Swing Time

Plot synopsis:
John "Lucky" Garnett (Fred Astaire) is a gambler and dancer. He is set to marry Margaret (Betty Furness), but his friends hold him up so that he is late for the wedding. Margaret's father phones to call off the wedding, but Lucky doesn't get that message. His friends bet him that he will not be getting married, and he agrees to the bet. Margaret's father tells Lucky that he must earn $25,000 to demonstrate his good intentions.
He and his friend "Pop" Cardetti (Victor Moore) try to buy train tickets, but his friends take his money – because he lost the bet. So they hitch the first freight train to New York. Broke, they wander around the city. Lucky meets Penny (Ginger Rogers), a dance school instructor, when he asks for change for a quarter. It's his lucky quarter and Pop feels bad that Lucky lost it. They attempt to get it back, but Penny is in no mood to deal with them. When she drops her things, Pop sneaks the quarter out of her purse, and she thinks Lucky did it.
They follow Penny to her work. To be able to apologize, he has to take a dancing lesson from her. She's still furious at him. After a disastrous lesson, Penny tells him to "save his money" since he will never learn to dance. Her boss, Mr. Gordon (Eric Blore), overhears her comment and fires her. Lucky dances with Penny to "prove" how much she's taught him. Not only does Mr. Gordon give Penny her job back, he sets up an audition with the owner of a local venue.
They check into the same hotel where Penny is staying. Lucky does not have a tuxedo to wear to the audition. He tries to get a tuxedo off a drunk man, but he ends up losing his own clothes instead. They miss the audition, and Penny gets mad at Lucky all over again. Lucky arranges another audition. He and Pop picket in front of Penny's door until she gives in and forgives him.
But they cannot audition because the club has lost their band leader, Ricardo Romero (Georges Metaxa), to a casino. They go to Club Raymond where Lucky gambles to win enough to get Ricky back. Meanwhile, Ricky declares his feelings for Penny. Lucky is about to win enough to marry Margaret, but he takes his last bet off in time... proving he is no longer interested in her, but in Penny, instead. The club owner bets him double or nothing and they gamble for Ricky's contract. Upon seeing that the club owner intends to cheat, Pop cheats as well, and Lucky wins the contract.
Lucky and Penny dance at the club. They are dancing together all the time, but Lucky does not trust himself around Penny because he feels guilty about not telling her about Margaret. He's avoiding her, which Penny notices, so she and her friend Mabel Anderson (Helen Broderick) conspire to get Lucky and Pop out to the country. Pop lets slip the information about Lucky and Margaret.
Despite her best efforts, the two begin a romance, even as Ricky continues to woo Penny. When Margaret shows up, Lucky tries to avoid her; but, too late, Penny finds out. She agrees to marry Ricky. Margaret calls off her engagement to Lucky before he can. Lucky successfully stops Penny's wedding. And the two end up together, much to everyone's delight.

Tags: romantic

Review:
The songs are amazing, including "Pick Yourself Up", "The Waltz In Swing Time", "A Fine Romance", "Never Gonna Dance", and "The Way You Look Tonight", which is the greatest love song ever written.
One thing leads to another, and the wind up as dance partners.Eric Blore, Helen Broderick, and Victor Moore supply able support, and the film has a beautiful Jerome Kern score: "Pick Yourself Up," "The Way You Look Tonight," and "A Fine Romance" being a few of the numbers.There are two knockout pieces in this film - Astaire's tribute to Bill "Bojangles" Robinson is one of the most stunning numbers Astaire ever did.
SWING TIME (RKO Radio, 1936), directed by George Stevens, marks the sixth screen teaming of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and if not their masterpiece, their best collaboration together.
Yet it's richness in sets and costumes makes one forget that this very expensive looking film was done at the height of the Great Depression.The story begins with John "Lucky" Garnett (Fred Astaire), a professional dancer finishing up with his stage performance, and about to leave the theater and marry Margaret Watson (Betty Furness), his childhood sweetheart.
Problems arise when Margaret returns to the scene and Ricardo insists on wanting to marry Penny.SWING TIME's perfection mainly relies on the comic timing supplied by both its stars and character supporters, as well as the production numbers that surpass anything Astaire and Rogers have have done thus far.
The score by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields include: "Pick Yourself Up" (sung by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers); "The Way You Look Tonight" (sung by Fred Astaire, later reprized by Georges Metaxa); "The Waltz in Swing Time" (instrumental dance by Astaire and Rogers); "A Fine Romance" (sung by Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire); "Bojangles of Harlem" (sung by chorus/ performed by Astaire); "Never Gonna Dance" (sung by Astaire/ danced by Astaire and Rogers, along with "The Way You Look Tonight" and FINALETTE: Astaire and Rogers singing "A Fine Romance" and "The Way You Look Tonight." (Academy Award winner as Best Song of 1936).
