Top Hat 1935 - One of the best Astaire & Rogers musicals

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027125/
IMDB rating: 7,9

Director: Mark Sandrich
Main Cast: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton

"Top hat is classy, Depression-era escapism, with great tunes, witty choreography, and the charismatic screen chemistry of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It is an excellent example of the fine work of director Mark Sandrich, who today is less remembered than the musical stars who had some of their greatest successes in his films. The film's story, cast, and style are largely derivative of The gay divorcee, which also starred Astaire and Rogers and was directed by Sandrich a year earlier. The supporting casts are pretty much the same, although Top hat has the distinction of adding Lucille Ball in a small role. RKO pulled together many of its best resources to produce the film, including songwriter Irving Berlin, dance director Hermes Pan (superlative choreography with Fred Ataire), and art directors Carroll Clark and Van Nest Polglase. The result was a film that proved popular with audiences and critics alike. Top hat was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/top-hat-v50447

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The gay divorcee 1934 - The king and queen of Carioca at their best!

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025164/
IMDB rating: 7,6

Director: Mark Sandrich
Main Cast: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Alice Brady, Edward Everett Horton

"The Gay Divorcee (Based on Dwight Taylor and Cole Porter's play of the same name) is a good example of Depression-era escapism at its best. The glamorous Ginger Rogers was already a big star and the debonair Fred Astaire was on his way to becoming one. The viewer is treated to a feast of opulence free from the cares of the world - except the ones necessary to provide the film with a plot. The film's happy ending is welcomingly contrived in a way that protects the morality of the primary characters, providing the audience with a guilt-free, feel-good conclusion. The music and the dancing of Astaire and Rogers are the primary reasons why current-day audiences continue to enjoy The Gay Divorcee. Among the musical highlights are 'Night and Day', the only song from the original Broadway musical included in the film, and 'The Continental", a witty and sophisticated exercise in flirting that brought the first-ever Best Song Academy Award to Con Conrad and Herb Magidson.
Directed by Mark Sandrich, the film features supporting performances by Alice Brady and Edward Everett Horton." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-gay-divorcee-v19311

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