MovieChat Forums > Swing Time (1936) Discussion > I'm going to get murdered for this....

I'm going to get murdered for this....

posted 14 years ago by Funky12345
21 replies | jump to latest

...but this was absolutely one of the worst movies I've ever seen! The music and lyrics were horrible, the acting was horrible. I'm surprised at my reaction, as I love "Holiday Inn" and "Top Hat" so much. I watched it for the first time last night and I could barely make it through to the end. It seems to be such an intensely popular and well-received film for Astaire & Rogers fans; maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I'll watch it again, to see if I am indeed missing something - if I can muster up that much energy.

Kramer: "Jerry, like the Bible says, 'Thou who cureth can make ith ill'".

[–] iamweaver 14 years ago

The entire movie is really told in the absolutely stunning dance numbers. The dialogue's just window dressing (though Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire are charming in this movie). If you aren't able to ignore the plot contrivances, then I recommend just fast-forwarding past most of the acting, and simply watch the plot through the footwork.

[–] FredAndGingerMad 14 years ago

i have to admit the first time i watched swingtime i wasnt sure why everyone raved about it and compared to top hat, roberta and barkleys of broadway i didn't really like it but now after watching it several more times it definately rates as one of my favourite astaire-rogers musicals and i've seen them all now :)

[–] gbennett5 14 years ago

I think it's wonderful also. The only two Astaire/Rogers films I don't
care for are "Follow the Fleet" and (especially) "Roberta." While
the Jerome Kern numbers are lovely in the latter, the plot is agony.
I don't care for Randolph Scott either.

[–] FredAndGingerMad 14 years ago

i love roberta at least i love the parts where astaire or rogers or both have screen time, the rest is forgetable and scott and dunne are painful to watch, i like follow the fleet more for its script but again only for astaire and rogers screentime

i've danced with you, i'm never gonna dance again - Lucky to Penny in Swingtime 1936

[–] gbennett5 14 years ago

Yes, the numbers are divine.

[–] FredAndGingerMad 14 years ago

agreed :D

i've danced with you, i'm never gonna dance again - Lucky to Penny in Swingtime 1936

[–] Noirkiss_3 11 years ago

Whew!?!? Roberta and Barkleys?!!
This is what I love about movies.
Once you get past the objective parts of craftsmanship all bets are off.
Those plus Carefree are my bottom choices for Fred and Gibger movies.
To each his own!

When there are two, one betrays-Jean-Pierre Melville

[–] Doghouse-6 14 years ago

Just caught your post here (3 months on), and I'm a little surprised, too. Most specifically about your evaluation of the music and lyrics. The acting, well, it was pretty much par for the Astaire-Rogers course, although I'd put it generally a step up from the rather mannered performances of THE GAY DIVORCEE, TOP HAT and even ROBERTA. I'll grant the "laughing" gags towards the end seemed forced.

My overall problem with SWING TIME has to do with its somewhat leaden direction. George Stevens was certainly capable of greatness, but here he just seemed ill at ease with the material and genre. And an odd choice for Pan Berman to have made. Mark Sandrich was so much more adept at achieving the lightness and pacing these films worked best with.

But, oh my gosh, the music and lyrics? "The Way You Look Tonight;" "A Fine Romance;" "Never Gonna Dance;" Really?

One thing that wouldn't surprise me would be that you'll eventually give it another try. Each of their films has its own high spots and deficiencies, but all are always worthwhile for, if nothing else, the numbers alone.

Poe! You are...avenged!

[–] Phillip Marlowe 14 years ago

Well, to each his own. The music and dancing in this film is just sublime, the greatest of the Astaire/Rogers films, especially the emotionally devastating Never Gonna Dance. Outside the dancing, though, I do think the film drags a fair bit, primarily because the supporting cast, except for Helen Broderick, is pretty much sub-par. (Yes, the wonderful Eric Blore is here, but he is criminally underused and pretty much disappears before the halfway point of the film.) That's why I go with Top Hat as the best of the Astaire/Rogers films, since the music and dance is almost as good and the comedy (with Edward Everett Horton, Erik Rhodes, Broderick, and a well utilized Blore) is only a half step below the great '30s screwball comedies.

