Pandro S. BermanTop Hat (DVD)

This is a great t story and dancing with Astaire & Rogers.

Fred was a national treasure

A merry Dwight Taylor story, this time adapted as a screenplay by Taylor himself and Allan Scott, gave Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire another chance to shine in this elegantly crafted Pandro S. Berman production, directed by Mark Sandrich. Lyrics and music by Irving Berlin and some truly lovely gowns created for Ginger by Bernard Newman, make this Fred and Ginger outing as pleasing to the eyes as it is to the ears. Their's was a style and grace that passed only once this way, and we shall never see anything like it again as long as our planet keeps spinning.The three wonderful character actors from "The Gay Divorcee," Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, and Erik Rhodes, are joined this time around by Helen Broderick, giving a deft touch to this fun and zany story which was as good an excuse as any for Fred and Ginger to sing and dance the Irving Berlin tunes. It is Eric Blore this time who steals every scene he's in as Horton's quite odd little manservant, Bates. Just as in Deanna Durbin's "Lady on a Train," Edward Everett Horton will somehow manage to get a black eye!Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire) is meeting Horace Hardwick (Edward Everett Horton) at the stuffy Thackery Club to talk about starring in his new show. Horace's wife, Madge (Helen Broderick), has plans to set up the single Jerry with her girlfriend Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers). The meeting will be in Italy, but by chance, his dancing wakes up the prety girl below Hardwick's suite, who just happens to be Dale. From the moment she comes to complain about his dance affliction, Jerry is smitten, pouring sand on the floor to dance her lightly to sleep.Jerry pursues her, not knowing at first who she is. His posing as a horsedrawn cab driver with an accent is one of the amusing scenes in his pursuit of his dream girl. Both he and Dale get caught in a storm and find shelter under a gazebo, where the couple share one of their finest and most romantic moments ever, to Irving Berlin's "Isn't This a Lovely Day to Get Caught In the Rain?" Later in the story, they will get to dance "Cheek to Cheek."Another only in the movies mix-up causes Dale to think Jerry is Madge's husband, Horace, bringing about a confused, and twice slapped, Jerry. Horace, of course, has never seen Dale before, and sends his crazy little manservant Bates to follow her around Italy once they arrive, thinking she is out to trap his pal Jerry. Dale tells her friend Madge about the incident, of course, and more fun follows as Dale tries hard not to fall for Jerry, who she thinks is her best friend's husband.Not to be forgotten in this merry mess is Erik Rhodes, as fashion desiner Alberto Beddini, using Dale as a model for his creations. Dejected at the situation, Dale will marry Beddini, causing no end of frustration and hilarity as Jerry has figured out by this time what is going on. Madge hasn't, and gives Horace a black eye! Can Jerry get Dale to unload her new husband Beddini once everything is cleared up and she is free to love him? Will he even need to? Don't forget, the wildly eccentric Bates, who refers to himself as "we" has been shadowing Dale all over Italy!The glossy RKO sets match the elegance and beauty of Irving Berlin's songs, giving the public another big dose of what it needed as the country recovered from the great depression, which wasn't so great at all. You don't have to wear white tie and tails while watching this marvelous film, but you'll almost wish you were, so you could be up there with Fred and Ginger and enjoy a style of romance that shone brightly, but passed ever too briefly in American film.

