Brad and I found a special surprise for Gram while we were in Toronto. We brought her back the DVD of 'The Gay Divorcee', which she got yesterday for her birthday.
Gram loved dancing when she was more mobile, and is regularly glued to the TV when 'Dancing With the Stars' comes on. So I kept my eye out for a dancing DVD while we were in the Land Of Whatever One's Heart Desires (Toronto). No laughing from the peanut gallery!
1934's 'The Gay Divorcee' fit the bill splendidly. Here's a review from IMDB:
"Fred and Ginger, two perfect partners, two of the best dancers in history. In 1933 the pair had proven themselves as second leads in "Flying Down to Rio", stealing the show with "The Carioca". Ginger had "42nd Street" to her name, while Fred had the famous screen test analysis of 'Can't sing. Can't act. Can dance a little.'
'The Gay Divorcee' is the establishing musical of Astaire and Rogers. A top wealth of talent was assembled for the movie, with Erik Rhodes absolutely side splitting as the Italian hired correspondent Tonetti, wielding the fabulous line, "Your wife is safe with Tonetti, he prefers spaghetti!". Alice Brady plays Rogers' Aunt Hortense, but Edward Everett Horton is another stand out performer as the lawyer. He was definitely one of the best supporting comedians of the 1930s and 40s, in other Astaire and Rogers musicals, and movies like "Lost Horizon", "Holiday", "Here Comes Mr Jordan" and "Arsenic and Old Lace". (Julia's note: you'll recognize his voice as the Narrator of Fractured Fairytales from 'Rocky and Bullwinkle')
"Only one song was retained for the filmed version of Broadway's 'The Gay Divorce'. Astaire performs a great rendition of the immortal Cole Porter song 'Night and Day' (Julia's note: one of my favorite songs EVER). 'The Continental', the Best Song of 1934 is thrown into the mix, too. The stylish period of courtship, set decoration and costumes evoke great memories of eras gone by." - by 'Minty-5' from Sydney, Australia
We absolutely loved the movie. Full of repartee and innuendo, and once the dancing got started - SWOON.
View trailer
Friday, November 2, 2007
'The Gay Divorcee'
Posted by Julia Phillips Smith at 7:49 PM
Labels: 'The Gay Divorcee', Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, grandma
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8 comments:
There's nothing like the repartee in some of those fine old films is there? And I bet she loved it!
Cole Porter songs make me swoon, too.
I love the old films and Fred and Ginger's were amongst the best!
Gram's a precious treasure! I wish I could meet her.
Blessings,
~Toni~
p.s. I listened to Cole Porter's piano being played when I stayed at the Waldorf Astoria many years ago.
I love those old movies. My mom has the entire Jeanette MacDonald-Nelson Eddie films and I was hooked!
btw - I'm about to tag you for a meme!
You know, for someone who loves dancing as much as I do, I've never seen a Fred and Ginger movie...I'll have to rectify that.
LOL! I was so bamboozled by that film title! And Gram looks lovely!
Well said.
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