[–] PillowRock 13 years ago

I find the part about the music and lyrics to be just plain bizarre (apart from people who find *all* 1930s swing and "tin pan alley" pop to be horrible genres).

At least two of the songs from this movie have become (and remained) full blown standards that have been performed (and recorded) by countless artists in multiple genres over the decades. Those two are "The Way You Look Tonight" and "A Fine Romance".

[–] MustardOfDoom23 13 years ago

It's not my favourite of theres. My fave is Carefree because it's very funny. Oh and of course, the Gay divorcee for the same reason.

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[–] idgreenwood 13 years ago

It's a desperately poor screenplay, even by the conventions of blissfully daft screenplays which exist just to hang the musical numbers on. The last ten minutes is embarrassingly maladroit. Stevens's direction, as another poster has pointed out, doesn't help - he doesn't seem to know when to cut away from the frozen grins, or to control the forced 'laughter'. He encourages far too broad an acting style from the supporting cast, so you feel that both Fred and Ginger are always trying to rein back.

I don't agree about the music, though. The entire 'Pick Yourself Up' sequence is for me one of the best in the entire canon.

[–] lewis-51 12 years ago

I found the music and dancing excellent, but was on the verge of falling asleep a few times during the non-dancing part.

Another thing that always bothers me in RKO pictures (at least these Fred Astaire movies) is that everything looks so plastic. The sets are so obviously sets. True, there are a few lovely dance sets - just for the dancing. But all the hotel rooms, corridors, etc. look totally unreal. white plastic.

[–] Sylvie17 12 years ago

I am also surprised that this movie is so highly praised. It has the most contrived plot! I couldn't stand the side kick character or the sets (except the with the snow.) I do love the song "the way you look tonight" and a few of the others. But that is absolutely all the movie has going for it. I know most musicals have contrived silly plots, but this one was totally ridiculous. I've begun watching Shall We Dance, and so far like it a lot more than this one. Also loved Holiday Inn and Top Hat.

[–] PillowRock 11 years ago

But all the hotel rooms, corridors, etc. look totally unreal. white plastic.

At the time that kind of art deco design would have been considered extremely modern, very chic, very upscale, and to imply great wealth and luxury.

We're talking about a time period when "so plastic" (to use the phrase that you did) did not yet mean "cheap and fake"; it meant "high tech and expensive" (think of it as being similar to more recent ads use of phrases such as "space age polymer"). It wasn't yet easy or inexpensive to make things that smooth and seamless, at least not at the scale of a hotel room or corridor.

[–] muppetmollystargleek 11 years ago

I like this one because the acting was, in my mind, VERY good between Fred and Ginger this go around. And the story! This was one of the only times they actually fell in love; it wasn't just Fred's character chasing her all over the place.

And "The Way You Look Tonight" is one of the GREATEST songs ever written, and I think it was wonderfully performed by Mr. Astaire. I like "Never Gonna Dance" as well; not the best lyrics, but it broke my heart.

And the dance routines that they put together for this film are so full of emotion. That last dance they have together, when Penny is going off to marry Ricky, always brings me to tears.

I don't know. I like this film immensely.

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[–] Noirkiss_3 11 years ago

Haha! Thanks for the preface. I hate trolling so it's nice to see someone politely disagree.
I do think you are crazy though!
This is my favorite musical! The music! the dancing!
Holiday Inn is aid fling musical to me.
To each his own....Swing Time us wayyy better though ;)

When there are two, one betrays-Jean-Pierre Melville

[–] gbennett5 11 years ago

I'm split down the middle here. I think the first twenty minutes, or so,
is incredibly clumsy. First of all, Astaire's opening dance number is
truncated to nothing, while we watch those stupid gambling fools of his.
And the trousers bit is silly, as is the wedding scene and the railway
moments. The film really doesn't start until Rogers comes into view, and
then WHAM! It's sheer delight from that point on! But, oh, that first
twenty minutes...agony.

[–] RobbieCalifornia 8 years ago

I watch these films just to see Astaire and Rogers dance. The plots are always a bit thin. That people are still watching and discussing an 80 year old musical movie is wonderful.

I don't see any complaints about the movie being "dated". It's like opening a time capsule and finding something good.