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Great Film overall

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

11/19/17. If you are into old-time musicals, when musicals ruled the silver screen, then this one's for you! I watched it because it is a National Film Registry pick. This is one of many dance duets Astaire had with Ginger Rogers. And, you can see why. They danced so well in tandem it was like there was only one person dancing! And, you get to enjoy "The Way You Look Tonight," which is iconic.The movie shorts included on the DVD were worth watching, too. Worth catching.

I never know quite how to respond to these movies. They have so many plot similarities. Fred is in trouble in some way, and Ginger is distant and resistant (ooh, a rhyme). Of course, they are fabulous dance musicals and the dancing is what the whole thing is about. It's my understanding that Astaire was about as demanding in this one as he could be. The plot involves a gambler who has a group of really conniving friends who get in his way as he tries to marry a society woman. Her father has had it with his wastefulness and lack of dependability and demands a huge amount of money to try another shot at a wedding. He loses a bet and is penniless. This is where he meets Rogers and the rest resolves itself with many pitfalls along the way. There are wonderful musical numbers, including "The Way You Look Tonight," "Pick Yourself Up," "A Fine Romance," and "Never Gonna Dance." Thank goodness he ignored the title of the last one.

. . . during SWING TIME, he knocks her down three times. Later, during Fred's infamous White Men Can't Dance number, a trio of Black Shadows behind a scrim seem to be Out-Hoofing him. But during a week in which a couple of America's Most Beloved 90-something gentlemen have passed away, seeing a guy Born Old--such as Fred--taking so many falls in SWING TIME sort of puts a lump in your throat. (Specifically, the USA's original "Help, I've fallen in my bathtub and can't get up!" role model--John Glenn--and the Heimlich maneuver dude, who choked to death a few days after Mr. Glenn expired.) One of the Housewives of New Jersey--Arlene--just turned 114, and she's been a widow for 54 years. Another widow, an Italian named Emma, had 117 candles on her birthday cake last summer, and is the only person still alive on Earth who was born in the 1800s (just think of the pressure on HER!). It's kind of sad to think of ladies such as Arlene, Emma and Ginger being left alone for so long, which helps to make SWING TIME so poignant despite all of Fred's pratfalls. Oscar Hammerstein once wrote "What's the Use of Wond'ring If the Ending Will Be Sad?" because it always is.

Even by the standards of Astaire musicals, this story is pretty dumb, with Astaire an engaged gambler who meets and falls for dance teacher Rogers.As usual, there are amusing bit players, most notably Eric Blore, and some good songs, including A Fine Romance and Pick Yourself Up.I always feel I should enjoy Astaire more than I actually do - his tap dance/ballroom style never excited my as much as Gene Kelly's more balletic approach. The best number is the Bojangles one, which is beautifully done but unfortunately, the blackface forces one to ponder the peculiarities of white entertainers pretending to be happy-go- lucky black ones.The movie is likable but gets increasingly nonsensical, moving from satisfyingly silly to annoyingly silly. I don't really think any of it made much sense.Still, if you're an Astaire/Rogers fan, or just a fan of dopey but well done musicals, you should probably check this one out.