Swing Time (1936) | |
| Director(s) | George Stevens |
| Producer(s) | Pandro S. Berman |
| Top Genres | Comedy, Musical, Romance |
| Top Topics | Dance, New York, Romance (Comic), Romance (Musical) |
Featured Cast:
Swing Time Overview:
Swing Time (1936) was a Comedy - Musical Film directed by George Stevens and produced by Pandro S. Berman.
SYNOPSIS
Here is one of the high points of the Astaire-Rogers team, and, therefore, one of the greatest of Depression-era song-and-dance spectaculars. The story involves a gambler and dancer (Astaire - and how many times do you see that combination?) who's engaged to marry Furness, but first must raise $25,000 to prove he can support her. When he meets dance teacher Rogers at Blore's dance academy, all thoughts of money fly away. The scene in which Rogers teaches Astaire to dance and the justly famous "The Way You Look Tonight" sequence are standouts. Stevens gives the familiar formula a witty lift and the Kern-Fields numbers delight. Priceless. The laserdisc edition includes audio commentary by John Mueller (author of Astaire Dancing: The Musical Films), a photo scrapbook of behind-the-scenes stills, and a clip for the 1935 RKO film Hooray for Love, with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Fats Waller.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.Swing Time was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2004.
Academy Awards 1936 --- Ceremony Number 9 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Music - Song | Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Dorothy Fields | Won |
BlogHub Articles:
Swing Time (1936) (3)
By Cameron on Oct 25, 2017 From The Blonde At The Filmvia: http://beverlygray.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/lights-out-for-la-la-land.html ? Unless otherwise noted, all images are my own. Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire are back in their sixth of ten films together. Swing Time (1936) is usually considered one of the best of the bunch, mostly because of the sco... Read full article
DOUBLE BILL #3 Top Hat (1935) and Swing Time (1936)
By Carol Martinheira on Jun 4, 2017 From The Old Hollywood GardenDOUBLE BILL #3 Top Hat (1935) and Swing Time (1936) On June 4, 2017June 4, 2017 By CarolIn Uncategorized Musicals of the 1930s are pretty much screwball comedies with songs. And they?re absolutely fabulous. Especially Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers ones. Ten adorable l... Read full article
Swing Time (1936) – Updated
By 4 Star Film Fan on Jan 13, 2016 From 4 Star FilmsI wondered to myself, after watching Swing Time once again, if anyone else might have easily taken Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ places as films greatest dancing couple, and then I quickly discarded this heretical idea. They appeared in 10 films together with this film directed by George Ste... Read full article
Review: Swing Time (1936) (1)
By 4 Star Film Fan on Jan 13, 2016 From 4 Star FilmsI wondered to myself, after watching Swing Time once again, if anyone else might have easily taken Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ places as films greatest dancing couple, and then I quickly discarded this heretical idea. They appeared in 10 films together with this film directed by George Ste... Read full article
Review: Swing Time (1936) (2)
By 4 Star Film Fan on Jan 13, 2016 From 4 Star FilmsI wondered to myself, after watching Swing Time once again, if anyone else might have easily taken Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ places as films greatest dancing couple, and then I quickly discarded this heretical idea. They appeared in 10 films together with this film directed by George Ste... Read full article
See all Swing Time articles
Quotes from
Everett 'Pop' Cardetti: What is?
Mabel Anderson: The music.
Everett 'Pop' Cardetti: What music?
Mabel Anderson: The music they're playing.
Everett 'Pop' Cardetti: Oh, yeah.
[pause]
Everett 'Pop' Cardetti: What made you think of it?
Mabel Anderson: Think of what?
Everett 'Pop' Cardetti: The music.
Mabel Anderson: [said sarcastically] Oh, I don't know; my mind was wandering, I guess.
Lucky Garnett: Please teacher, teach me something. Nice teacher, teach me something. I'm as awkward as a camel, that's not the worst... My two feet haven't met yet, but I'll be teacher's pet yet, 'cause I'm gonna learn to dance or burst. Nothing's impossible I have found, for when my chin is on the ground, I pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again. Don't lose your confidence - if you slip, be grateful for a pleasant trip and pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again. Work like a soul inspired, till the battle of the day is won. You may be sick and tired, but you'll be a man, my son! Will you remember the famous men, who had to fall to rise again? So take a deep breath, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again. I'll get some self assurance if your endurance is great. I'll learn by easy stages if you're courageous and wait. To feel the strength I want to-- I must hang on to your hand. Maybe by the time I'm fifty I'll get up and do a nifty... Nothing's impossible I have found, for when my chin is on the ground, I pick myself up, dust myself off, start all over again.
Lucky Garnett: Some day, when I'm awfully low, when the world is cold, I will feel a glow just thinking of you... And the way you look tonight. Yes, you're lovely, with your smile so warm and your cheeks so soft. There is nothing for me but to love you, and the way you look tonight. With each word your tenderness grows, tearing my fear apart... And that laugh that wrinkles your nose, touches my foolish heart. Lovely ... Never, ever change. Keep that breathless charm. Won't you please arrange it? 'Cause I love you ... and the way you look tonight.
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Facts about
Fred Astaire always insisted that his dance routines be filmed in one continuous camera shot, showing the dancer(s) from head to foot. However, in the "Never Gonna Dance" number, there is an obvious moment when 'Astaire and Rogers' reach the tops of their respective winding staircases that the camera shot changes quickly to reflect the fact that the filming camera had to be brought upstairs to shoot the close-up finale of the dance number.
The shadow dance idea for "Bojangles of Harlem" occurred to choreographer Hermes Pan and Fred Astaire during rehearsals, when three different light sources illuminating Astaire produced three shadows.
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