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IMDbPro

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle

  • 19391939
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
2.7K
YOUR RATING
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
BiographyDramaMusic
The story of the dancing team who taught the world to two-step.The story of the dancing team who taught the world to two-step.The story of the dancing team who taught the world to two-step.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
2.7K
YOUR RATING
    • H.C. Potter
  • Writers
    • Richard Sherman(screen play)
    • Oscar Hammerstein II(adaptation)
    • Dorothy Yost(adaptation)
  • Stars
    • Fred Astaire
    • Ginger Rogers
    • Edna May Oliver
    • H.C. Potter
  • Writers
    • Richard Sherman(screen play)
    • Oscar Hammerstein II(adaptation)
    • Dorothy Yost(adaptation)
  • Stars
    • Fred Astaire
    • Ginger Rogers
    • Edna May Oliver
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 45User reviews
    • 15Critic reviews
    • 67Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Photos175

    Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
    Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
    Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
    Walter Brennan and Ginger Rogers in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
    Walter Brennan and Ginger Rogers in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
    Ginger Rogers in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
    Ginger Rogers in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
    Ginger Rogers, Donald MacBride, and Edna May Oliver in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
    Walter Brennan in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
    Fred Astaire, Walter Brennan, and Donald MacBride in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
    Bruce Mitchell and Edna May Oliver in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
    Ginger Rogers, Adrienne D'Ambricourt, and Roy D'Arcy in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Fred Astaire
    Fred Astaire
    • Vernon Castle
    Ginger Rogers
    Ginger Rogers
    • Irene Castle
    Edna May Oliver
    Edna May Oliver
    • Maggie Sutton
    Walter Brennan
    Walter Brennan
    • Walter
    Lew Fields
    Lew Fields
    • Lew Fields
    Etienne Girardot
    Etienne Girardot
    • Papa Aubel
    Janet Beecher
    Janet Beecher
    • Mrs. Foote
    Rolfe Sedan
    Rolfe Sedan
    • Emile Aubel
    Leonid Kinskey
    Leonid Kinskey
    • Artist
    Robert Strange
    Robert Strange
    • Dr. Foote
    Douglas Walton
    Douglas Walton
    • Student Pilot
    Clarence Derwent
    • Papa Louis
    Sonny Lamont
    Sonny Lamont
    • Charlie
    Frances Mercer
    Frances Mercer
    • Claire Ford
    Victor Varconi
    Victor Varconi
    • Grand Duke
    Donald MacBride
    Donald MacBride
    • Hotel Manager
    Buzz Barton
    Buzz Barton
    • Undetermined Secondary Role
    • (uncredited)
    Max Barwyn
    Max Barwyn
    • Waiter - Cafe de Paris
    • (uncredited)
      • H.C. Potter
    • Writers
      • Richard Sherman(screen play)
      • Oscar Hammerstein II(adaptation)
      • Dorothy Yost(adaptation)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Irene Castle criticized the casting of white actor Walter Brennan to portray her life-long companion and manservant Walter Ash, who was black. She also noted that she and Vernon Castle always toured with a black orchestra, James Reese Europe's Society Orchestra, not a white band. Studio executives overruled Castle's protests in order for the film to play in theaters throughout the southern United States. Due to the film's factual errors and conservative depiction of the era, Castle disowned the film.
    • Goofs
      Walter, the Footes' and later the Castles' servant / factotum was, in reality, a black man.
    • 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!

    • Connections
      Featured in Fred Astaire: Puttin' on His Top Hat (1980)
    • Soundtracks
      Only When You're in My Arms
      (1939)

      by Con Conrad - Herman Ruby Bert Kalmar

      Sung by Fred Astaire (uncredited)

      End dance: Fred Astaire (uncredited) and Ginger Rogers (uncredited)

    User reviews45

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Fred and Ginger as Vernon and Irene
    How strange to contemplate the enormous popularity of Vernon and Irene Castle before World War I and to realize that, without this film, no one would know who they are today. I hope the same is never true of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' teaming. Because of their presence on film in ten movies, it shouldn't.

    Based on two Irene Castle books, this movie has more plot and more drama than the other Fred and Ginger pairings, and if you can accept that it isn't "Flying Down to Rio," "Top Hat," or "Swing Time," you'll enjoy it. Ginger Rogers does a great job as Irene, in the more dramatic of the two roles, proving again what a wonderful actress she was. The dancing was, of course, great. Ginger's gowns were actually copies of Irene's trendsetting gowns. Irene's hairstyle was well-known as well, and she wanted Ginger to dye her hair dark to match her own. But Rogers refused.

    Vernon and Irene, during their short pairing, introduced many dances to the public, including the "Castle Walk" and the fox trot.

    The movie's ending is a sad one, but I can't agree with another poster than the final visual was trite. I kind of liked it.
    helpful•19
    2
    • blanche-2
    • Jul 30, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 29, 1939 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
      • RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • RKO Radio Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 33 minutes
      • Black and White

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