The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)

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Approved
1h 33min
Biography, Drama
29 Mar 1939 (USA)
Movie

6.9 (2,874)

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The story of the dancing team who taught the world to two-step.

Director:

H.C. Potter

Writers:

Stars:

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination.
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Reviews:

Photos and Videos

Still of Ginger Rogers in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)

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182 photos

Cast verified as complete

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	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	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Max Barwyn	...	Waiter - Cafe de Paris (uncredited)
	Brooks Benedict	...	Stockbroker (uncredited)
	Joe Bordeaux	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Eugene Borden	...	Frenchman (uncredited)
	Lynton Brent	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
	Mary Brodel	...	Irene's Girlfriend (uncredited)
	Don Brodie	...	Stage Manager at Benefit (uncredited)
	Neal Burns	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Marge Champion	...	Irene's Girlfriend (uncredited)
	Tom Chatterton	...	Announcer at Benefit (uncredited)
	Willis Clare	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (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)
	Dick Dennis	...	Singer (uncredited)
	Elspeth Dudgeon	...	Lady Bolton (uncredited)
	Dick Elliott	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
	Frank Faylen	...	Adjutant (uncredited)
	Billy Franey	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Jack Gargan	...	Soldier in Nightclub (uncredited)
	Dorothy George	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Jack George	...	Orchestra Conductor - Paris (uncredited)
	Wesley Giraud	...	Newsboy at Train Station (uncredited)
	Eleanor Hansen	...	Irene's Girlfriend (uncredited)
	Neal Hart	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (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	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (as Mabel Marden) (uncredited)
	Tiny Jones	...	Lady in Revolving Door (uncredited)
	Jacques Lory	...	French Cab Driver (uncredited)
	Dorothy Lovett	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Max Lucke	...	Frenchman in Hotel (uncredited)
	Hugh McArthur	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (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 Customer (uncredited)
	Leonard Mudie	...	British Officer (uncredited)
	Esther Muir	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Emmett O'Brien	...	Drag Dancer at Benefit (uncredited)
	Frank O'Connor	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Milton Owen	...	Recruiter (uncredited)
	Bill Patton	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Steve Pendleton	...	Adjutant (uncredited)
	Jack Perrin	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Joe Polosci	...	Newsboy at Train Station (uncredited)
	Russ Powell	...	Man in Hair-Cutting Montage (uncredited)
	Fred Reinhold	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Jack Richardson	...	Old Man in Montage (uncredited)
	Jean Sablon	...	Piano Specialty (French Version of 'The Darktown Strutters ' Ball' (uncredited)
	Jean Stevens	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Kay Sutton	...	Girl with Stockbrokers (uncredited)
	Fred Sweeney	...	Streetcar Conductor (uncredited)
	D.H. Turner	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Ellinor Vanderveer	...	Guest with the Grand Duke (uncredited)
	Theodore von Eltz	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
	Poppy Wilde	...	Guest with the Grand Duke (uncredited)
	Allen Wood	...	Flower Delivery Boy on Bus (uncredited)
	William Worthington	...	Man Reading Newspaper (uncredited)
	Lillian Yarbo	...	Mary - Claire's Maid (uncredited)

Directed by

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H.C. Potter

Written by

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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" by)

Produced by

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George Haight

...

producer

Music by

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Robert Russell Bennett

...

(uncredited)

Cinematography by

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Robert De Grasse

...

(photographed by) (as Robert de Grasse)

Editing by

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William Hamilton

...

(edited by)

Editorial Department

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

Art Direction by

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Van Nest Polglase

Set Decoration by

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Darrell Silvera

...

(set decorations)

Costume Design by

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Edward Stevenson

...

