From RKO Radio Pictures, Top Hat was the 4th of 10 pairings of the inimitable Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
Where to begin? The screwball plot is some trifle about mistaken identity (isn’t it always?), as Ginger, believing Fred is the philandering husband of a friend, rebukes his advances and marries her dress designer instead (or does she?). Topnotch support comes from familiar faces Edward Everett Horton and Helen Broderick are the real husband and wife, Erik Rhodes the cuckolded couturier and Eric Blore as an asinine but resourceful manservant. As convoluted as it sounds the whole thing works beautifully. But who in the audience is really here for the plot? What we are here for is Astaire and Rogers at their artistic peak dancing up a storm to one of Irving Berlin's greatest musical scores and happily that is what we get.
Astaire's frequent collaborator Hermes Pan lends his expertise as choreographer as Fred dons top and tails for the exuberant solo Top Hat, White Tie and Tails; takes Ginger in his arms for the enchanting Isn't This a Lovely Day (To Be Caught in the Rain) and creates Hollywood history in the iconic Cheek to Cheek, arguably the duo's greatest dance routine. The musical finale The Piccolino is an impressively mounted spectacle, although a little less focused on Fred and Ginger than might be expected.
Dwight Taylor and Allan Scott's witty screenplay shines as brightly as the movie's stars while director Mark Sandrich is smart enough to know when to stand back and let the dancers take centre stage. The movie is played out on beautiful Art Deco sets shot in sparkling black and white.
Top Hat is musical movie magic at its best, a genuine classic from Hollywood's golden age. Indeed, were it an actual top hat it would be made of the finest silk. But enough with the cliches; if you have seen Top Hat, I don’t need to tell you how great it is. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend you send it directly to the top of your 'to watch’ list.
No comments:
Post a Comment