It helps though that Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields worked in writing some of the most beautiful melodies heard in the movie."Swing Time" is a pretext to present the stars doing what they did best: dancing!
The songs one hears in the film are classic standards."A Fine Romance", "Pick Yourself Up", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Never Gonna Dance", and others are given excellent treatment.
The two excellent musical numbers, "Bojangles' Harlem" and "Swing Time Waltz", show the talent of Mr. Astaire, in the first one, and of Ms. Rogers and Mr. Astaire in the second.Fred Astaire is always good doing no matter what he does in this film.
An excellent feature in almost every respect, "Swing Time" is usually (and deservedly) considered to be, along with "Top Hat", the best of the series of Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire musicals.
Then there are the more thoughtful sequences between the two, which show yet another side of their talents.If "Swing Time" had Edward Everett Horton back in the cast, instead of the Victor Moore character, this would easily be the best of all of the Astaire/Rogers musicals.
But when Margaret arrives in the club to see his show, Lucky has to take a decision about his previous commitment with Margaret and his true love with Penny."Swing Time" is another delightful and naive romance of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.
The story is very funny specially the scenes where the clumsy Pop participates and this is the first time that I see Ginger Rogers' character chasing Fred Astaire's one.
'Swing Time (1936)' is typically held as one of the finest Fred Astaire and Gingers Rogers musicals, of which nine were made between 1933 and 1939 {' The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)' would follow a decade later}.
Jerome Kern provided the film's music, and Dorothy Fields wrote the lyrics, including the Oscar-winning song, "The Way You Look Tonight."John "Lucky" Garnett (Astaire) loves home-town sweetheart, Margaret (Betty Furness), and wants to marry her or, at least, he thought he did.
Pop Cardetti (Victor Moore) and Mabel Anderson (Helen Broderick), knowing members of an older generation, stand around to witness the pair's irregular romance, and form a close friendship of their own, though everything is thrown into turmoil when sleazy musician Ricky Romero (Georges Metaxa) attempts to coax Penny from Lucky's grasp.The absence of Edward Everett Horton unfortunately detracts from the effectiveness of the film's comedy, though Victor Moore provides an amusing substitute; his tone and mannerisms are so ridiculously adorable that he could accurately be described as a real-life Elmer Fudd.
We want their relationship to work rather than simply wait for the inevitable conclusion.Of course, Stevens was also a brilliant comedy director, and he is always willing to punctuate the most sentimental moments with a gag, such as when "The Way you Look Tonight" ironically ends with Astaire turning round and realising Rogers actually looks a bit of a sight as she is halfway through washing her hair.As well as the different director Swing Time also sees something of a shake-up to the regular supporting cast.
SWING TIME just misses being the best of all the Astaire-Rogers musicals because of one factor--too much Victor Moore and too little Eric Blore.
It's a simple boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl sort of thing without wearing the patience thin and sprinkling some nice Gershwin tunes throughout.My own favorites are "A Fine Romance", staged among the snowflakes in a country setting, and "Never Gonna Dance" which is the most dramatic of the duo's dancing numbers and takes place in an art deco setting that is strikingly photographed in great B&W photography.Ginger's eye make-up looks a little heavy but she's pretty as a picture as the dancing instructor Eric Blore almost fires.
The plot is paper thin and Betty Furness has next to nothing to do--but in this kind of film, all fans really wanted was to watch Astaire and Rogers glide across the dance floor in intricate style--and this they do.Ginger Rogers was told that SWING TIME did even better business at Radio City Music Hall than TOP HAT--and has declared that among all her films with Astaire, this is her own personal favorite.
The songs are excellent Jerome Kern-Dorothy Fields ones (A Fine Romance, The Way You Look Tonight, Pick Yourself Up, Never Gonna Dance) and the dance sequences are good, especially the one not far from the end with those huge staircases as backdrop; the ad-hoc tap at the dance centre, and Bojangles of Harlem, with its shadow play dancers behind a screen.In support Helen Broderick and Eric Blore is back (although sadly Blore's appearance in "Swing Time" is brief), and Victor Moore plays a card sharp magician who slowly becomes tedious viewing.
This was my first look at Betty Furness as a younger woman ("Margaret Watson") and I thought she was pretty.BAD - Same old, same old with these Astaire-Rogers films, namely: (1) marriages made out of "spite;" (2) a very annoying character, this time "Pop Cardetti," played by Victor Moore, and (3) a very stupid ending.OVERALL - At least at the end, we see the couple getting married for the right reason: love (duh).
