User reviews

TOP HAT is the quintessential Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers film--it might be the first of their nine pairings together that I've seen, but already I can tell just what it is that makes 'Fred & Ginger' almost a brand-name everywhere. Neither Fred Astaire nor Ginger Rogers wanted to get too stereotyped as being the other's partner (Rogers especially took roles specifically to get away from being typecast as one half of a dancing team), but watching them dance, you really couldn't imagine their names coming apart in conversation. It will always have to be 'Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers', because their dancing takes your breath away. The fact that it is incredibly technically complicated is itself astounding... what makes it all the better is that they make it look so darn easy and natural.

Astaire plays Jerry Travers, a professional dancer who meets and falls in love with Dale Tremont (Rogers). He tries very hard to woo her, by filling her room with flowers and singing her through a storm (the beautiful "Isn't This A Lovely Day"). Dale, unfortunately, mistakes him for her friend Madge's husband, Horace Hardwick (played with acerbic relish by Edward Everett Horton). The comedy of errors continues for most of the film, since Dale continually mistakes Jerry for Horace (regaling Madge with 'Horace's' attempts at romancing her), and her costume designer Alberto Beddini is therefore convinced that Horace is the one he must 'kill'--so as to avenge Ms. Tremont.

The plotline itself is slightly fantastical, littered with just enough eccentric characters to have you falling off your seat laughing at some of the things they do and say. Erik Rhodes as Beddini, for example, has some of the best lines in the film--"I'm a-rich and a-pretty..." He practically steals the show, which is hard given the presence of veteran scene-stealers like Horton and Helen Broderick as Madge Hardwick. Although the comedy of errors arising from the mistaken identity wears a bit thin after a while, it *does* provide some absolutely top-notch comic moments. Take the scene when Madge urges Dale to dance with Jerry--the look of utter *un*comprehension on Dale's face when Madge keeps urging them to dance closer is most certainly one for the DVD pause button. ;)

Aside from the dancing (which is sublime, and undescribable--'Fred & Ginger' is something you have to see in action for yourself to believe), the score is brilliant. Irving Berlin has penned some of the most beautiful songs ever, and here we have just a small but certainly representative sampling of them, with "Isn't This A Lovely Day", "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails", and, of course, "Cheek To Cheek"... a classic by any standard.

What Fred & Ginger lack in palpable, explosive chemistry (along the lines of that shared by Tracy and Hepburn, or Bogart and Bacall), however, they more than make up for in their perfect synchronicity with each other--they're perfectly in tune through every dance sequence, and that's a delight, and amazing, to see.

Overall the film is a bit uneven, coasting along on the charm of its dancing leads. But it's most certainly one that's worth watching, quite simply so you can finally say that you've seen a Fred/Ginger movie, and now know what all that fuss was about. Because, goodness, there really is nothing quite so magical as when Astaire takes Rogers in his arms and spins her around a dance floor, defying gravity and all laws of motion.

Physics means nothing when it comes to these two...

I'm only just now beginning to realize how silly the plot and some of the comedy was in this movie. When I watched it, it was perfectly wonderful, and I smiled all the way through. Fred and Ginger, of course, are perfect, whether dancing so memorably to the likes of "Isn't It a Lovely Day" and "Cheek to Cheek" or pitching woo. Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, and Helen Broderick kept it moving with their throughly entertaining comedy relief. Even almost 65 years after its premeire, it's still in tip-top condition, both in the print and in its impact, on first viewing, at least. (I'm afraid to watch it again, for fear the impact will be destroyed.)

I've seen almost all of Fred and Ginger's pictures since viewing this. Some are good, some less so, and all have their moments of excellence. But none of them matched this one in my mind for sheer feel-goodness. The ones that came closest were Swing Time, Shall We Dance, and The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle and The Barkleys of Broadway, the last two because they had quite plausible stories, (and in the case of Castle, one based on real life). But still, Top Hat is Fred and Ginger at their best, and hopefully will always stay that way in my mind.

