An American dancer comes to Britain and falls for a model whom he initially annoyed, but she mistakes him for his goofy producer.An American dancer comes to Britain and falls for a model whom he initially annoyed, but she mistakes him for his goofy producer.An American dancer comes to Britain and falls for a model whom he initially annoyed, but she mistakes him for his goofy producer.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
19K
YOUR RATING
- Director
- Writers
- Dwight Taylor(screen play)
- Allan Scott(screen play)
- Aladar Laszlo(play)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Dwight Taylor(screen play)
- Allan Scott(screen play)
- Aladar Laszlo(play)
- Stars
- Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 2 wins & 6 nominations total
Videos1
Lucille Ball
- Flower Clerkas Flower Clerk
- (uncredited)
Tito Blasco
- Minor Roleas Minor Role
- (uncredited)
William A. Boardway
- Club Memberas Club Member
- (uncredited)
Tom Brandon
- Minor Roleas Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Roy Brent
- Minor Roleas Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Tex Brodus
- Hotel Guestas Hotel Guest
- (uncredited)
Phyllis Coghlan
- Danceras Dancer
- (uncredited)
Tom Costello
- Minor Roleas Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Lorinne Crawford
- Danceras Dancer
- (uncredited)
Oliver Cross
- Hotel Guestas Hotel Guest
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Dwight Taylor(screen play) (story)
- Allan Scott(screen play)
- Aladar Laszlo(play) (uncredited)
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
- All cast & crew
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe finale of "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" production number with Fred Astaire miming his cane as a weapon "attacking" his supporting dancers, 13 canes were prepared for it. During shooting, Astaire, ever the unforgiving perfectionist, was continually breaking his canes in frustration at his mistakes, which concerned the crew that he was running out of them. As it turns out, the shooting of the scene was finished with the very last cane.
- GoofsThe opening scenes shows Jerry Travers already seated in the lounge of the club. No gentlemen's club, at least a London club, to this day allows guests to be seated in the lounge before their sponsor arrives and vouches for them.
- Quotes
Jerry Travers: In dealing with a girl or horse, one just lets nature take its course.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Hollywood and the Stars: The Fabulous Musicals (1963)
- SoundtracksAlexander's Ragtime Band
(1911) (fragment) (uncredited)
Music by Irving Berlin
In the score during the opening credits
Top review
It's like dancing on air...
TOP HAT is the quintessential Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers film--it might be the first of their nine pairings together that I've seen, but already I can tell just what it is that makes 'Fred & Ginger' almost a brand-name everywhere. Neither Fred Astaire nor Ginger Rogers wanted to get too stereotyped as being the other's partner (Rogers especially took roles specifically to get away from being typecast as one half of a dancing team), but watching them dance, you really couldn't imagine their names coming apart in conversation. It will always have to be 'Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers', because their dancing takes your breath away. The fact that it is incredibly technically complicated is itself astounding... what makes it all the better is that they make it look so darn easy and natural.
Astaire plays Jerry Travers, a professional dancer who meets and falls in love with Dale Tremont (Rogers). He tries very hard to woo her, by filling her room with flowers and singing her through a storm (the beautiful "Isn't This A Lovely Day"). Dale, unfortunately, mistakes him for her friend Madge's husband, Horace Hardwick (played with acerbic relish by Edward Everett Horton). The comedy of errors continues for most of the film, since Dale continually mistakes Jerry for Horace (regaling Madge with 'Horace's' attempts at romancing her), and her costume designer Alberto Beddini is therefore convinced that Horace is the one he must 'kill'--so as to avenge Ms. Tremont.