It's hard to have to defend one of Fred and Ginger's best movies,the one with Cheek To Cheek, but there seems to be a bit of misunderstanding out there about early musicals. This is completely understandable as time has gone by since 1935 when Top Hat was the second biggest box office hit of the year. Basically, most of the potential audience by now has been raised on the post-Oklahoma "integrated musical".We are used to musicals with big plots, often complicated and serious, with large scale dramatic effect. It's without question that the songs relate to the plot and arise from it and the characters' state of mind. We're used to South Pacific, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Camelot, Oliver, The Music Man, West Side Story and Phantom of the Opera. So when seeing an early musical people are often taken aback by their fluffiness and simplicity. But that's what musicals were. They were either revues with absolutely no plot or story or like all the old Gershwin and Porter shows, a light skit of a plot to engage the audience between numbers that had nothing to do with the story.Top Hat is almost one of those. Certainly it's that light, the whole plot being nothing but a bunch of situations and jokes arising out of a case of mistaken identity. But at least the songs, a bunch of tuneful songs by Irving Berlin including three of his greatest classics: Top Hat White Tie and Tails, Isn't It a Lovely Day and Cheek To Cheek, have some relation to what's going on. Cheek To Cheek, with Ginger in her famous feathered dress is one of the most-shown excerpts from any of their films together and it one of the great dance numbers on film. (It's a shame the plot requires Dale (Ginger) to still be mad at Jerry (Fred) at the end because she should be swept off her feet).Everything else about the film is as concerned with gritty realism as the all-white Deco sets that included a huge and obviously fake Venice that took up two sound stages and had black-dyed water to set off its all white architecture. The supporting cast is a bunch of incredible eccentrics including memorable turns by Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore bouncing off each other's nuttiness, a wonderfully droll Helen Broderick as Horton's wife and Erik Rhodes as Alberto Beddini the fashion designer who gives Ginger the excuse to be constantly wearing drop-dead outfits, one of which is now in the Smithsonian. Rhodes Beddini also offended Mussolini, so something must be said for that.This is a delightful film as long as you know in advance that it's a bunch of fluff. Even Fred Astaire noted there was no plot.

40 years ago a theater near where I lived did a week of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers every autumn. To me the idea was painfully boring. Now I can see and appreciate what I could not back then. Totally non-serious fluff — maybe 40 years have taught me the value of fluff. Anyway what you have hear is a traditional “screwball” plot full of absurd mistaken identity and double entendres. Plus dancing to Irving Berlin songs and Hollywood chorus choreography. But all ens well.

Finally got round to watching this film after many recommendations, was doubtful whether I'd enjoy a film from 1935 with lots of tap dancing... how wrong I was! This film is a joy, the story is funny and the script is razor-sharp, full of mistaken identity, misunderstanding and innuendo. The dancing is wonderfully elegant, Irving Berlin's songs fit the film perfectly, the scenery and sets are opulent and the butler 'Bates' throws himself into his role with comic zeal that had me clutching my sides with laughter. I'll definitely be re-watching this film!

When asked about dancing with Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers simply replied 'I did every thing he did but backwards and in heels' and so goes the gentle humour and farcical storyline in Top hat. Oh now don't get upset Top Hat fans I simply adore this film which has more than enough plot to carry it along and While Astaire is suave and dashing, Rogers is stylish, elegant and has enough uumph to put the grrr in girl power. The sweeping sets, brilliant songs and amazing dance steps bring us all to soon to the films conclusion and always leave me dancing in my kitchen while I do the washing up and singing cheek to cheek in the shower. If you like musicals, and a bit of that old fashioned style and sophistication you'll love this film, get out your top hat and tails and feather wraps and sing and dance your hearts away.

I am a total Fred /Astaire fan, Top Hat was good as usual, BUT The Gay devorcee was just a hatched together bits from all his other films, really irritating, I only purchased this DVD because it was a reasonable price, already had Top Hat, loved the song Needle in a haystack from Gay Devorcee and the routine, however the rest was rubbish, Im so glad I did'nt pay the inflated prices of some sellers.

We bought this because we went to see the show in London in November, so we thought we would see the film to compare it. In truth, the show and film were almost identical.I have to say at the start, that I have never been a great fan of Fred Astaire - I prefer Gene Kelly - but you do have to admire his skill. Everything he does seems so effortless, although his acting is a little hammy.Overall a great movie, with great songs, superb dancing and a happy ending. What more could you ask for!

Great escapism which gives me a lift, even after several viewings.