Lots of singing, lots of dancing, “Swing Time” is the usual Fred Astaire - Ginger Rogers movie. If you can get past Astaire in black face, this film includes one of his most interesting solo dances, well he’s sort of solo with a triplet of shadows. Early in the movie, Astaire (John “Lucky” Garnett) and Rogers (Penelope “Penny” Carroll) do an interesting dance at a dance school. Their sidekicks, Victor Moore (Everett “Pop” Cardetti) and Helen Broderick (Mabel Anderson) do a comic followup with a less-than graceful end. (103 min.)
The best part of the DVD is a short, “Hotel Al La Swing.” There’s a visit to Hell Cafe with a fun performance of “Holiday in Hades” (written by Cliff Hess and Manny Kurtz). The song has lyrics such as, “You gotta give him some hi dee ho, it’s a holiday in Hades!”
Available on DVD individually or in the “Astaire and Rogers Collection, Vol. 1 (Top Hat, Swing Time, Follow the Fleet, Shall We Dance, The Barkleys of Broadway).”
1936
Starring:
Fred Astaire
Ginger Rogers
Victor Moore
Helen Broderick
Eric Blore
Betty Furness
Georges Metaxa
Director:
George Stevens
Writers:
Erwin S. Gelsey (story)
Howard Lindsay (screenplay)
Allan Scott (screenplay)
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