Shall We Dance (1937)

A budding romance between a ballet master and a tap dancer becomes complicated when rumors 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	...	Peter P. Peters aka Petrov
Ginger Rogers	...	Linda Keene
Edward Everett Horton	...	Jeffrey Baird
Eric Blore	...	Cecil Flintridge
Jerome Cowan	...	Arthur Miller
Ketti Gallian	...	Lady Tarrington
William Brisbane	...	Jim Montgomery
Ann Shoemaker	...	Shipboard Gossip Matron
Harriet Hoctor	...	Harriet Hoctor - Dancer

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 | ocean liner | gossip | dancer | ship | 

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Taglines:

Cut loose! Relax! Unbend! and clear your throat for cheering!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

7 May 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stepping Toes

Filming Locations:

RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$991,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,662

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

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.

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Goofs

At one part, Petrov is standing in front of a full-length mirror talking to Jeffrey. The reflection in the mirror doesn't match the actor's (or stand-in) playing Petrov's movements.

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Quotes

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

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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

Referenced in At the Movies: The Newton Boys/Meet the Deedles/A Price Above Rubies/No Looking Back (1998)

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Soundtracks

Shall We Dance
(1937) (uncredited)
Words by Ira Gershwin
Music by George Gershwin
Danced by Fred Astaire and Harriet Hoctor in the ballet sequence opening this number
Sung by Fred Astaire
Danced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the closing sequence

User Reviews

Perfect

As a classic movie buff,I can honestly say that this is one of the greatest movies Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire ever made together. The story line is light, however, you must remember that this movie was made in the middle of the Depression, a time when people needed a light story(hence the major reason why Musicals were made in the first place). This movie is in my top 4 favorite Astaire/Rogers musicals, along with Top Hat(1935),Swing Time(1936), and Follow The Fleet(1936).I urge everyone to see those as well. The songs in this movie are wonderful,particularly "They All Laughed" and "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off."