MovieChat Forums > Shall We Dance (1937) Discussion > disappointing roller skate number

disappointing roller skate number

posted 16 years ago by onepotato2
9 replies | jump to latest

This is the 4th Astaire/Rogers movie I've seen, and so far it's the funniest one.

But the much-ballyhooed rollerskates number was not too impressive. They just keep skating in a circle, making it a confined number like the gazebo in Top Hat.

But they're on skates for god's sake, I wanted to feel a sense of freedom and have them take off into the park. They just kept making circles. Ginger Rogers also doesn't lift her feet off the ground very much at all.

Both decisions for me made the number leaden. "She Loves Me" with Gene Kelly cuttingloose on skates in "It's Always Fair Weather" is better.

[–] cnb 16 years ago

I agree that Gene's skating to "I Like Myself" in It's Always Fair Weather is positively amazing. The best roller-skating mixed with dancing ever, I'd say. Gene was an ice hockey player growing up, so I imagine he had more innate skating talent than most. Another great one is Donald O'Connor in I Love Melvin. Given that Astaire and Rogers had to learn to skate for their number, I didn't find it disappointing, though. And man--that fall they take at the end! Hope there was padding under the "grass," or they might have broken some ribs!

[–] Scott-101 16 years ago

i absolutely agree, just thinking the same thing, it looked like they were very uncomfortable in roller skates. the fact that they fell over at the end of the number, might have been an admission of that.

Disclaimer: This poster does not place as much importance as others on correct spelling

[–] flan99 16 years ago

The rollerskate number took 150 takes !

150 times - over and over and over.

Try it at home, then get back to me.

[–] justaudrey 14 years ago

I kept being afraid that they would fall. It looked like it would be really hard to do...at least for me, personally. I thought it was cool but I'll have to watch the Gene Kelly version of a roller-skate dance.

[–] practicepiano 14 years ago

There was a history to the continuous circling bit, and it's in several Astaire movies, in various forms. It comes from a trademark routine he and his sister had. More info here:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/astaire_f.html

Sometimes it works, sometimes it just leaves a "why are such talented dancers just going in circles?" impression.

[–] gbennett5 14 years ago

Yes, Kelly's number is far more impressive - the only time (for me) where
Kelly trumps Astaire, as I find Astaire a much more magical dancer on
the whole. But let's face it: "Shall We Dance" was the first hint that
the Astaire-Rogers pairings were coming to an end. The plot is ridiculous
and I, for one, cannot stand Edward Everett Horton, who is out-and-out
the most unfunny nellie actor of his day. Thoroughly obnoxious.

[–] mdonln 9 years ago

onepotato2 says > But the much-ballyhooed rollerskates number was not too impressive.

That's interesting, I had a different reaction. First I was terrified they were even on skates. I wondered whose bright idea it was to put these two people on skates and why the studio heads agreed to it. Can you imagine what would have happened if either of them had broken a leg, twisted an ankle, or gotten injured in any way? These people made their living using their bodies and looks; they're allowed to be on skates? Crazy!

Anyway, once the routine got started it was clear being on skates wasn't second-nature to them. To me, that means anything they did on those skates was impressive. Later I read how much practice they'd put in and I was even more impressed. Being on wheels is a completely different sensation, different way of moving, different center of gravity, everything so, for them to dance on skates it was a big deal.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] tika313 8 years ago

Fred looked a bit more comfortable than Ginger, who was holding herself in an uncomfortable way. She's normally very fluid but it's possible she got bruised and was worried about getting injured. I can't imagine how that would have felt after all those takes. The studio wasn't looking out for them, you're right.

[–] mcdemuth 8 years ago

Yes, for just one moment I thought Ginger was going to fall, but she didn't. I have to agree about "What were they thinking" when they came up with this rolling skating routine... Two major stars with broken legs? Not A Good Idea! Everyone Got Lucky!

But, I am shocked to hear that some viewers were not impressed.

If it is true that they had to learn to skate for the film, and then learn how to Tap Dance on those "rolling things that had no traction with the ground" and still film it all in 150 takes... and I must note that was with very few CUTS involving multiple cameras ( as I recall there was just ONE...) in the final cut!...

I couldn't believe my eyes that it wasn't full of cuts. I was sure after the first viewing that there must have been more than I remembered, because I was certain it was impossible to Tap Dance on skates for more than just a few seconds without falling. But not so! There was a couple of good minutes in the middle of the sequence filmed with ONE camera without a cut, and that part also involved an intentional "almost falling and recovery" part.

That sure as heck impressed me!

Sure they went in "boring" circles... But you try Tap Dancing with a bunch of slippery wheels under your feet and see how well you manage to stay upright. I can't even simply roll on skates in a straight line with both skates firmly planted on the ground for more that a few seconds before losing my balance... Forget even dancing, I would be happy to go in a circle...

I am so proud of both of them for doing so well!