(uncredited)

Makeup Department

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Mel Berns

...

makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management

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Pandro S. Berman

...

in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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W. Argyle Nelson

...

assistant director (as Argyle Nelson)

Art Department

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Perry Ferguson

...

associate art director

Sound Department

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Richard Van Hessen

...

recordist

Special Effects by

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Vernon L. Walker

...

special effects

Camera and Electrical Department

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John Miehle

...

still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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

Music Department

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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)

Additional Crew

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

Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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RKO Radio Pictures (presents)

Distributors

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RKO Radio Pictures (1939) (United States) (theatrical) (as An R K O Radio Picture)
RKO Distributing Corporation of Canada (1939) (Canada) (theatrical) (as RKO Distributing Corporation of Canada, Ltd.)
RKO Radio Pictures (1939) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (as RKO Radio Pictures, Ltd.)
RKO Pictures (Australasia) (1939) (Australia) (theatrical)
RKO Radio Pictures (1939) (Belgium) (theatrical) (as RKO Radio Films)
RKO Radio Pictures (1939) (Sweden) (theatrical)
Kinografen (1939) (Norway) (theatrical)
C&C Television Corporation (1955) (United States) (tv)
Tohokushinsha Film Corporation (TFC) (1994) (Japan) (VHS)
I.V.C. (1999) (Japan) (DVD)
I.V.C. (1999) (Japan) (VHS)
Warner Home Video (2000) (United States) (VHS)
I.V.C. (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
I.V.C. (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
Warner Home Video (2006) (United States) (DVD)
I.V.C. (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
Chapel Distribution (2009) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary	In 1911, Vernon Castle, minor comic in a stage revue, pursues the leading lady to a New Jersey beach where, instead, he meets stage-struck Irene Foote. A few misadventures later, they're married; at Irene's insistence, they abandon comedy to attempt a dancing career, which only lands them in Paris without a sou. Fortunately, agent Maggie Sutton hears them rehearse and starts them on their brilliant career as the world's foremost ballroom dancers. But at the height of their fame, World War I begins. Written by Rod Crawford Plot Summary
Plot Keywords	seven-word-title vernon-castle-character irene-caste-character character-names-in-title dancing See All (21) »
Taglines	Dazzling entertainment rainbowed by memory's most haunting hit melodies! (Print Ad-Greenfield Recorder-Gazette, ((Greenfield, Mass.)) 6 May 1939) See more »
Genres	Biography Drama Musical Romance War
Parents Guide	Add content advisory for parents »
Certification	Brazil:Livre Finland:S France:Tous publics Italy:T Japan:G New Zealand:G Norway:A Spain:7 Sweden:Btl United Kingdom:U United States:Approved

Additional Details

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Also Known As	The Life of the Castles (United States) The Life of Vernon and Irene Castle (United States) The Castles (United States) The Romantic Vernon Castles (United States) La grande farandole (France) See more »
Runtime	93 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Color	Black and White
Aspect Ratio	1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono (RCA Victor System)
Filming Locations	RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »

Box Office

Budget	$1,196,000 (estimated)
Cumulative Worldwide Gross	$705,000

Did You Know?

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Trivia	Irene Castle served as a technical advisor on the film. According to Ginger Rogers, Castle disliked every costume she wore and deemed them anachronistic. Due to censorship restrictions, Rogers' costumes evoked late 1930s fashions rather than the more daring styles of Castle's 1910s era. After Rogers refused to bob her hair to portray the hairstyle that Irene had popularized, Castle became more displeased. The studio silenced Castle's protests with an additional payment of $5,000. See more »
Goofs	The film erroneously depicts the Castles touring with white orchestras. In actuality, Vernon and Irene Castle always toured with a black orchestra; specifically, James Reese Europe's Society Orchestra. See more »
Movie Connections	Featured in Fred Astaire: Puttin' on His Top Hat (1980). See more »
Soundtracks	Only When You're in My Arms See more »
Quotes	Irene Castle: I thought you could be a first dancer, a very beautiful first dancer because you are a beautiful dancer but you're so smug and conceited that you can't see any further than your funny nose! See more »

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