The Gay Divorcee, and Swing Time
We had a small mishap in the testing lab at work today; one of the machines - a key one which I maintain a bunch of software for - had what I described as 'hardware problems', meaning that it got accidentally knocked down from its shelf six feet off the floor. Fortunately - and amazingly - only the case was damaged. Someone managed to extract the motherboard, memory, and even the hard drove, slap them into another machine, and they all worked perfectly. Unbelievable.
Needless to say, this was a Mac, not a Godless Windows Machine.
The first film was The Gay Divorcee, which included most of the cast from Top Hat (The Gay Divorcee actually came first, in 1934; Top Hat is from 1935). It's basically the same formula: Astaire falls for Rogers, who isn't much interested in him, and actually finds him a little repulsive. But he eventually wins her over.
As with Top Hat, it's got a lively, witty script, delivered sharply by Astaire, Rogers, and their cohorts. Lines like, "Pining? Men don't pine. Girls pine. Men just... suffer." (Astaire as Guy Holden.) Astaire has an amazingly rubbery face with an endless array of expressions; he's ideally cast in these films which involve mistaken identity and confused motivations. Rogers is not as flexible, but plays her role as an occasionally-miffed woman well. The supporting cast are a collection of oddballs with various comedic talents behaving in strange manners or doing endless double-takes.
None of the songs in this film were particularly memorable. "Night and Day" is I guess a minor piece of Americana. "The Continental" is a light ditty that apparently won an Oscar, but today isn't anything more than an historical curiosity.
The second film was Swing Time (1936), which has a slightly different formula: Astaire is "Lucky" Garnett, a dancer (duh!) and gambler who leaves his father's magic and dance troupe to seek his fortune in New York. His bumbling (and implied alcoholic) father follows him. A serious of mishaps cause them to meet Rogers' dance instructor, and they end up in a love triangle of sorts, Lucky gambles for an orchestra, and they get a stake in a night club.
As Subrata put it, "The plot, while not strictly required, was supplied for the benefit of viewers who require one to remain interested in the film." Which is a kind way os saying it's a pretty thin piece of work; this is the least of the three Astaire/Rogers films I've seen, despite some good comic relief from the supporting characters. The situations are generally quite forced, however.
The music here is a little better, with "Pick Yourself Up", "The Way You Look Tonight", and the delightful "A Fine Romance". The title song is an overblown yet forgettable instrumental, however, and the lengthy "Bojangles of Harlem" sequence - despite its technical brilliance - seems a bit offensive today, with Astaire performing in blackface and loud dinner jacket.
So, I guess I've gotten a feel for Astaire/Rogers films. Astaire is always a joy to watch, so I'd be willing to see more.
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