way You Look Tonight (1936)
  • Waltz in Swing Time (1936)
    • Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
    • Music by Jerome Kern
    • Constructed and Arranged by Robert Russell Bennett
    • Sung offscreen by an unidentified Chorus during the opening credits
    • Later danced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
  • A Fine Romance (1936)
    • Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
    • Music by Jerome Kern
    • Sung by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
    • Reprised by Georges Metaxa, Helen Broderick, Victor Moore, Fred Astaire, and Ginger Rogers at the end
    • Played in the score often
  • Bojangles of Harlem (1936)
    • Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
    • Music by Jerome Kern
    • Sung by Chorus Girls
    • Danced by Fred Astaire and Chorus Girls
  • Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride) (1850)
    • from “Lohengrin”
    • Written by Richard Wagner
    • In the score a bit for the second wedding
  • Never Gonna Dance (1936)
    • Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
    • Music by Jerome Kern
    • Sung by Fred Astaire who danced with Ginger Rogers
  • It’s Not in the Cards (1936)
    • Music by Jerome Kern
    • Written for the movie and filmed, but cut from the final print; some of the music remains in the score

Editorial review of Swing Time courtesy of Amazon.com

If you only had one Fred Astaire–Ginger Rogers film to watch,this classic musical from 1936 would be your best bet. It was the dance duo’s sixth film together, and director George Stevens handled the material with as much flair behind the camera as Fred and Ginger displayed in front of it. This time out, Fred plays a gambling hoofer who’s engaged to marry a young socialite (Betty Furness), but when he’s late for the wedding his prospective father-in-law sends him away, demanding that he earn $25,000 before he can earn his daughter’s hand in marriage.

When Fred meets Ginger in a local dance studio (where he pretends to be a klutz so she can be his instructor), he’s instantly smitten and the $25,000 deal becomes a moot point. Featuring six songs by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields (including a splendid rendition of “The Way You Look Tonight“) and some of the most elegant dance sequences ever filmed, this lightweight fluff epitomizes the jazz-age style of 1930s musicals, virtually defining the genre with graceful joie de vivre. –Jeff Shannon

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