The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)

Director:

H.C. Potter

Writers:

Richard Sherman (screen play)
Oscar Hammerstein II (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 March 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Musical | Romance | War

Plot:

This is the film version of Vernon and Irene Castle, sensational ballroom dancers prior to World War I.

Plot Keywords:

Dancer | Airplane Crash | Husband Wife Relationship | Dance | France

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Fred Astaire	...	Vernon Castle
Ginger Rogers	...	Irene Castle
Edna May Oliver	...	Maggie Sutton
Walter Brennan	...	Walter
Lew Fields	...	Lew Fields
Etienne Girardot	...	Papa Aubel
Janet Beecher	...	Mrs. Foote
Rolfe Sedan	...	Emile Aubel
Leonid Kinskey	...	Artist
Robert Strange	...	Dr. Foote
Douglas Walton	...	Student Pilot
Clarence Derwent	...	Papa Louis
Sonny Lamont	...	Charlie
Frances Mercer	...	Claire Ford
Victor Varconi	...	Grand Duke
Donald MacBride	...	Hotel Manager
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Buzz Barton	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Max Barwyn	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Stockbroker (uncredited)
Joe Bordeaux	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Eugene Borden	...	Frenchman (uncredited)
Lynton Brent	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
Mary Brodel	...	Irene's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Don Brodie	...	Stage Manager at Benefit (uncredited)
Neal Burns	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Marge Champion	...	Irene's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Tom Chatterton	...	Announcer at Benefit (uncredited)
Willis Clare	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Frank Coghlan Jr.	...	Boy in Montage (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Man in Montage (uncredited)
Armand Cortes	...	Wardrobe Man at Benefit (uncredited)
Adrienne D'Ambricourt	...	French Landlady (uncredited)
Roy D'Arcy	...	Actor in 'Patria' (uncredited)
Hal K. Dawson	...	Man in Balcony in Fields Audience (uncredited)
Elspeth Dudgeon	...	Lady Bolton (uncredited)
Dick Elliott	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
Frank Faylen	...	Adjutant (uncredited)
Billy Franey	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Jack Gargan	...	Soldier in Nightclub (uncredited)
Dorothy George	...	Small Role (uncredited)
Jack George	...	Orchestra Conductor - Paris (uncredited)
Wesley Giraud	...	Newsboy at Train Station (uncredited)
Eleanor Hansen	...	Irene's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Neal Hart	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Ethel Haworth	...	Irene's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Russell Hicks	...	Colonel (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	British Sergeant (uncredited)
George Irving	...	Colonel's Aide (uncredited)
Ida May Johnson	...	Small Role (uncredited)
Tiny Jones	...	Lady in Revolving Door (uncredited)
Jacques Lory	...	French Cab Driver (uncredited)
Dorothy Lovett	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Max Lucke	...	Frenchman in Hotel (uncredited)
Hugh McArthur	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
David Mcdonald	...	Army Pilot (uncredited)
Louis Mercier	...	French Singer (uncredited)
John Meredith	...	Army Pilot (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Frank - Stage Manager at Benefit (uncredited)
Bruce Mitchell	...	Movie Director (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Leonard Mudie	...	British Officer (uncredited)
Esther Muir	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Emmett O'Brien	...	Drag Dancer at Benefit (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Milton Owen	...	Recruiter (uncredited)
Bill Patton	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Steve Pendleton	...	Adjutant (uncredited)
Jack Perrin	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Joe Polosci	...	Newsboy at Train Station (uncredited)
Fred Reinhold	...	Small Role (uncredited)
Jack Richardson	...	Old Man in Montage (uncredited)
Jean Sablon	...	Piano Specialty (French Version of 'The Darktown Strutters ' Ball' (uncredited)
Jean Stevens	...	Small Role (uncredited)
Kay Sutton	...	Girl with Stockbrokers (uncredited)
Fred Sweeney	...	Streetcar Conductor (uncredited)
D.H. Turner	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Ellinor Vanderveer	...	Guest with the Grand Duke (uncredited)
Theodore von Eltz	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Allen Wood	...	Flower Delivery Boy on Bus (uncredited)
William Worthington	...	Man Reading Newspaper (uncredited)
Lillian Yarbo	...	Mary - Claire's Maid (uncredited)

Directed by
H.C. Potter		(as H. C. Potter)

Writing credits
Richard Sherman		(screen play)
Oscar Hammerstein II		(adaptation) and
Dorothy Yost		(adaptation)
Irene Castle		(based on stories: "My Husband" and "My Memories of Vernon Castle")

Produced by
George Haight	....	producer

Original Music by
Robert Russell Bennett		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Robert De Grasse		(photographed by) (as Robert de Grasse)

Film Editing by
William Hamilton

Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera		(set decorations)

Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson		(uncredited)

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

Production Management
Pandro S. Berman	....	in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Argyle Nelson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Perry Ferguson	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Richard Van Hessen	....	recordist

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
John Miehle	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene Castle	....	designer: costumes worn by Miss Ginger Rogers
Walter Plunkett	....	wardrobe and ensembles
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Douglas Travers	....	montage
Robert Wise	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Victor Baravalle	....	musical director
Robert Russell Bennett	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Hugo Friedhofer	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Edward B. Powell	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	music arranger (uncredited)
David Raksin	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Roy Webb	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Irene Castle	....	technical advisor
Hermes Pan	....	dance director
Lawrence Grant	....	flight technical advisor (uncredited)
Leigh Jason	....	director: additional scenes (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures (presents) (as R K O Radio Pictures, Inc.)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1939) (USA) (theatrical) (as An R K O Radio Picture)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• Chapel Distribution (2009) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1939) (Belgium) (theatrical) (as RKO Radio Films)
• I.V.C. (1999) (Japan) (DVD)
• I.V.C. (1999) (Japan) (VHS)
• I.V.C. (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
• I.V.C. (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• I.V.C. (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Tohokushinsha Film (1994) (Japan) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Spain:7 | UK:U (passed with cuts) | USA:Approved (PCA #4853)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Opening credits: In a fabulous and beloved era, near enough to be warmly remembered, two bright and shining stars, VERNON and IRENE CASTLE, whirled across the horizon with the hearts of all who loved to dance. This is their story.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Walter, the Foote's and later the Castle's servant/ factotum, was in reality a black man.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fred Astaire: Puttin' on His Top Hat (1980) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Way Down Yonder in New Orleans

Vernon and Irene

From all the films that Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers worked as a team, "The Vernon and Irene Castle Story" is perhaps the only one with a credible story line because it's based on real people. The film is basically Irene Castle's memoirs and it shows us the couple that got people to dance during the first part of the last century. The film, directed by H.C. Potter has some good moments in which the screen play by Dorothy West and Oscar Hammerstein, show us the couple in its heyday.

The Castles were an institution in the America of those years. We follow them throughout their years together and the people around them and we watch them performing some of the songs that were associated with them.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers do wonders with their characters. Edna May Oliver and the wonderful Walter Brennan shine in their roles. We get a small appearance by Lew Fields, the man responsible for the Castle's career in show business.

While most fans of Fred and Ginger will probably be looking to their usual big production numbers, the ones performed in this movie aren't up to par with whatever we have seen them do in previous films, but these actors make a delightful couple, as always.