Shall We Dance (1937)

Director:

Mark Sandrich

Writers:

Allan Scott (screen play) and
Ernest Pagano (screen play) ...
(more)

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 | Ship | Dancer | Ocean Liner | Gossip

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 nominations

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Norman Ainsley	...	Ship's Bartender (uncredited)
Ben Alexander	...	Evans - a Bandleader (uncredited)
Sherwood Bailey	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Matthew Boulton	...	Ship's Officer (uncredited)
Harry Bowen	...	Johnson - the Locksmith (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey	...	First Steward (uncredited)
William Burress	...	New Jersey Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Charles Coleman	...	Central Park Policeman (uncredited)
Monte Collins	...	Usher-Messenger (uncredited)
Jean De Briac	...	Show Producer (uncredited)
Dudley Dickerson	...	Engine Room Singer (uncredited)
Pauline Garon	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Douglas Gordon	...	Steward (uncredited)
Helena Grant	...	Passenger Starting Gossip (uncredited)
Charlie Hall	...	Ship's Bartender (uncredited)
Eddie Hall	...	Man on Stairs with Blonde (uncredited)
Jane Hamilton	...	Woman (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Passenger Walking Dog (uncredited)
Sam Hayes	...	Dispatcher (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Fire Drill Steward (uncredited)
Tiny Jones	...	Flower Woman (uncredited)
Lew Kelly	...	Policeman at Jail (uncredited)
George Magrill	...	Room Steward (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Marie Marks	...	Woman (uncredited)
Alphonse Martell	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Show Producer (uncredited)
Frank Moran	...	Process Server (uncredited)
Henry Mowbray	...	Radio Officer (uncredited)
Leonard Mudie	...	Room Service Waiter (uncredited)
Vesey O'Davoren	...	Ship's Bartender (uncredited)
Jack Rice	...	Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Matty Roubert	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
George Savidan	...	Errand Boy (uncredited)
Rolfe Sedan	...	Ballet Master (uncredited)
Ann Shoemaker	...	Matron Spreading Gossip (uncredited)
Mary Stewart	...	Dancer and Singer (uncredited)
Spencer Teakle	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Pete Theodore	...	Linda's Dancing Partner (uncredited)
Richard Tucker	...	Mr. Russell - Attorney (uncredited)
Marek Windheim	...	Ballet Master (uncredited)
Sam Wren	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Emma Young	...	Tai (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Sandrich

Writing credits
Allan Scott		(screen play) and
Ernest Pagano		(screen play)
P.J. Wolfson		(adaptation)
Lee Loeb		(based on a story by) and
Harold Buchman		(based on a story by)
Anne Morrison Chapin		contributor to treatment (uncredited)
James Gow		contributor to screenplay construction (uncredited)
Edmund H. North		contributor to screenplay construction (uncredited)

Produced by
Pandro S. Berman	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
George Gershwin
Robert Russell Bennett		(uncredited)
Nathaniel Shilkret		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
David Abel		(photographed by)
Joseph F. Biroc		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
William Hamilton

Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase

Makeup Department
Mel Berns	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
J.R. Crone	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Argyle Nelson	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Carroll Clark	....	associate art director
Darrell Silvera	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Hugh McDowell Jr.	....	recordist

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects (as Vernon Walker)
Katherine Stubergh	....	character masks (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
J. Roy Hunt	....	camera operator (uncredited)
John Miehle	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene	....	gowns: Miss Rogers
Edith Clark	....	wardrobe attendant (uncredited)

Music Department
Ira Gershwin	....	lyricist
Nathaniel Shilkret	....	musical director
Robert Russell Bennett	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Hal Borne	....	musician: rehearsal pianist (uncredited)
Joseph A. Livingston	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Harry Losee	....	ballet stager
Hermes Pan	....	ballet stager
Harry Cornbleth	....	stand-in: Fred Astaire (uncredited)
Eddie Hall	....	stand-in: Edward Everett Horton (uncredited)
John Huettner	....	stand-in: Edward Everett Horton (uncredited)
Marie Osborne	....	stand-in: Ginger Rogers (uncredited)
Paul Rochin	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Harry Timms	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures (presents) (as RKO Radio Pictures Inc.)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1937) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Radio Picture)
• RKO Radio Pictures Argentina (1937) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Films (1937) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (2009) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Emerald (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1994) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Turner Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

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:

Australia:G | Finland:S | USA:Unrated | UK:U (video rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #2994) | UK:U (original rating) | Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Netherlands:AL (original rating) (1937)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

The scene where Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance on roller skates took about 150 takes, according to one of the VHS versions of the film.

Quotes:

Arthur Miller:What does your watch say?
Jeffrey Baird:It says, "Tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Muppet Show: Episode #3.20" (1979)

Soundtrack:

Shall We Dance

Classic Astaire and Rogers

Astaire plays ballet star Pete "Petrov" Peters who falls for Rogers (Linda Keene).He arranges to cross the Atlantic aboard the same ship as Rogers and along the way he sings and dances and they dance together. Edward Everett Horton plays his manager and provides the comic relief. But who cares about the plot. We watch these movies for the songs and dancing and they are good. A highlight is Astaire's solo number in the steam room of the ship as he dances in time to the ship's pistons. There are some classic George Gershwin songs in this one: "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me".

This is the 7th pairing of Astaire and Rogers. You can also see Astaire and Rogers in these films: Shall We Dance (1937) Swing Time (1936) Follow the Fleet (1936) Top Hat (1935) Roberta (1935) The Gay Divorcée (1934) Flying Down to Rio (1933)