Story/Vernon&Irene Castle

The problem with THE STORY OF IRENE AND VERNON CASTLE is that absolutely none of the things that made Astaire and Rogers so great are able to make an appearance. Instead of the brilliant and innovative dances that invigorate their films, they have to do the famous dances of the Castles. Instead of great, original songs written especially for the film by some of the legendary songwriters of all time, they do period songs that fall short of the songs of their best films. Instead of a host of great comic actors and actresses that give the film a hysterical vitality, we get a rather average cast of characters. And instead of watching with delight Fred and Ginger's comic and musical courtship, we know how this one is going to end (at least those of us who know something of the Castles). In other words, the almost limitless possibilities that energize the typical Astaire-Rogers film is missing because of the need to tell someone else's story.

It isn't that this is so much a bad film as it is a waste of Fred and Ginger's talents. You could have had far less gifted musical performers do the Castles's numbers. You could instead have worked up a completely original story for Fred and Ginger. As it is, their last RKO picture ends up being their least interesting. They did perform one more time, for MGM in THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY, but by then the magic was gone. That which had made them so unique and special didn't survive the horrors of WW II, and their tenth and final film seemed strangely out of place.

I wouldn't discourage anyone who hasn't seen this film not to, but I will say that one could do themselves a far greater favor by rewatching one of their classics, such as THE GAY DIVORCEE, TOP HAT, or SWINGTIME. Or even FOLLOW THE FLEET, which had a terrible story, but featured some of their very greatest dances, including the extraordinary "Let's Face the Music and Dance," arguably their greatest number together.

This excellent film has a very bittersweet feeling to it as we as viewers know that this is the last teaming by the two stars. The film combines drama, period detail and strong doses of sentiment and romance into an unusual vechicle for Fred and Ginger. For the first time in their teaming they portray actual historical figures..the legendary American dance team of Vernon and Irene Castle who in the early part of last century created a world wide sensation with their innovative interpretations of the foxtrot and polka among other numbers. They were also famous for a few of their own creations such as the Castle Walk which created a dance craze like no other the world has witnessed.

The story follows their life story together from Fred starting out as a second string vaudeville star to his marriage to Irene, to their lean years hiding from paying the rent in rundown hotels through to their great success in Paris on to when they become the toast of the dancing world. History is also incorporated into the story whereby World War 1 seperates them at the height of their success and concludes with Fred being killed in a flight accident. Rarely has there ever been anything about real life included in an Astaire & Rogers production but the two stars rise to the occasion beautifully and it is I feel their most heart felt production. Gone from this production are the mistaken identity plots so often used in their past vechicles together. Here we see what could really be classified as a drama combined with the most beautiful dance sequences you could imagine. In that way "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" is just as memorable as their earlier great successes together like "The Gay Divorcee", "Top Hat"' and "Swing Time".

The look of this production is really beautiful with all the great attention to the period detail. Indeed I often think this film has an MGM look about it so meticulous is the attention to appropiate costumne and settings. Ginger Rogers, who by this stage was starting to branch out into solo work with other leading men in a mixture of comedies and dramas is exceptional as Irene and she mentions in her autobiography that she had the real Irene Castle to contend with during this production as a creative adviser which was a very unnerving experience for her. She need not have worried as she delivers a wonderfully balanced piece of acting here and her character progresses beautifully from naive small town girl into a sophisticated woman of the world and the envy of every woman of her generation. In particular the scenes of her effect on the women of her time are both beautifully and amusingly done with her influence moving into fashion, face cream, hair styles etc . Fred Astaire , it goes without saying is in top form in thi sproduction and his dancing both in solo numbers and combining with Ginger are a real joy to witness and reveal why he is regarded as the greatest dancer movies have ever witnessed.

The supporting cast also adds wonderfully to the great feel that this film delivers. The wonderfully talented character actress Edna May Oliver, a supporting performer in countless memorable Hollywood productions, plays Maggie Sutton the gruff business manager with the heart of gold who sees the Castle's progress from poverty to world wide success and ultimately tragedy. Walter Brennan lends very able support as Fred's friend Walter who is a constant presence in their lives and is also, like Maggie, along for a life journey with the Castles.

For those of you who love fine dancing performed by the masters "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" can't be faulted. This film is unique in that it displays Fred and Ginger team as real life historical characters who gave the joy of dancing to a whole new generation. It's a beautiful production and is a wonderful showcase for the shining talents that were Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

The emphasis of this movie was on what happened after the wedding, rather than what leads up to it. This in itself is unique for Fred and Ginger. But they pulled it off splendidly. I would have married Fred myself after seeing how tenderly he cared for his wife, to what lengths he would go to make her happy, and how devoted he was to being with her no matter what. The scene where they invent the "Castle Walk" was the most sweet and poignant moment in any of their movies, I think.

And Ginger pulled off the progression from an innocent and naive young girl to a passionate, capable woman with the grace of an experienced actress. She trades the smart-mouthed wit of her other movies for the gentleness of a devoted wife. I could hardly tell it was her, so well did she play it, and so completely "other" was this role from the typical Fred and Ginger fare.

I can't think of another couple that could be more fit to play the parts of the smashingly famous Castles, even though the story is such a reversal of what I'd come to expect from a Fred and Ginger movie. I loved it, and would recommend it to anyone who wants to see the full spectrum of what Fred and Ginger can do. I guarantee you will cry more than once!

• Genres > Drama > By Genre
• Genres > Musicals & Performing Arts
• Genres > Musicals & Performing Arts > Musicals

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