Swing Time (1938), won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and went on to become Astaire's most successful hit record, scoring first place in the U.S. charts in 1936. Kern's score, the second of three he composed specially for Astaire, contains three of his most memorable songs.[4]
But while it is considered to be one of Astaire and Rogers' greatest films, the film's plot has been criticized[5] as has the performance of Metaxa.[1][2] On the plus side is a particularly fine acting and dancing performance[6] from Ginger Rogers who, it is believed,[2] had an affair with director Stevens during the making of the film. Rogers herself, credited much of the film's success to Stevens: "He gave us a certain quality, I think, that made it stand out above the others."[2] Swing Time also marked the beginning of a decline in popularity of the Astaire-Rogers partnership among the general public, with box office receipts falling faster than usual, after a successful opening.[7] Nevertheless, the film was a sizable hit, costing $886,000 while grossing over $2,600,000 worldwide and showing a net profit of $830,000. Still, the partnership never again quite regained the creative heights scaled in this and previous films.[8]
In 1999, Swing Time was one of Entertainment Weekly's top 100 films. In 2004, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In the new AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) it has been added at #90.
Swing Time Trailer (1936) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNOMw2W-o8o This film just embodies perfectly that 'swing-time' fever and spectacle from the late 30's and early 40's.
Swing Time Dance - Rogers and Astaire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxPgplMujzQ I love Ginger's hair and dress in this. I also like watching them dance over the little guard rail, and then dance right back over it again. haha This dance combines aesthetics and social commentary in one.
Fred Astaire - The Way You Look Tonight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPUAHTWQ6Ps "Can't sing. Can't act. Balding. Can dance a little." Or to hear Fred recant the story: "Can't act. Slightly bald. Also dances". No one really knew what to do with Fred Astaire when he was signed to MGM in 1933, and I think that's why I like his 'story' so much. But after seeing him perform "The Way You Look Tonight" (a now renowned hit among American audiences performed by Tony Bennett and many others, which made it's debut in this film) it's quite obvious that Fred Astaire was much more than a dancer. And, considering his now renowned acting skills, it's hard not to call him one the most dynamic entertainers of the century...And this is probably my favorite Fred and Ginger moment that I've seen thus far. No dancing, but they still manage to say it all, without really 'saying' a word at all.
