Rating: 
Summary: My Favorite of All the Fred and Ginger's
Review: "Shall We Dance" is perhaps the finest example of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers partnership. Set to the music of the Gershwin brothers, Ginger is a musical comedy star and Fred is a famous "Russian Ballet Dancer" from Penn. He sees her and falls in love, she doesn't like him, everyone thinks they are married, then they really are - and it keeps getting better.
The dance scenes are elaborate - imagine roller skates and 30 dancers with Ginger's face - and extremely well done. The supporting cast also help to make the movie. Even though the movie is good, it would be nothing without the help of Eric Blore and Edward Everett Horton (did I get that right?).
The plot is contemporary, the scenes are funny and everything is totally relatable - not counting the fact that everyone spontaneously bursts into song and dance at least once every 7 minutes.
If you have never seen a Fred and Ginger movie, this is the one you should see either first or last. Get your feet wet with the best or save it for last. Definately don't miss it.
Rating: 
Summary: A vision of loveliness.
Review: Critics and fans frequently cite this one as a falling-off of the A-R series. I once thought that too, but I bought the video and gave it a significant second look. Plotwise, it's an improvement on that mistaken identity nonsense that usually permeates these films (though you could make an argument that this plot- which has the central characters presumed married, then actually married so they can get divorced- isn't much better). But the nonsensical fun is still there- from Astaire's tap-happy ballet dancer (whose exaggerated Russian accent is hysterical), to the Gershwin score of songs, to the tasty dance numbers: "Slap That Bass" (part tap exhibition and part engine room jam session); "They All Laughed" (the duo's incredibly late first duet); "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" (eether/eyether- need we say more?); to the glorious "They Can't Take That Away From Me;" the film's only misfire (but it was a big one) being that this beautiful ballad by Astaire was not danced by him and Rogers. (Reprising it later with ballet contortionist Harriet Hoctor might've been consistent with the plot, but watching her back-kick herself in the head is one of the unintentionally funniest things I've ever seen in any film.) The Gershwin score- more than anything else- takes this one up a few notches.
Rating:
Summary: Not Fred & Ginger's best, but still lots of fun
Review: Fred Astaire, especially when paired with Ginger Rogers, is probably my favorite movie performer. I once kept a list of how many times I had seen each of his films, and had seen his 30-plus musicals over 130 times when I lost it. Despite my love for Astaire's films, this is far from my favorite Fred and Ginger film. It is by no means a bad movie, but it definitely falls short of such classics as TOP HAT or THE GAY DIVORCEE or SWING TIME.SHALL WE DANCE is a somewhat frustrating film, because so many of the elements for a great film are there, but so many opportunities are missed. The movie has a great score, and several great classics of popular song were introduced in it, but this in part points out the problems in the film. The two finest songs are "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and the extraordinary "They Can't Take That Away from Me," but neither is well utilized. Instead of dancing to the former, Fred and Ginger do a novelty dance with roller skates, upon which they are stiff and which produce an irritatingly loud rasping sound. The latter song is one of the two or three greatest songs in any of their films, but an unspeakable outrage occurs: they do not dance to it. What could have provided the occasion for a great dance along the lines of "Never Gonna Dance" from SWING TIME or "Let's Face the Music and Dance." Instead, Fred sings this heartbreakingly beautiful song, and the music unexpectedly ends with no dance. When Fred and Ginger reunited in THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY, they try to correct this wrong by dancing to it, but this hardly corrects the error in the earlier film. The supporting cast is first rate, but to me, at least, the parts played by Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore, otherwise two of my favorite character actors, seem a bit formulaic, efforts at imitating their earlier triumphs in other Astaire-Rogers films. The plot is pretty hard to swallow. Fred Astaire as Peter P. Peters, a ballet star who prefers to tap dance, is a stretch even by musical comedy standards. And the plot device that a photograph of a woman in dressing gown beside a man who is asleep would convince the world that the couple was married is impossible to swallow. All in all, a pretty disappointing film by the greatest dance team in the history of cinema. Great stars, great songs, but an exceedingly [slow] plot and not nearly enough dances. Worse of all, squandering an opportunity for Fred and Ginger to dance to one of the Gershwin brothers greatest numbers. Still, it is Astaire and Rogers, and while the film is far from what it might have been, it is still a lot of fun. Not TOP HAT or even FOLLOW THE FLEET (which was flawed but featured absolutely stunning dances), but still quite decent.
Rating:
Summary: Fred & Ginger Meets the Gershwin Brothers
Review: Great Music and Great Dancing! The storyline is funny and entertaining, one of the finest Astaire/Rogers Films. The highlight of the film is the dance number with the rollerskates!
Rating:
Summary: Fred & Ginger Meets the Gershwin Brothers
Review: Great Music and Great Dancing! The storyline is funny and entertaining, one of the finest Astaire/Rogers Films. The highlight of the film is the dance number with the rollerskates!
Rating:
Summary: Quantum Astaire / Rogers !!
Review: It might not come to you as soon as one would think. I can say that I envy any person who will watch this film for the first time. What that person will see is quantum artistry and a film one today could only dream about. We see the two great partners in one of their finest films. Think about it...a film like this was made over a half century ago during a time when immortals like Irving Berlin, Gershwin and Cole Porter were writing timless songs for broadway plays and films like this one. That fact alone would make it a real treasure!! " He says either..she says either" is merely the beginning of a peerless chain of tunes.."Slap the Bass", " Lets call the whole thing off" " They all laughed" ..and ... " They cant take that away from me" Lets say that you seen many Astaire films and you agree that they are terrific. Now take a peek at some of them again...THIS TIME...pay no attention to Mr. Astaire..and just watch Ms. Rogers...she should have registered herself with the FAA because in a varied assortment of costumes...Ms. Rogers literally is in flight. What a wonder she is! I might in a pinch , surrender a few Freed musicals..for a good cause ( VHS or DVD) but for films like " Shall We Dance" NO NO..
they cant take that away from me!!!
