Swing Time (George Stevens, 1936)
As mentioned in my 2009 review, I’ve been spending the last few months watching selections from the AFI 100 Movies list (both the original 1998 list and the 2007 revision) and Jonathan Rosenbaum’s alternate 100, compiled as a reaction and counter to flaws within the AFI selections. The idea came out of a desire to find a road map through all the American classics I haven’t yet seen and feel a need to experience. Once I get through the bulk of pre-1960 black & white films on the list, I’ll discuss general thoughts on the selections, in addition to the whole concept of lists and canons.
Swing Time is, of course, not the first film on this compilation of lists, but it appears as #90 on the 2007 revision of AFI’s 100 Movies list. It’s the 6th of 10 films in which Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers appeared together and regarded by many critics as one of the best. To be completely honest, it’s the first Astaire/Rogers feature I’ve ever seen, minus a few clips I’d seen previously, so I’m hardly qualified to judge whether they made anything comparable. But I did enjoy it and would place it among the best entertainments 1930’s Hollywood had to offer.
I say “entertainment” because the story is not particularly deep and contrived in the same manner as most Golden Age romantic comedies. Astaire plays a dancer nicknamed “Lucky,” who misses his wedding and must come up with $25,000 to win back his bride. He ends up in New York where he meets a young dance instructor, Penny (Ginger Rogers), with whom he has real chemistry on the dancefloor. Of course they fall in love, and of course she refuses him after finding out that he’s already engaged, and of course circumstances conspire to bring the two together in the end. Yes, it’s predictable, but it’s well written enough that the twists of fate are surprising, and gambling is used a clever metaphor for how the characters attempt to navigate fate and how easily luck can shift from one’s control.
The romance between the two leads is also allowed to develop gradually, not so much through the dialogue as through the three major dance numbers, which were choreographed by Astaire in collaboration with Hermes Pan. Each of these sequence is built on a similar set of steps, modified to reflect the emotions between the characters in the particular scene. It helps that Astaire is a masterful dancer, full of grace and elegance, while Rogers serves as the perfect foil. These scenes are filmed in long shots with a single take, emphasizing the full movement and feeling of the body. Watching An American in Paris and Singin’ in the Rain, it’s easy to see how Astaire’s approach towards dance in film influenced Gene Kelly and other dancers and choreographers for decades to come.
There are a few other numbers apart from the three pinnacle dance sequences, the most famous being “Bojangles of Harlem,” in which Astaire dons blackface and tap-dances in homage to Bill Robinson. The sequence culminates in Astaire dancing with 3 shadows projected behind him. It’s one of the few numbers in the film that does not pertain directly to the story but allows Astaire to show off his skills with a fun gimmick. Another of my favorite numbers was the infamous “The Way You Look Tonight,” a standard I know well but had never seen in its original context. The “punchline” of this sequence offers an amusing counterpoint to the content of the song. While neither Astaire nor Rogers are brilliant singers, both have the ability to express the basic emotions within the songs and are thus engaging to listen to. The music, composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields, is among the most solid jazz-inflected pop of the period, comparable to George Gershwin and Cole Porter.
Astaire, while charismatic, is not a particularly remarkable actor and really comes alive when he’s dancing, but Rogers is quite natural and engaging, and her presence improves most of the scenes. Helen Broderick and Victor Moore offer plenty of comic relief as the older friends/sidekicks. George Metaxa, as the bandleader whose eyes are also on Penny, is not particularly good, but the character himself is not very well written, serving primarily as another hurtle for the couple to overcome.
Despite this deficiency and the overall lightness of the film, I enjoyed Swing Time for its clever plotting and dialogue. As someone who’s not an enormous fan of musicals (but hardly dislikes the form), I appreciated that the song & dance flowed naturally from the story, rather than imposed on the story or thrown in as a distraction. Mostly, though, I enjoyed the opportunity to watch Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire dance beautifully and gracefully across the screen.
Tags: Comedy, dance, romance, romantic comedy
I’m glad that you enjoyed the movie. The striking thing about it, as you point out, is the dancing and the music. I do have to point out that while you do not consider Astaire remarkable as an actor, you should consider that his acting is of a different kind that those you see in dramas. He acts with his body as well as his face and voice, so he is more akin to a mime than a standard actor. He is more in the vein of Chaplin and Keaton. You really should not apply the same criteria. He is one of the most expressive actors in cinema, and every part of him is part of the act.
My statement about Astaire’s acting talents came off as more harsh than intended. I agree that comedic acting is a different thing than dramatic, and I think Astaire’s acting works rather well for the film and the role is suited to his strengths. There were moments outside the song & dance, however, where I found his acting a bit broad. His ability to emote through dance and to maintain an aura of believability more than made up for this.
I can see the comparison to silent comedians. Thanks for your comment!
I have always preferred Gene Kelly to Astaire.
But! The Band Wagon is Astaire’s best, and I highly recommend you seek it out.
I don’t know which I prefer as an actor or a dancer, but I’ve only seen 3 films between the both of them. Why do you prefer Kelly? Is it just the difference between dancing styles or some other quality
I will keep The Band Wagon in mind.
I prefer Kelly’s much more athletic style to Astaire’s gracefulness. More fun to watch, more pleasing to watch. Not a slight to Astaire’s style at all, which was/is tremendous, but I connect a lot more to Gene Kelly’s. Kelly’s also the better actor. Love his turn as Mencken in “Inherit the Wind.”
I figured it might be the athletic quality of Kelly’s dance style. I haven’t seen Kelly’s non-musical work, but I prefer him to Astaire in terms of acting. He’s somewhat more subtle, though still a bit broad.