Swing Time
2/4
Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Victor Moore, Helen Broderick
Not Rated
There were really two Hollywood dancers: Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Fred Astaire came first, starring in many films, although he was most famous for the ten films he starred with Ginger Rogers. Their partnership started in 1933 with "Flying Down to Rio" and ended in 1949 with "The Barkleys of Broadway." Despite its "classic" status, "Swing Time" is probably not one of their best. In fact, it's not a very good film in general.
John "Lucky" Garnett (Astaire) is a happy-go-lucky dancer who is about to leave his troupe so he can marry his girlfriend Margaret (Betty Furness). But his co-workers don't want him to leave, so they scheme for him to miss the wedding. When he shows up at her house, he's in hot water until he tells her father that he's going to make his fortune in New York City. Once he has $25,000, he can come home and marry her. It isn't long before he and his old pal Pop (Moore) end up at a dance school where he meets Penny Carroll (Rogers). They hit it off and become big dancers, but trouble starts for Lucky when he realizes that he's falling for Penny, and she for him.
"Swing Time" is, at its core, a romantic comedy, and romantic comedies rarely have strong plots. Such is the case with "Swing Time," only instead of having a weak plot, it has no plot. Really, things don't get much more complicated than I've described. As such, the film loses much of its energy fairly early.
The two stars, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (who listed this as her favorite of all the films she did with Astaire...surprisingly), give it all they got, but even with their considerable talents, the film drags frequently. Of the duo, Astaire is the stronger performer. With his handsome face, quick smile and effortless charm and humor, Lucky is impossible not to like. Astaire is so good that he causes Rogers to fade into the background whenever they share the screen. They have chemistry, which helps a lot, but that's it. As the supporting characters, Victor Moore (as the dim-witted Pop) and Helen Broderick (as Penny's sassy co-worker Mabel) are fun when they have something to do.
The problem with the film is that it's empty. There's nothing for the actors to really do and nothing to grab us. Sure, there is some amusing comedy here and there, and the dance sequences are great (Astaire has a lovely singing voice, too), but who cares? I didn't.
"Swing Time" has not aged well either. The film's show-stopping dance number, which lasts about five minutes, has Astaire doing some great tap dancing. It would be fun had director George Stevens not decided to put his star in blackface. It casts a pall on the proceedings and ruins what should be a great number.
Astaire and Rogers deserved better. Hopefully one of the other movies they made allowed them to show what they can really do. God knows that they can do better than this.
Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Victor Moore, Helen Broderick
Not Rated
There were really two Hollywood dancers: Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Fred Astaire came first, starring in many films, although he was most famous for the ten films he starred with Ginger Rogers. Their partnership started in 1933 with "Flying Down to Rio" and ended in 1949 with "The Barkleys of Broadway." Despite its "classic" status, "Swing Time" is probably not one of their best. In fact, it's not a very good film in general.
John "Lucky" Garnett (Astaire) is a happy-go-lucky dancer who is about to leave his troupe so he can marry his girlfriend Margaret (Betty Furness). But his co-workers don't want him to leave, so they scheme for him to miss the wedding. When he shows up at her house, he's in hot water until he tells her father that he's going to make his fortune in New York City. Once he has $25,000, he can come home and marry her. It isn't long before he and his old pal Pop (Moore) end up at a dance school where he meets Penny Carroll (Rogers). They hit it off and become big dancers, but trouble starts for Lucky when he realizes that he's falling for Penny, and she for him.
"Swing Time" is, at its core, a romantic comedy, and romantic comedies rarely have strong plots. Such is the case with "Swing Time," only instead of having a weak plot, it has no plot. Really, things don't get much more complicated than I've described. As such, the film loses much of its energy fairly early.
The two stars, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (who listed this as her favorite of all the films she did with Astaire...surprisingly), give it all they got, but even with their considerable talents, the film drags frequently. Of the duo, Astaire is the stronger performer. With his handsome face, quick smile and effortless charm and humor, Lucky is impossible not to like. Astaire is so good that he causes Rogers to fade into the background whenever they share the screen. They have chemistry, which helps a lot, but that's it. As the supporting characters, Victor Moore (as the dim-witted Pop) and Helen Broderick (as Penny's sassy co-worker Mabel) are fun when they have something to do.
The problem with the film is that it's empty. There's nothing for the actors to really do and nothing to grab us. Sure, there is some amusing comedy here and there, and the dance sequences are great (Astaire has a lovely singing voice, too), but who cares? I didn't.
"Swing Time" has not aged well either. The film's show-stopping dance number, which lasts about five minutes, has Astaire doing some great tap dancing. It would be fun had director George Stevens not decided to put his star in blackface. It casts a pall on the proceedings and ruins what should be a great number.
Astaire and Rogers deserved better. Hopefully one of the other movies they made allowed them to show what they can really do. God knows that they can do better than this.
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