Rating:
Summary: Featuring Songs By George and Ira Gershwin
Review: The emphasis in SHALL WE DANCE? is even more than usual on the dancing of Fred Astair and GINGER Rogers. The movie includes six songs by George and Ira Gershwin and is based on a story by Lee Loeb and Harold Buchman. Much humor is provided by Edward Everett Horton and Eric Biore. The film received an Oscar nomination in 1937 for Best Song ("They Can't Take That Away from Me") Mark Sandrich also directed THE GAY DIVORCEE.
Rating: 
Summary: "Dance Whenever You Can"
Review: There's a special place in my heart for the films of Astaire & Rogers, and I think most people feel that way too about them. There was an innocence to their films. There was charm, wit, wonderful music (from the likes of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, or, as in this movie George & Ira, and don't you dare ask George & Ira WHO?!)and there were great dance numbers. There was all of this and more. The chemistry between these two was unbelieveable. They played off each other so well. And their films clearly show this, watch any of them to find out.
"Shall We Dance" was directed by Mark Sandrich, the team's most trusted director, he directed 5 films with them ("Top Hat", "Carefree", & "Follow the Fleet" to name a few). And this film is just as good as any other film with Fred & Ginger. The plot in this one could border line on screwball comedy, and I suppose that's what makes it all the more enjoyable, we don't see movies like this anymore. "Shall We Dance" is about a great American dancer, Pete Peters (Fred Astaire) who happens to fall under the charms of Linda Keene (Ginger Rogers) when Peters finds out that Keene is going abroad, he gets a wonderful idea, perhaps he should go abroad too! But wait, more is added to this, Peters, pretends to be a famous Russian ballet dancer, the Great Petrov. Which of course means nothing to Linda. Then the usual "mistaking idenity" bit is played, but, it works.
As I stated before, all the Astaire & Rogers films offer great music, and the score by George & Ira could be one of the best score's Fred & Ginger ever sang and danced too. The songs include "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "They All Laughed", "Slap That Bass", "I've Got Beginner's Luck", and the standout closing number, "Shall We Dance". That closing song and dance number is maybe among the most charming moments in film history. It's just thinking about moments like that, that put a smile on my face, and take you far away. If anyone reading this has never seen an Astaire & Rogers picture, this would be a good place to start. A lot of the elements that made the team so famous are here in this movie. If you're already familar with the team, well, then there's no need for me to tell you how great they were together, and how good any of their films are.
Bottom-line: A truly charming film that lifts up are spirits and reminds us of a time gone by. A great musical score and good acting all makes for some wonderful light hearted entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: "Dance Whenever You Can"
Review: There's a special place in my heart for the films of Astaire & Rogers, and I think most people feel that way too about them. There was an innocence to their films. There was charm, wit, wonderful music (from the likes of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, or, as in this movie George & Ira, and don't you dare ask George & Ira WHO?!)and there were great dance numbers. There was all of this and more. The chemistry between these two was unbelieveable. They played off each other so well. And their films clearly show this, watch any of them to find out.
"Shall We Dance" was directed by Mark Sandrich, the team's most trusted director, he directed 5 films with them ("Top Hat", "Carefree", & "Follow the Fleet" to name a few). And this film is just as good as any other film with Fred & Ginger. The plot in this one could border line on screwball comedy, and I suppose that's what makes it all the more enjoyable, we don't see movies like this anymore. "Shall We Dance" is about a great American dancer, Pete Peters (Fred Astaire) who happens to fall under the charms of Linda Keene (Ginger Rogers) when Peters finds out that Keene is going abroad, he gets a wonderful idea, perhaps he should go abroad too! But wait, more is added to this, Peters, pretends to be a famous Russian ballet dancer, the Great Petrov. Which of course means nothing to Linda. Then the usual "mistaking idenity" bit is played, but, it works.
As I stated before, all the Astaire & Rogers films offer great music, and the score by George & Ira could be one of the best score's Fred & Ginger ever sang and danced too. The songs include "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "They All Laughed", "Slap That Bass", "I've Got Beginner's Luck", and the standout closing number, "Shall We Dance". That closing song and dance number is maybe among the most charming moments in film history. It's just thinking about moments like that, that put a smile on my face, and take you far away. If anyone reading this has never seen an Astaire & Rogers picture, this would be a good place to start. A lot of the elements that made the team so famous are here in this movie. If you're already familar with the team, well, then there's no need for me to tell you how great they were together, and how good any of their films are.
Bottom-line: A truly charming film that lifts up are spirits and reminds us of a time gone by. A great musical score and good acting all makes for some wonderful light hearted entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: the best of the best
Review: This is one of the finest of the Fred & Ginger ouvre, and a good start to your collection. It features the best on-screen foxtrot ever, a farewell dance when Fred loses Ginger to the Cuban bandleader. The pathos of this completely tap-free dance is worth the price of the video by itself; it's as close to perfect as can be imagined. Ginger's feet were reportedly bleeding by the time they were satisfied with the result...
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