Shall We Dance (1937)

Director:

Mark Sandrich

Writers:

Allan Scott (screenplay) and
Ernest Pagano (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

7 May 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Hot Feet !

Plot:

A budding romance between a ballet master and a tapdancer becomes complicated when rumours surface that they're already married.

Plot Keywords:

Ballet | Dancer | Ship | Ocean Liner | Gossip

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 26

12:30 PM

TCM

Cast

Fred Astaire	...	Petrov
Ginger Rogers	...	Linda Keene
Edward Everett Horton	...	Jeffrey Baird
Eric Blore	...	Cecil Flintridge
Jerome Cowan	...	Arthur Miller
Ketti Gallian	...	Lady Denise Tarrington
William Brisbane	...	Jim Montgomery
Ann Shoemaker	...	Matron Spreading Gossip
Harriet Hoctor	...	Herself

Also Known As:

Stepping Toes (USA) (working title)
Watch Your Step (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

109 min | Argentina:116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Australia:G | Finland:S | USA:Unrated | UK:U (video rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #2994) | UK:U (original rating)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Pat Flaherty as Park Policeman and J.M. Kerrigan are in studio records/casting call lists for this movie, but they did not appear or were not identifiable.

Quotes:

Jeffrey Baird: [picks up phone] Hello?
Cecil Flintridge: Oh, hello, Jeffrey. Yes, are you there?
Jeffrey Baird: Of course I'm here.
Cecil Flintridge: Now don't shout at me - I'm in jail.
Jeffrey Baird: Well, that's all right; we don't need you.
Cecil Flintridge: I'm in jail for battery, and I want you to get me out. I'm at the Susquehannah Street Jail . . . Susquehannah! Susquehannah - S-U-S-Q-U-Q! Q! You know, the thing you play billiards with . . . Billiards! B-I-L-L-
Policeman at Jail: What is this, a spelling bee?
Cecil Flintridge: Ahem. No, "L" for larynx. L-A-R-Y . . . N-No, not "M", N! . . . "N" as in neighbor! Neighbor, N-E-I-G-H-B--B! B! Bzzz. Bzzz. You know, the stinging insect! Insect! I-N-S-S! S, for symbol. S-Y . . . Y! Y!
Jeffrey Baird: Well, why? Don't ask me "why."
Cecil Flintridge: Look, Jeffrey. I'm in jail. W-wait a minute. What jail did you say this was?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Recording 'The Producers': A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks (2001) (TV)

Soundtrack:

They Can't Take That Away from Me

"Still I Always Always Keep The Memory Of"

With a fluff plot that's sillier than usual, Shall We Dance marks the one and only time the brothers Gershwin wrote a score for an Astaire/ Rogers musical. Fred was certainly no stranger to George and Ira, they had written Funny Face on Broadway for him and also had done Damsel in Distress which he co-starred with Joan Fontaine the year before.

This also is the last complete score the Gershwins did for the screen. While writing the score for the Goldwyn Follies, George would suddenly die of a brain tumor. It's a beautiful selection of songs, topped off by They Can't Take That Away From Me, a song forever after identified with Fred Astaire. It's also one of my favorite Gershwin songs, in fact one of my favorites period.

Fred's a hoofer at heart, but he's pretending to be a Russian ballet star named Petrov, appropriate for a guy named Peter Peters in real life. The girl he's infatuated with, musical comedy star Ginger Rogers is sailing to America on the same ship.

Through an incredible combination of circumstances rumor gets around that the two of them are in fact married. All the doing of her producer Jerome Cowan and Fred's manager Edward Everett Horton. They actually have to get married to keep the ruse going. Of course I needn't say what happens after that.

Two other Gershwin standards, They All Laughed and Nice Work If You Can Get It are sung and danced by the pair, the latter on roller skates. I also liked Fred's solo number with the engine room men on the ocean liner, Slap That Bass. The brothers Gershwin obviously saw the success Astaire had with Bojangles of Harlem in Swing Time and decided to imitate shall we say.

Look for a nice performance also by Eric Blore who plays the frustrated hotel manager who is getting positively flustered about how to handle the married/unmarried pair of Astaire and Rogers in his hotel.

There is a touch of sadness to this musical realizing that an incredible talent in George Gershwin would be stilled very shortly. I do love that man's music so.

You'll keep the memory of this film long after seeing it even once.