93. Top Hat (1935)

Directed By Mark Sandrich


Synopsis

Ginger falls in love with Fred, but mistakes him for the husband of a friend of hers... hilarity ensues.

Review

There is no more famous dancing couple than Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. This is fair enough, they are both extremely accomplished dancers, particularly Astaire, they are good singers and not bad actors at all. They have everything that a dancing couple needs. This film works, mainly because of their abilities as dancers and actors and because they are supported by a great cast as well as having a fun plot to go with it.

The plot is one of those comedies which rely on mistaken identities and mistakes in general... the kind of comedies you spend saying, don't go there, or "tell her who you are". You cringe, because you want the characters to get together, and it is pretty well done and fortunately all comes together at the end. Except the italian designer gets a bum deal :(

Then the film has its faults, the sets look cardboardy. Venice looks like the Vegas version of Venice and not at all like the city, unless the city is composed of one little set with one bridge going over a pool where people are bathing, with a MDF stage in the middle. No? I thought not. Well, it's quite enough to establish the fact that it is Venice, as there are gondolas on the pool at times. And then, near the end, at the MDF stage in Venice there is an attempt to do a Bubsby Berkeley style number... and it falls on its ass. Anyone who has seen 42nd Street, Footlight Parade or Gold Diggers of 1933 will titter at the poor effort. Still it is a tiny bit of the film and it shouldn't suffer for that.

In the end, despite having the Team America World Police version of Venice and a poor attempt at a great musical act, it is a wonderful film, because of Fred and Ginger and because the music is great! Particularly Cheek To Cheek and Top Hat,White Tie and Tails, so watch it! Buy it at Amazon UK or US.

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

The title song is sung by Fred Astaire's character Jerry Travers onstage, as part of his musical revue being performed in London, along with chorus dancers dressed in the epynomous attire. He sings the song, performs a tap dance routine, and then proceeds to "shoot" the chorus dancers, using his cane as a "machine gun" and imitating gunfire noises with his tap shoes. This sequence was parodied in a scene in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein.

Songs:

"No Strings"
"Top Hat, White Tie and Tails"
"Isn't It A Lovely Day?"
"The Piccolino"
"Cheek to Cheek"

Top Hat:



I said Top HAT!