Fred Astaire plays a ballet dancer who falls in love with a tap dancer, played by Ginger Rogers, just by seeing her photograph, causing all sorts of trouble in “Shall We Dance.” Director Mark Sandrich (“Follow the Fleet” 1936) was at the top of his game in putting together this seventh of ten Rogers-Astaire vehicles. The excellent screenplay was penned by Allan Scott and Ernest Pagano, from a story by Lee Loeb.
The supporting cast includes Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, Jerome Cowan, Ketti Galligan, Harriet Hoctor, Dudley Dickerson, and Charlie Hall as the cruise ship’s bartender. Musical numbers include “They All Laughed at Christopher Columbus,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” all composed by George Gershwin (music) and Ira Gershwin (lyrics). Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra performed the musical instruments.
Hermes Pan and Fred Astaire handled the choreography, which includes ballet sequences, a melodic dog-walking scene, a mechanical number coordinated with the ship’s machinery, as well as the classic dance scenes with Ginger and Fred. Harry Losee was brought in to help with the big ballet finale. The watchable “Shall We Dance” was a big hit at the Depression Era box office for Pandro S. Berman and RKO Radio Pictures. It was filmed at the RKO Studios at 780 N. Gower Street in Hollywood.
Shall We Dance (1937)
cinema
My Review
Fred Astaire plays a ballet dancer who falls in love with a tap dancer, played by Ginger Rogers, just by seeing her photograph, causing all sorts of trouble in “Shall We Dance.” Director Mark Sandrich (“Follow the Fleet” 1936) was at the top of his game in putting together this seventh of ten Rogers-Astaire vehicles. The excellent screenplay was penned by Allan Scott and Ernest Pagano, from a story by Lee Loeb.
The supporting cast includes Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, Jerome Cowan, Ketti Galligan, Harriet Hoctor, Dudley Dickerson, and Charlie Hall as the cruise ship’s bartender. Musical numbers include “They All Laughed at Christopher Columbus,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” all composed by George Gershwin (music) and Ira Gershwin (lyrics). Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra performed the musical instruments.
Hermes Pan and Fred Astaire handled the choreography, which includes ballet sequences, a melodic dog-walking scene, a mechanical number coordinated with the ship’s machinery, as well as the classic dance scenes with Ginger and Fred. Harry Losee was brought in to help with the big ballet finale. The watchable “Shall We Dance” was a big hit at the Depression Era box office for Pandro S. Berman and RKO Radio Pictures. It was filmed at the RKO Studios at 780 N. Gower Street in Hollywood.