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The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) was the final Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers picture at RKO. It's also somewhat different from the other Astaire-Rogers movies in that this is a biopic, not simply musical-comedy fluff with great dancing. In this film, Fred and Ginger portray Vernon and Irene Castle, two famous dancers who became immensely popular in the early decades of the twentieth century until WWI, when Vernon joined the military as a pilot. The dancing and costumes recreate the artistry and styles of the Castles. Fred and Ginger turn in very good performances in their dramatic scenes and are, as usual, excellent in the musical numbers. I found it a bit funny seeing Fred dressed in his military flight suit, accustomed as we all are to seeing Astaire in top hat and tails and other civilian attire. The subject matter, especially toward the end of the movie, is more weighty than in most musicals, but the picture is quite good and entertaining. If you've not seen many Astaire-Rogers films before, you should probably start with one of their more representative outings, like The Gay Divorcee or Top Hat. Fans of Fred and Ginger will enjoy The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle very much, though they may be troubled by the ending.Read full review
excellent quality, sharp picture.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Fantastic, Excellent Story, Very Entertaining, Very Much Worth Seeing. Very Much Appreciated.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Just saw the movie on t.v. and remembered how great the "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee" dance number was, so I bought the DVD. Like all Astaire/Rogers movies are, it is stuffed full of exquisite dance numbers, costumes (I particularly love Rogers' dutch hat), and sets. And thankfully, neither Eric Blore, or Edward Everett Horton are in it. They are cringe-worthy in any Astaire/Rogers movie. Like fingers scratching a blackboard! Additionally, due to this being a fictionalized story of the real-life couple Vernon and Irene Castle - there are no awful character names, such as 'Alberto Beddini' from 'Top Hat'. Most people only think of the classic Astaire/Rogers movies - 'Top Hat', 'The Gay Divorcee', etc. and rarely remember this movie. Watch it - it ranks right up there with the best of them.Read full review
Another Astaire and Rogers greats!!! Need a tissue at the end.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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