The plotline itself is slightly fantastical, littered with just enough eccentric characters to have you falling off your seat laughing at some of the things they do and say. Erik Rhodes as Beddini, for example, has some of the best lines in the film--"I'm a-rich and a-pretty..." He practically steals the show, which is hard given the presence of veteran scene-stealers like Horton and Helen Broderick as Madge Hardwick. Although the comedy of errors arising from the mistaken identity wears a bit thin after a while, it *does* provide some absolutely top-notch comic moments. Take the scene when Madge urges Dale to dance with Jerry--the look of utter *un*comprehension on Dale's face when Madge keeps urging them to dance closer is most certainly one for the DVD pause button. ;)
Aside from the dancing (which is sublime, and undescribable--'Fred & Ginger' is something you have to see in action for yourself to believe), the score is brilliant. Irving Berlin has penned some of the most beautiful songs ever, and here we have just a small but certainly representative sampling of them, with "Isn't This A Lovely Day", "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails", and, of course, "Cheek To Cheek"... a classic by any standard.
What Fred & Ginger lack in palpable, explosive chemistry (along the lines of that shared by Tracy and Hepburn, or Bogart and Bacall), however, they more than make up for in their perfect synchronicity with each other--they're perfectly in tune through every dance sequence, and that's a delight, and amazing, to see.
Overall the film is a bit uneven, coasting along on the charm of its dancing leads. But it's most certainly one that's worth watching, quite simply so you can finally say that you've seen a Fred/Ginger movie, and now know what all that fuss was about. Because, goodness, there really is nothing quite so magical as when Astaire takes Rogers in his arms and spins her around a dance floor, defying gravity and all laws of motion.
Physics means nothing when it comes to these two...
Astaire plays Jerry Travers, a professional dancer who meets and falls in love with Dale Tremont (Rogers). He tries very hard to woo her, by filling her room with flowers and singing her through a storm (the beautiful "Isn't This A Lovely Day"). Dale, unfortunately, mistakes him for her friend Madge's husband, Horace Hardwick (played with acerbic relish by Edward Everett Horton). The comedy of errors continues for most of the film, since Dale continually mistakes Jerry for Horace (regaling Madge with 'Horace's' attempts at romancing her), and her costume designer Alberto Beddini is therefore convinced that Horace is the one he must 'kill'--so as to avenge Ms. Tremont.
The plotline itself is slightly fantastical, littered with just enough eccentric characters to have you falling off your seat laughing at some of the things they do and say. Erik Rhodes as Beddini, for example, has some of the best lines in the film--"I'm a-rich and a-pretty..." He practically steals the show, which is hard given the presence of veteran scene-stealers like Horton and Helen Broderick as Madge Hardwick. Although the comedy of errors arising from the mistaken identity wears a bit thin after a while, it *does* provide some absolutely top-notch comic moments. Take the scene when Madge urges Dale to dance with Jerry--the look of utter *un*comprehension on Dale's face when Madge keeps urging them to dance closer is most certainly one for the DVD pause button. ;)
Aside from the dancing (which is sublime, and undescribable--'Fred & Ginger' is something you have to see in action for yourself to believe), the score is brilliant. Irving Berlin has penned some of the most beautiful songs ever, and here we have just a small but certainly representative sampling of them, with "Isn't This A Lovely Day", "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails", and, of course, "Cheek To Cheek"... a classic by any standard.
What Fred & Ginger lack in palpable, explosive chemistry (along the lines of that shared by Tracy and Hepburn, or Bogart and Bacall), however, they more than make up for in their perfect synchronicity with each other--they're perfectly in tune through every dance sequence, and that's a delight, and amazing, to see.
Overall the film is a bit uneven, coasting along on the charm of its dancing leads. But it's most certainly one that's worth watching, quite simply so you can finally say that you've seen a Fred/Ginger movie, and now know what all that fuss was about. Because, goodness, there really is nothing quite so magical as when Astaire takes Rogers in his arms and spins her around a dance floor, defying gravity and all laws of motion.
Physics means nothing when it comes to these two...
helpful•776
- gaityr
- Jun 7, 2002
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- The World by the Tail
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $609,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $5,541
- Runtime1 hour 41 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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