The films of Ginger Rogers

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful accompaniment to a wonderful career
Review: ... Homer Dickens is perhaps the King of this series, his other 'Films of...' books including Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich, James Cagney and Katharine Hepburn. The book begins with a brief but complimentary biography entitled 'Ginger Rogers - The American Girl' which Dickens starts of by summing up Ginger's all-American appeal. The chapter tells Ginger's life story from birth and childhood in Missouri to her days as a teenager on the vaudeville circuit before going to Hollywood. This chapter features many great stills from her vaudeville and Hollywood days not to mention ones from her early television appearances. This is followed by a section devoted to portraits including some of Ginger's early Hollywood stills (before she became blonde) through to her star years. Then come the films first the short film appearances from 'Campus Sweethearts' in 1929 to 'Ginger Rogers Finds a Bargain' which is a 5 minute trailer for the Fourth War Loan Drive. The features begin on page 44 and like all of Dickens 'films of' books features cast, credits, synopsis, reviews of the day and Dickens own notes. From her first appearance in 'Young Man of Manhattan' in 1930 (where she famously utters the line 'Cigarette me, big boy') to her final screen appearance in the 1964 bomb 'Quick Let's Get Married'(though 'Harlow' was filmed the following year this was not released till 1971), all of Ginger's classic roles from Dale Tremont to Kitty Foyle are included. But it doesn't end there - beggining on page 228 is a wonderful secton entitled 'Fred and Ginger - The Dances' which has stills from every one of the classic Rogers/Astaire routines. This is followed by the last chapter, a theatre chronology which features Ginger's stagework from vaudeville in the 20's to her triumph as 'Mame' on the London stage in 1969. A great book for any collection.