In 1911, minor stage comic, Vernon Castle meets the stage-struck Irene Foote. A few misadventures later, they marry and then abandon comedy to attempt a dancing career together. While they're performing in Paris, an agent sees them rehearse and starts them on their brilliant career as the world's foremost ballroom dancers. However, at the height of their fame, World War I begins.
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This bio-pic about the hugely successful dance team, Vernon and Irene Castle, starts at the time of their meeting and covers the entire breadth of their career, starting just before the advent of WWI. This film was released in 1939, so film audiences had plenty of choices and the competition was strong. Still, this ninth pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers experienced modest success.Irene Castle herself was a technical adviser and helped design the gowns that Ginger wore--which, by the way, are very nice, despite Ginger's protestations.Because this film covers many years and many happenings, it uses montage quite heavily--something that is usually distracting, but in this case it works well. The dancing documents a variety of styles, some of which were introduced by Vernon and Irene. At the height of their career, they were trendsetters in dance, fashion, culture and taste. Their first dance in the film is an adaptation of minstrel dancing; later dances include the tango and foxtrot. Astaire must have been familiar with all of these styles and probably had used them in his choreography with sister Adele. Still, his choreography in the film is inspired--showing us the essence of each stage in dance evolution.Ginger is beautiful and she seems to have a freedom in her performance, as if their relationship had advanced to the point of total trust. I only wish this film--and a few of their others--had been shot in color.
Spoilers. Observations. Opinions. Excellent. Biopic of pre Great War famous dancing couple. Who else better to portray them than Fred and Ginger?Maggie and Walter were excellent. I always love Zowie and the other dogs. Good to see the real Lew Fields. Ginger's costumes were divine. I hated to see all of the hair cutting, however. Postwar period may have been bad for theatricals, so Vernon's and Irene's careers may not have survived, anyway. Changing tastes may have had a great effect, but in a bad way. The Castles were correct for the time, however, and they introduced a lot of great dances. I am a degreed historian, actress, singer, dancer, fashion designer, film critic and movie reviewer. I am very interested in theatrical history.
While this may be more famous for being Fred and Ginger's last RKO movie (and the real Irene Castle watching every move Ginger made while on the set), "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" is a decent musical biography that doesn't depend on songs (there are only a few) but the love story of the most famous dance couple prior to the one that portrayed them here. In the early 20th Century, vaudeville reigned, and comic Vernon Castle didn't have a future until he added Irene to his act and became a dancer instead. They become the toast of Broadway and the world, having influences in practically every segment of culture-fashion, dance steps, and even cigars! But there is a sudden nasty interruption, namely the first World War, and the two lovers are separated.If not the best of their 10 movies (which includes "The Barkley's of Broadway", made 10 years later at MGM), this is one of the most romantic, and the least to focus on wisecracks by Ginger and his efforts to give her class. Fred and Ginger seem to be playing no one other than Fred and Ginger, but that isn't important. They do all of the famous steps that their predecessors do, and in a fantastic montage (where they dance across a map of the United States), the viewer gets to see most of them. The musical highlight is "Too Much Mustard", a bouncy tune set in a nightclub that sets them up for success. Wonderful comic moments are provided by Edna May Oliver and Walter Brennan. "Too Much Mustard" wasn't forgotten with this movie; A rather obscure Liza Minnelli film called "Lucky Lady" would pick it up 35 years later for its opening credits music.
This is a worthy tribute to Irene and Vernon Castle who really were the Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire Dance sensation for their own time 1913-1917. This was the ninth and last RKO musical for Fred and Ginger, although they did a reunion picture in 1949. Consider that they started dancing on-screen together in Dec 1933 with "Flying Down to Rio" and this film came out in March of 1939, so Fred and Ginger mania really lasted only 5 1/2 years, not much more than the Castles' time at the top of popular American culture. The Beatles lasted about the same 1964-1970. Social Icons have a limited shelf life before they are replaced, but the fan base does continue for many decades and even into new generations.The first half of the film is quite hilarious and really typical Fred and Ginger. Ginger's "The Yama Yama Man" is the highlight for me. The second half does become more serious. This is appropriate, as they were honoring two dancers who really paved the way for all popular dancers in the century. I loved the great special effect shot here of the couple dancing across a map of the United States and hundreds of tiny dancers suddenly popping up where ever they went.Some people have commented that Irene Castle was unhappy about some things in the production. I think she was probably trying to make the production as truthful as possible and largely succeeded. The fact that her black friend and companion was portrayed as a white man would have upset anyone who was not a racist. This is, in fact the only problem that I have with the film. Hollywood missed a great opportunity to show a case of real interracial harmony. It was a sad misjudgment on the part of RKO management. Irene Castle was entirely correct to criticize the decision.Walter Brennan and Edna May Oliver do a good job of providing the sidekick laughs, allowing Fred and Ginger to stick more to the romance. Oliver received a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination that same year for "Drums Along the Mohawk." Oliver played Maggie Sutton, a character based on Elizabeth Marbury, one of the most famous lesbians of the her time. She was one of the first literary and theatrical agents who included Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and Jerome Kern among her clients. Sadly, the Hayes Codes made it impossible to show any suggestion that she was gay. If there was a remake today, I'm sure that would be a major point.So far I have watched six of the ten Fred and Ginger movies. Each of them has been a joy. This one was a joy, but I also shed a tear. I hope to watch the other four in the coming weeks.