A very, very close second best to Top Hat. The story, like with most Fred and Ginger films, is not Swing Time's best asset, it does come across as contrived, though it also has a charming and cute edge to it.
Swing Time is another Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers classic, and a very close second best to Top Hat. The sets and photography are very lavish and beautiful to look at(Ginger's wardrobe likewise), the most audacious and sophisticated of all the Fred and Ginger films.
Jerome Kern's score and songs are also outstanding, The Way You Look Tonight, A Fine Romance, Pick Yourself Up and especially Never Gonna Dance are all classics, and while it is understandable why some won't like it and find it jarring Bojangles of Harlem is at least catchy.
(For me, this is almost salvaged in SWING TIME when Lucky and Penny finally serenade each other with a delightful blend of two of the best songs featured in the film, 'A Fine Romance' and 'The Way You Look Tonight'.) This minor flaw aside, SWING TIME itself is delightful--it's much more a romantic comedy than it is a musical, whereas I think this is reversed with TOP HAT.
You can't help but warm to the relationship between Penny and Lucky, particularly when she complains about the state of their 'Fine Romance'--decidely one of my favourite songs in the film (tough competition, considering the fabulous Jerome Kern score!), and a lovely touch that it is actually Rogers's character doing the pursuing for once.
In fact, they are somewhat more low-key and understated than those in TOP HAT--far less sweeping and dramatic dances, and more believable ones that fit perfectly with the story and the characters.SWING TIME is without a doubt one of the best movie musicals I've ever seen, and to date, my favourite Fred/Ginger film.
Even before digital program recording, people were timing it, so they could tune in to every showing, catching the magical moment when Fred Astaire performs his legendary dance sequence in Bojangles of Harlem.Later, they would wait for the wonderful pairing with Ginger Rogers, where chemistry would sparkle from beneath her long lashes to the tips of her toes.
Ginger and Fred Swing to the Top. Even though I tend to prefer the film I've most recently viewed of the ten Astaire-Rogers musicals, if I had to rate my favorite it would be "Swing Time".
All of those movies unique and wonderful in their dancing displays, but "Swing Time" which I think should have been called,"Never Gonna Dance" grabs you, not only with great, innovative dancing(and Ginger really matches Fred step for step in this one), but with sensitive direction by George Stevens, wonderful tunes, and sympathetic characters lovingly and thoughtfully portrayed by Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire..
And Fred and Ginger are always great to look at when they do their dance routine even if, alas, are few and far in between here.The main problem with SWING TIME is the director: George Stevens.
Take my advice and save your money!" We can't help smiling because Penny is played by Ginger Rogers, and the clumsy Lucky, who saw Penny on the street and was smitten, then finagled his way to the dance studio to meet her, is Fred Astaire.
They include 3 dance numbers together, 2 with the songs "Pick Yourself Up" sung by Ginger Rogers and "Never Gonna Dance" sung by Fred Astaire, and the other is the "Waltz In Swing Time".
There is certainly more plot than usual, (and consequently, less music), but this is the one with 'The way you look tonight', 'A fine romance' and the 'Bojangles of Harlem' number and any time Fred and Ginger are on the floor the movie soars, (witness their 'Waltz in Swing Time').
Of all the ten musicals that Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers made together, Swing Time leads the way as being the most magical.
Music and lyrics come courtesy of Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, and they are corkers, Pick Yourself Up, The Way You Look Tonight, Waltz In Swing Time, Never Gonna Dance and the brilliant A Fine Romance.
Wonderfully directed by George Stevens, whose real father appears in the film as Margaret's enraged father, and containing two great support performances from Victor Moore as Everett 'Pop' Cardetti & Helen Broderick as Mabel Anderson, Swing Time doesn't so much swing, it actually flows along like a perfectly formed ripple on a sea of joy.
Swing Time was the second of three films that Fred Astaire did with Jerome Kern music to dance with.
My favorite memory of Swing Time is Astaire in top hat and tails hopping a freight train and then getting off in New York.Of course Fred accidentally as he always does, meets Ginger Rogers who wouldn't you know it, is a dance instructor.
Swing Time is one of the best Ginger Rogers-Fred Astaire films.
