Movie Monday May 16: Shall We Dance

I was feeling a bit nostalgic today, as I often do on rainy Mondays, so I was in the mood for a classic. After scouring my various streaming services, I decided to watch a RKO picture that I haven’t seen since my first semester of film studies class: Shall We Dance (1937).

**Warning, mild spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t watched the movie yet, what are you doing?**

Peter P. Peters (Fred Astaire), also known by his stage name Petrov, is fed up with his life dancing ballet. While he masquerades as a serious Russian dancer for a Paris ballet company, he hopes to one day blend classical styles with modern jazz. Part of this dream would be dancing with Linda Keene (Ginger Rogers), a famous tap dancer. He’s fallen in love with her picture, and even though he’s never met her, he’s determined to make her his dance partner. Linda, on the other hand, wants to leave show business behind and get married. Their first meeting is a disaster, but when they meet again on an ocean liner bound for New York, sparks start to fly. When their respective managers get together to concoct a fake marriage for publicity, Linda isn’t too pleased. She gets engaged to Jim Montegomery (William Brisbane), but can’t shake the rumors of her relationship with Peter. In order to get the paparazzi off their backs, Linda and Peter decide to get married and then divorce. The only problem is that Linda has now fallen for Peter. When she thinks he’s betrayed her, she feels heartbroken and more determined than ever to quit dancing. In the end, Peter is able to show how much he truly loves her and that they were meant to dance together.

I’m a sucker for classic Hollywood musicals. Of all the iconic stars of the era, Fred Astaire and Gingers Rogers are synonyms with the movie musical comedy, especially dance heavy ones. Shall We Dance is the seventh movie in their partnership, and it shows. They look effortless together, no matter the style. While Astaire is all class and precision, Rogers is able to balance graceful dancing with her comedic chops. I always love seeing them dance together; they both bring something different to the partnership, which together is magical.

There are also some iconic songs in this movie. “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” are two songs that, even if you’ve never seen the movie, you’ve probably heard. “Slap That Bass” might also sound familiar to anyone who’s seen 2019’s Joker. George and Ira Gershwin created some amazing pieces for Shall We Dance, from the songs to the orchestral music. This was also the project George worked on before he died in July 1937.

I know older black-and-white films aren’t for everyone, but Shall We Dance is a classic for a reason. To me, it’s one of the best Astaire-Rogers films. It encompasses all the things I love about classic movie musicals: romance, amazing dancing, catchy songs, gorgeous costumes and sets, and of course stars who have palpable chemistry. The Astaire-Rogers partnership really did rocket them each into stardom and why they are both household names.

One thing I loved: The “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” scene. Both Astaire and Rogers are dancing while also roller skating. They make something that would take immense precision and coordination look easy.

One thing that made me laugh: When Linda first meets Peter. Though it’s subtle in that scene, they feed so well off each other. Astaire’s ridiculous mannerisms and Russian accent and Rogers’s mixture of politeness and disbelief really set the tone for a lot of the comedy in the film.

Overall, I’d give Shall We Dance 8.5 tap shoes out of 10.