"Top Hat" is one of the best films Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made together. Jay Sandrich, the director of most of their films knew what to bring to the story to make it perfect. It also helps the genial Irving Berlin was on hand to write some of his most beautiful songs to be sung in Fred Astaire's usual impeccable style. The sets were designed by Van Nest Polglase, who is equally at home showing Manhattan interiors as well as the Venetian fantasy sets.

Much has been said in this forum about the film, so we'll only add that Fred Astaire's Jerry was one of his best creations. Ginger Rogers as Dale Tremont, the high fashion model, shows an exquisite figure and is fine in keeping pace with Fred Astaire's dancing "cheek to cheek". The other best thing about "Top Hat" are: Edward Everett Horton, Helen Broderick, and Eric Blore. These three character actors are at their finest in the film. They make everything work because they are always there to lend a hand for the stars to shine without being on the way.

"Top Hat" is a happy film that keeps delighting viewers any time one is lucky enough to fall under its spell.

This classic is fine entertainment with plenty of everything - humor, singing & dancing, good writing, and lavish sets and costumes. The only thing missing is a plot, but too much story might have taken attention away from everything else that makes "Top Hat" enjoyable to watch.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are talented and charming as a somewhat star-crossed couple. The whole story line is that Ginger thinks Fred is someone else (who is married instead of single) and thus misinterprets and rejects his advances. Their many abilities and a fine script make this paper-thin plot seem not only acceptable but amusing. Edward Everett Horton is both funny and indispensable as Fred's friend (and the man whom Ginger thinks Fred is), and the rest of the supporting players are also quite good.

This is the kind of carefully produced classic that offers many reasons for watching - see it if you have the chance, whether or not you usually like musicals.

If you're a fan of FRED ASTAIRE and GINGER ROGERS and their predictable screwball comedies of the '30s, you'll find this one is easy to take. First of all, the score by Irving Berlin has a variety of catchy tunes although I can't say it's his greatest, and all of the mistaken identity plot is performed with such grace by the famous dancing duo and their marvelous supporting cast that it's all as light as the feathers on Ginger's "Cheek to Cheek" dress.

Speaking of which--for me, the "Cheek to Cheek" number is worth watching just to see how skillful the two dance the number although fully aware that Astaire objected strenuously to Ginger's feathered dress. Nevertheless, it's the dancing highlight of the film, much better than the "Piccolino" number that is used for the finale.

Eric Blore and Erik Rhodes outdo themselves in great comic support. Blore we almost take for granted at this point, but Rhodes with his silly Italian accent is a scene-stealer too. His Bettini, the dressmaker, offers some of the heartiest chuckles.

Astaire is top flight here--graceful, athletic, and young enough to be seen as a dancing Cary Grant--and Ginger matches him every dancing step of the way. She's particularly delightful in the rainy park sequence for "Isn't It A Lovely Day?" And for the "Cheek to Cheek" sequence she has a braided hairdo that gives her an ultra-sophisticated, princess-like look. When she and Astaire dance, they can do no wrong.

He, of course, is more skillful with a song than she is, his voice perfectly able to deliver all the Irving Berlin numbers assigned to him, while she barely gets by with her rendition of the "Piccolino".

Great fun to watch--rainy day or not. And those art deco backgrounds for hotel rooms and Venice are a knockout. The pristine print of the film shown on TCM recently really made them stand out in glowing splendor.

The dancer Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire) meets his friend and producer Horace Hardwick (Edward Everett Horton) at the conservative Thackeray Club in London and Horace invites Jerry to spend the night in his hotel. Jerry is excited with the show and has a "dance attack", tap dancing in the room and disturbing the guest Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers) that is lodged in the room below. Dale goes upstairs to complain against the noise and meets Jerry and they flirt with each other.

On the next morning, Dale mistakes the single Jerry for the married Horace and becomes upset with her flirtation. When she learns that Horace is the husband of her friend Helen Broderick (Madge Hardwick), there are many complications and confusions in the lives of the two friends.

