The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle

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Movie
Original title The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1939
length 93 minutes
Rod
Director HC Potter
script Richard Sherman ,
Oscar Hammerstein ,
Dorothy Yost
production George Haight
music Robert Russell Bennett
camera Robert De Grasse
cut William Hamilton
occupation

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is an American film musical with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from 1937, which retells the life of the dancing couple Vernon and Irene Castle .

action

Vernon Castle appears as a slapstick comedian in American vaudeville theaters. He met the young dancer Irene Foote, who made him switch to dance. Together they practice numerous dances and get closer in the process. They get married and then go to Paris , believing that they have received a dance engagement there. But the local managers only really want to see Vernon on stage with his slapstick numbers.

When they have little money left, Vernon and Irene meet the British talent scout Maggie Sutton, who gives them a joint appearance in the renowned Café de Paris. Their performance is acclaimed, and further engagements follow that make the castles famous. The fashion world also becomes aware of them and takes their style of clothing as a model. After many successful tours, the Castles are retiring and returning to the United States.

When the First World War breaks out, Vernon is drafted as a British citizen and enlisted in the Air Force. After some dangerous missions, Vernon is supposed to train US pilots. Back home, Vernon makes a romantic date with Irene in a small hotel near his runway. While Irene is waiting for Vernon, Vernon has a fatal accident during a flight maneuver when one of his students flies towards him.

background

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle was the ninth joint film by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and at the same time the only one with a tragic ending. The film, produced by RKO Pictures , is based on the two stories My Husband and My Memories of Vernon Castle by Irene Castle , who sold the film rights to RKO for $ 20,000 and was also employed as a technical consultant during the shooting. With regard to the costumes and artistic freedoms, she repeatedly contradicted the instructions of director HC Potter and also the ideas of leading actress Ginger Rogers. Most of all, it bothered Castle, who had also been offered the role of her mother, that Rogers refused to dye her hair brunette and have it cut into a bob like Castle wore it.

The first sequences of the film were shot at the end of October 1938. The actual shooting took place from November 10, 1938 to January 26, 1939. Filming locations in California included Bel Air , Long Beach Municipal Airport , Newport Beach and Triunfo. It premiered on March 29, 1939 at New York's Radio City Music Hall . The film musical was not released in Germany.

Music and dance numbers

  • Oh! You Beautiful Doll (1911, Nat Ayer, A. Seymour Brown): sung by a male choir, danced by Frances Mercer
  • The Glow-Worm (1902, Paul Lincke , Lilla Cayley Robinson): sung by a female choir
  • By the Beautiful Sea (1914, Harry Carroll, Harold Atteridge): sung by a quartet of men on the beach
  • Row, Row, Row (1912, James V. Monaco , William Jerome ): sung by a male quartet on the beach
  • The Yama Yama Man (1908, Karl Hoschna , George Collin Davis): sung and danced by Ginger Rogers
  • Come, Josephine in My Flying Machine (1910, Fred Fisher , Al Bryan): sung by a choir
  • By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1909, Gus Edwards, Edward Madden): danced by Fred Astaire and Sonny Lamont
  • Cuddle Up a Little Closer, Lovely Mine (1908, Karl Hoschna, Otto Harbach ): sung by a choir
  • King Chanticleer (Nat Ayer, A. Seymour Brown): dance rehearsal by Astaire and Rogers
  • Only When You're in My Arms ( Harry Ruby , Con Conrad, and Bert Kalmar ): the only song written for the film; sung by Astaire and danced by him and Rogers at the end
  • Waiting for the Robert E. Lee (1912, Lewis F. Muir, L. Wolfe Gilbert): danced by Astaire and Rogers
  • The Syncopated Walk (1914, Irving Berlin ): danced by Astaire and Rogers in a hotel room
  • While They Were Dancing Around (James V. Monaco, Joseph McCarthy ): sung by Rogers
  • The Darktown Strutters' Ball (1917, Shelton Brooks, Elsie Janis ): performed by Louis Mercier with the voice of Jean Sablon
  • Too Much Mustard (Trés Moutarde) (1911, Cecil Macklin): danced by Astaire and Rogers
  • Rose Room (1917, Art Hickman, Harry Williams): danced by Astaire and Rogers
  • Trés Jolie ( Émile Waldteufel ): danced by Astaire and Rogers
  • Little Brown Jug (1869, Joseph Winner): danced by Astaire and Rogers
  • Dengozo (1914, Ernesto Nazareth ): danced by Astaire and Rogers
  • Medley: danced by Astaire and Rogers
  • It's a Long Way to Tipperary (1912, Jack Judge , Harry Williams): sung by soldiers
  • Hello! Hello! Who's Your Lady Friend? (1914, Harry Fragson , Worton David, Bert Lee): performed by Astaire, Emmett O'Brien and soldiers
  • Waltz medley: danced by Astaire and Rogers
    • Cecile Waltz (Frank W. McGee)
    • Nights of Gladness (Charles Ancliffe)
    • Missouri Waltz (1914, John Valentine Eppel, JR Shannon)
  • La Marseillaise (1792, Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle ): sung by Astaire, Rogers and Adrienne D'Ambricourt

Reviews

Variety described The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle as "great cinema entertainment". Irene Castle's personal life story was "evidently transformed into celluloid with considerable conscientiousness and a minimum of bombast and heroism". Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire are "excellent" in their roles.

Frank S. Nugent of the New York Times found that Astaire and Rogers had danced “consistently in top form” and that this was “good enough” to “do the castles credit”. The result was "a beautifully told story" that could come up with "sincere and dynamic presentations and a solid and coherent production". The two main actors are used differently. A happy ending suits them better. The film critic Leonard Maltin praised the “many good dance performances and songs”.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. Notes on tcm.com
  2. ^ " The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is top-flight cinematic entertainment. […] [Irene Castle's] personal life story has been seemingly transmuted into celluloid with considerable faithfulness and a minimum of bombast or heroics. [...] Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire are excellent as the Castles. " See The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle . In: Variety , 1939.
  3. ^ “Rogers and Astaire […] are dancing at the top of their form all the way, and that's high enough to do the castles no discredit. [...] It has been a beautifully told story, with sincere and vigorous performances, and with a solid and richly atmospheric production [...]. " Frank S. Nugent : Astaire and Rogers Repeat the Tragic Story of the Castles at the Music Hall . In: The New York Times , March 31, 1939.
  4. ↑ "Many fine period dance numbers and songs." Leonard Maltin : Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide 2002 . Plume, 2001, p. 1313.