The great songs are "Waltz in Swing Time," which is the first time we really see how good they are; "Never Gonna Dance," probably the best of their careers; "A Fine Romance," a catchy little tune (before it there is a scene where Ginger and Fred talk in a snow fortress, and the music makes it seem incredibly dream-like); "The Way You Look Tonight," is justly famous, especially when we see Fred's expression of relief; and "Bojangles of Harlem," which show three shadows that dare to keep up with Fred.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were a wonderful, lively dance team - probably the best dance team in American film.
Not that I've seen it either, but the film was listed in AFI's Musicals List and "Cheek to Cheek" among the Top 100 most iconic songs, not to mention that the dance sequence was a staple of Hollywood, used in many contemporary movies to define the Golden Age.But no, they picked "Swing Time" and I guess they had their reasons, and from what I read in the reviews, including Roger Ebert's (I always do that when it comes to movies I know a little about, so you can imagine for those I have zero awareness), George Stevens' 1936 romantic comedy is the best Astaire-Rogers movie, which means that it contains their best dance routines.
The way things revolve around winning money seems very contrived and repetitive but necessary to kick Lucky and his friend Pop (scene stealing Victor Moore) out of the town.Lucky comes to New York, he's broke (he lost his money on the marriage bet) and tries to con Penny, a modest dance teacher (Ginger Rogers) he crosses on street, one thing leading to another, he tells her he needs dance lessons, and I suspect it was more difficult for Astaire to feign lousy steps than any routine he had to play.
Although the film follows the formula of the screwball comedy to the letter, Astaire and Rogers seem to take it differently from the usual players (Grant, Gable, Russell...) where it's all about rapid-fire dialogues and outsmarting contests, the film is funny and you also enjoy the company of both Moore and Helen Broderick as Penny's friend, but you can tell the two actors are only talking circles when the real deal is the dance.The film is rich in romantic ballads "The Way You Look Tonight" which became Astaire's signature song and the "Never Gonna Dance" near the end that inspired the climactic dance sequence.
Snappily and often cleverly directed by George Stevens, it additionally benefits from its characterful supporting cast and excellent set design, from the exquisite ballroom interiors to the "exterior" snowbound scenes.The music too is first rate with lovely Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields songs like "Pick Yourself Up", "Never Gonna Dance" and especially "The Way You Look Tonight", this latter, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful love songs ever.The plot is the usual Fred meets Ginger, Fred chases Ginger, Fred loses Ginger before Fred gets Ginger again just in time for the end, Fred this time cast as a professional gambler who's a hoofer on the side while Ginger's a young dance instructor whom he first meets when they squabble over a quarter.
Along with 1934's "The Gay Divorcée" and 1935's "Top Hat," 1936's "Swing Time" is one of the top 3 movies made by the legendary dance team Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers...meaning, quite simply, that it is one of the finest musicals ever made.
Highlights include Fred & Ginger's remarkable dance number "Pick Yourself Up"; Fred warbling the deservedly Oscar-winning song "The Way You Look Tonight" to a shampoo-covered Ginger (in reality, commissary whipped cream was used); F&G's elegant "Waltz in Swing Time"; F&G crooning "A Fine Romance" to each other during a lovely snowfall; Fred's solo "Bojangles of Harlem," a tribute to his idols Bill Robinson and the Nicholas Brothers, accompanied by three gigantic tap-dancing shadows; and finally, F&G's beautiful dance number, the ironically titled "Never Gonna Dance." In her autobiography, "Ginger: My Story," Rogers reveals that this intricate number required almost 50 takes and resulted in her shoes being filled with blood.
There are wonderful musical numbers, including "The Way You Look Tonight," "Pick Yourself Up," "A Fine Romance," and "Never Gonna Dance." Thank goodness he ignored the title of the last one..
A performer and gambler (Fred Astaire) travels to New York City to raise the $25,000 he needs to marry his fiancée, only to become entangled with a beautiful aspiring dancer.At this point in my life I have seen enough musicals and dance films to know that the bulk of them are just so-so or not all that great.
Though out of style nowadays, such dancing can be found in many old films like "Swing Time", wherein Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dazzle us with their tap dancing skills and style.
The thing to remember while watching musicals,especially ones made in the early days of cinema,is that you can't rely on a strong plot.This holds true with Swing Time.What makes it enjoyable is that you get to sit back and marvel at the respective talents of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.No couple ever danced together more perfectly,and this is documented proof.Their singing duets were also enjoyable.I especially enjoyed their performance of the song "A Fine Romance" in the snow.I confess to not being a fanatic about musicals.There are very few if any on my DVD rack,and chances are,I will never take the time to buy this one,but should I ever come across this film again on cable,I may give it another gander..
Swing Time is a beautiful and graceful picture, just like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, the stars of it.
The first time Fred Astaire dances with Ginger Rogers here .