"Top Hat" is another wonderful film from the Golden Age of Hollywood, with delightful confusion and musical numbers. The gags are very funny and the song "Cheek to Cheek" was nominated to the 1936 Oscar in the category Best Music, Original Song. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Picolino"

TOP HAT (RKO Radio, 1935), directed by Mark Sandrich, marks the fourth teaming of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and considered by many to be their best collaboration. A reworking in plot from their earlier outing of "The Gay Divorcée" (1934), TOP HAT, in fact, the most admired of the two, could easily pass as a partial remake, rehash or possibly a sequel, mainly due to the sameness in the casting of Edward Everett Horton, Erik Rhodes and Eric Blore from "The Gay Divorcée" also directed by Mark Sandrich. Stepping in for Alice Brady is Helen Broderick, whose deadpan humor and dry-wit personality proved more amusing than Brady's dim-witted character. Also similar to "The Gay Divorcée" is Ginger Rogers singing one song near its conclusion while Astaire provides most of the vocalization.

The story opens in London. Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire) is an American dancer (what else!) who is to perform in one of Horace Hardwick's (Edward Everett Horton) upcoming musical shows. They share a hotel suite together where Jerry has an urge to sing and dance. His tap dancing disturbs a sleeping patron in the room below. Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers), the upset hotel guest in question, comes up to the room above to register her complaint. After Jerry meets his complainer, he immediately falls in love with her, and decides to soft-shoe her to sleep by dancing on sand after she returns to her room. During his stay in London, he pursues Dale whenever he can, and sweeps her off her feet by dancing with her in the gazebo in the park during a rain storm. Because she doesn't know his name, she affectionately calls him "Adam." Dale, who is to later meet with her best friend, Madge Hardwick (Helen Broderick) in Venice, Italy, discovers she's playing matchmaker, hoping to pair her with her husband's friend, Jerry, while, in turn, Dale believes Jerry to be Horace. Things get really complex as Dale mistakingly believes Made to be pushing "her husband" over to her while poor Horace, the innocent bystander, is being being threatened by Dale's dressmaker, Alberto Bedini (Erik Rhodes) and given a black eye by Madge for no apparent reason. Also adding to the confusion is Bates (Eric Blore), Horace's faithful servant, assigned by him to follow Dale Tremont and find out more about this "gold digger" out to trap Jerry, and ....

Aside from TOP HAT being long on laughs and complications becoming more confusing and the story moves on, the film takes time for five classic dance numbers composed by the legendary Irving Berlin: "No Strings, I'm Fancy Free" (sung and danced by Fred Astaire); "Isn't It a Lovely Day to be Caught in the Rain" (sung by Astaire/ danced by Astaire and Ginger Rogers); "Top Hat" (sung by Astaire); "Cheek to Cheek" (sung by Astaire/ danced by Astaire and Rogers); and "The Piccolino" (sung by Ginger Rogers and chorus/ danced by Astaire and Rogers); and "The Piccolino" (reprise, finale). Of those numbers, "Cheek to Cheek" remains a true highlight, a scene clipped in many documentaries pertaining to movie musicals or Astaire and Rogers themselves. "Cheek to Cheek" was nominated for best song of 1935. Although it didn't win, it remains as memorable as the Astaire and Rogers dance itself.

Any similarities between THE GAY Divorcée and TOP HAT are purely coincidental, but in many ways an improvement. Both films are not only the most famous and televised of the Astaire and Rogers musicals, but each presents itself like a stage play. The only twist here is that TOP HAT, which borrows from "The Gay Divorcée" is actually an original screenplay (by Dwight Taylor), written especially for the leading pair. Other than the horse and buggy ride on the London streets, the focal point remains mostly in the hotel suites, lobbies, dining areas and a brief ride on the gondola. TOP HAT gives the impression to be the most lavishly scaled musical ever released by RKO. It does. Even Ginger Rogers' dresses are glittering and rich in appearance, right down to her sleeping attire. A musical fantasy by way of costumes (how many women sleep with nightgowns flashier than a dinner dress?), TOP HAT has Astaire singing and dancing during portions of the plot, a common practice musical stage shows, though the title tune, "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" is the only one given the production number treatment played to a theater audience on screen.

