SHALL WE DANCE?

US, 1937, 116 minutes, Black and white.
Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, Harriet Hoctor, Jerome Cowan.
Directed by Mark Sandrich.

Shall We Dance is one of several Fred Astaire- Ginger Rogers musicals directed by Mark Sandrich. It has the usual supporting cast including Edward Everett Horton (doing a great number of double takes) and Eric Blore (doing his variation on exasperated butler theme). There is attractive dancing support at the end by Harriet Hoctor. Music is by the Gershwins and quite attractive - especially 'Let's Call the Whole Thing Off'. There are a great number of imaginative details of style, lavish staging of the songs. However, the emphasis is on Astaire rather than Rogers. The screenplay has all the popular ingredients and is quite lightweight. However, it highlights how popular were the dancing team in the '30s.

1. The popularity of Astaire and Rogers in the '30s? The long series of films and their qualities? Dancing sequences, songs? The prestigious composers? The light plot? Romance? Misunderstandings? comic support?

2. The black and white photography? The use of rooms for choreography? Special effects and lighting?

3. The conventions of the genre:Astaire as the master dancer, on the lookout for romance? Marriage, misunderstandings? Rogers as the expert dancer? Further misunderstandings? The acceptability of the conventions and audiences allowing for them?

4. The implausibility of the plot: Fred Astaire as a Russian (alleged) ballet dancer? Ginger Rogers as the American dancer in Paris? The ups and downs of their careers? Moods? The tangles of marriage and pretence of marriage? Ship news? Newspaper reports? The publication of compromising photos? Hotel management exasperation? The irony of the happy ending? Sufficient for this kind of film?

5. Fred Astaire's ingratiating style? Making his character credible? The humour of his pretending to be Russian? Songs and dances? Genial approach to life? The support of Jeffrey?

6. Ginger Rogers' tough heroine? Publicity? Exasperation? Charm?

7. E. E. Horton's picture of exasperated double takes? His self-preoccupation - sea-sickness, fire on board etc? Word-plays? Eric Blore and the management of the hotel and his sense of propriety? His being in jail?

8. Arthur and his courting of Linda?His plotting and planning to prevent her marriage? The taking of the photos? Denise and her attempts at femme fatale style? Complicating issues? The fiance and his being good-natured?

9. The insertions of the songs and dances? Attractive entertainment - American style?