Shall We Dance (1937)

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

Director:

Mark Sandrich

Writers:

Allan Scott (screen play), Ernest Pagano (screen play),

Stars:

Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited 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
Harriet Hoctor	...	Herself

Storyline

Ballet star Pete "Petrov" Peters arranges to cross the Atlantic aboard the same ship as the dancer he's fallen for but barely knows, musical star Linda Keene. By the time the ocean liner reaches New York, a little white lie has churned through the rumor mill and turned into a hot gossip item: that the two celebrities are secretly married.

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Plot Keywords:

ballet | ship | dancer | ocean liner | gossip | 

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Taglines:

Oh, what music by George Gershwin!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

7 May 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stepping Toes

Box Office

Budget:

$991,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cinematographer David Abel started the picture but was replaced by Joseph F. Biroc with five weeks of production left. Biroc finished the picture, uncredited.

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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, ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

When George Gershwin's name appears in the credits, a bit of "Rhapsody in Blue" plays on the soundtrack.

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Connections

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies (2004)

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Soundtracks

"They Can't Take That Away from Me"
(1937) (uncredited)
Words by Ira Gershwin
Music by George Gershwin
Played during the opening credits and often in the score
Sung by Fred Astaire

User Reviews

shall we skate?

Perhaps the best number in this is Fred and Ginger's dance 'n tap on roller-skates, but the terrific Gershwin score helps a lot (including 'Let's Call The Whole Thing Off', 'They Can't Take That Away From Me' and several others).

This is one of the pair's best, with the usual strong support from Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore and Jerome Cowan. A silly plot, with Astaire as a Russian ballet dancer (not really Russian, his real name is Peter P Peters!) and Rogers as a musical revue star, who meet and get embroiled in a fake marriage run-around. Horton plays Astaire's fussy manager, Blore plays a pompous hotel manager (the scene in the jail prompting the cop to ask 'what is this, a spelling bee?' is hilarious), and Cowan plays Rogers' manager (a chap distractingly named Arthur Miller).

'Shall We Dance' showcases Ginger Rogers in particular and gives her chance to shine; Fred Astaire remains the usual unattractive pest until he breaks into singing and dancing; and the finale, with a bevy of masked honeys who look like Ginger, has a certain originality. A great team at their very best.