Roberta

RKO, 1935
Starring Randolph Scott, Fred Astaire, Irene Dunne, and Ginger Rogers
Directed by William A. Seiter
Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Otto Haurbach and Dorothy Fields

First of all, Musical Dreams Reviews will be on hiatus from May 15th to the 22nd for vacation. I'll be doing one extra review a week for the remaining weeks of the month to make up with it, starting with tomorrow's review. Now that we have the announcement out of the way, let's move on to today's review...

This is the first of two versions of the story of a couple of guys who inherit a Parisian fashion house we'll be doing this week. Roberta was one of the biggest hits on Broadway in 1933, combining Jerome Kern's operetta sensibilities with gorgeous gowns, a frothy plot, and an up-and-coming cast. RKO turned it into a vehicle for their own up-and-coming stars Astaire and Rogers, along with singer Dunne and romantic leading man Scott. Is it as elegant and romantic as a fine Paris gown? Let's head to Paris with Astaire and his orchestra to find out...

The Story: Huck Haines (Astaire), his best friend John Kent (Scott), and Haines' dance band the Wabash Indianans are stranded in Paris with barely a franc to their names. Cafe owner Alexandre Voyda (Luis Alberni) booked them, but mistook them for actual Native Americans, rather than a Midwestern orchestra and a former football player, and fired them. John does know one person in Paris to ask for help, his Aunt Minnie, the owner of the Roberta fashion house.

On his arrival, John finds himself stuck in the aging and cranky elevator. He's helped out by Stephanie (Dunne), Roberta's assistant. He's instantly smitten with her, but she's not as impressed by him. Meanwhile, Huck's met a girl of his own, the glamorous Countess Scharwenka (Rogers). Turns out she's actually his ex-girlfriend Lizzie Gatz. She's able to finally get Voyda to relent and hire them.

Shortly after their arrival, Aunt Minnie passes away. As she left no will, her dress salon goes to John by default. He knows nothing about designing gowns and asks Stephanie to stay on as his partner. Their collaboration is in trouble from the get-go. He rejects one of her more daring designs, and is pursued by his spoiled fiancee Sophie (Clarice Dodd), who is after his money. Huck and Lizzie convince Stephanie to sell Sophie that "vulgar" dress. It upsets John, who complains to Stephanie. She's so angry, she quits. It's up to Huck, Lizzie, and a cartload of couture gowns to bring these two lovers back together.

The Song and Dance: This was Astaire and Rogers' third musical together, and along with the lovely music and stunning 30's gowns, they're the main reason to see it today. They're just having so much fun together as the witty orchestra leader and the demanding "countess" who isn't as glamorous or aristocratic as she seems.

Those gorgeous gowns are worth the fuss Stephanie and John made over them. The backless number that she sold Sophie would probably barely turn heads today, but it's actually quite attractive. My favorite is the ruffly black and dot gown in the big fashion show in the finale. The Art Deco sets are almost as beautifully designed, including the elevator that keeps sticking.

Favorite Number: Two of Ginger and Fred's best dance routines can be found here. Ginger starts off "I'll Be Hard to Handle," but it quickly turns into a really fun comic duet. They also get to dance to "Lovely to Look At" performed by Irene Dunne in the finale. Dunne also scores with probably this score's best-known standard, the ballad "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes."

Trivia: Yes, that is a young and very blonde Lucille Ball among the models in the fashion show finale. She's the one in the layered white feather cape with the dress trimmed with feathers.

The movie drops three hits from the original Broadway show - "The Touch of Your Hand," "Something Had to Happen," and "You're Devestating" - and adds "I Won't Dance" from the flop stage show Three Sisters and the newly written "Lovely to Look At." The latter was nominated for an Oscar in 1935.

What I Don't Like: Some of the numbers sans Rogers are really strange. Both the routine in the opening where the Indianans turn themselves into a human organ that Astaire "plays" and the too-goofy "Let's Begin" in drag look more ridiculous than funny. No wonder Volya refused to hire them.

When the movie focuses on Astaire and Rogers and their dances and relationship, it's a lot of fun. It's the main plot involving Scott, Dunne, and Roberta's that flounders. Scott is stiff as a board and not terribly happy; his stoic demeanor looks better on the wide open plains than in a musical. Dunne only comes off a little better, helped by her beautiful renditions of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and "Lovely to Look At."

The Big Finale: The stunning costumes and a couple of great Astaire-Rogers numbers makes this worth a look for their fans or lovers of dance or vintage fashion.

Home Media: Easy to find on DVD and streaming, both in its original release and as part of the Warner Archives.

DVD
DVD - Silver Screen Icons: Astaire & Rogers, Vol. 2
Amazon Prime