TOP HAT, available on video cassette and/or DVD, and formerly shown on American Movie Classics, most commonly found on Turner Classic Movies, is fortunate to have certain cut scenes restored. During the years of commercial television back in the 1960s, '70s and '80s, the sequence involving Bates (Eric Blore) insulting an Italian police official whom he believes doesn't speak a word of English, leading to his arrest, was among the missing. Whether seeing TOP HAT at 100 minutes, or in shorter reissue 93 minute prints, the movie itself is entertaining from start to finish. And if the blonde flower clerk in the London sequence early in the story looks familiar, look again. That's Lucille Ball, the future "queen of television." (****)

"Top Hat" was adapted from an Hungarian play, for which Sándor Faragao credited as Alexander Faragó and Aladar Laszlo deserve the credit. The serviceable but slight story-line was also worked on by Károly Nóti, Allan Scott and Dwight Taylor. The main plot may be told in a single paragraph: A dancer comes to London to star in a new show. Annoying a young woman by tap dancing when she is trying to sleep, he meets her, falls in love with her and fails to win her despite her attraction to him because she believes him to be the husband of her best friend instead of only being the star of his show, a man working for him. Complicating the mix are a jealous count for whom the girl works and an opinionated butler working for the impresario, who is then paid by the dancer to spy for him instead. Mark Sandrich directed the goings on in sprightly fashion, with Pandro S. Berman credited as the attractive film's producer and Irving Berlin, with incidental music by Max Steiner, writing the film's above-average score of songs, including "Dancing Cheek to Cheek:, "To Hat" and "The Piccolino", among others. Art Director Van Nest Polglase, Cinematographer David Abel, set dresser Thomas Little and designer of gowns Bernard Newman manage to give the entire production an airy and positive feeling, whether the scene is one set indoors or out. Hermes Pan and Fred Astaire devised the intelligent choreography and half a dozen fine arrangers helped to make the music work. The sunny disposition of the story, with its reliance on a simple misunderstanding, allows the smallish cast to develop their characters unusually fully for a musical. Fred Astaire is lively, young and likable, and his dancing has seldom been better. Ginger Rogers generally seems comfortable with her demanding role as dancer,. singer, confused lover, angry young woman and bewildered participant. Edward Everett Horton is very properly stuffy, Eric Blore as his butler successfully sarcastic, and Helen Broderick makes a delightful and able sarcastic wife in a role that only Eve Arden could have bettered. Eric Rhodes impersonates the irascible Italian count Alberto with power and ability throughout. But ultimately, the film's charm comes down to its simplicity, high style and characters. An intended musical climax to the film, the elaborate "Piccolini", as written by Irving Berlin and sung by Ginger Roger, is a mistake despite its competent arrangement. However it is the only sour note in an otherwise expert trifle, one played winningly and presented beautifully, in my judgment. The opening comedic scene in a London Men's Club, Astaire's first meeting with the butler, the Italian sequences, the stage numbers and the hotel room and hansom scene are all memorable. This film was very popular in 1935 and because of its positive qualities remains a favorite Astaire-Rogers vehicle today. Its elements have often been imitated, but perhaps never bettered,

Of the ten films Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made together "Top Hat" is the one that best demonstrates their many talents and which presents a memorable impression of their unique, inspiring partnership. Although they were great dancers, they were really so much more: Their work represented a standard of excellence, it conveyed an image of exciting, beautiful romance, and they made it seem as though the fantasy world of Hollywood was accessible to everyone.

The story lines for all ten films are weak. Some have more credibility than others, but even the pseudo-biographical films made later in their partnership are contrived, overly sentimental, and trite. RKO cranked-out a script like "Top Hat" simply to accommodate the hot team of Astaire and Rodgers. They didn't allow time to do better. In addition to the stars, good direction and fine work from both the supporting actors and the various technical people transformed the lean script into satisfying entertainment.

Ginger Rogers brings a great deal to the shallow women she is asked to portray. Her acting accounts for much of the success of the Astaire and Rogers movies because she approaches every line, every idiotic incident, every emotion with the same professional integrity she would give to the finest material. She is a hard working, disciplined actress, always completely in character, and in turn, completely believable. In great part, we believe the stories simply because of her.

Her singing and dancing skills are excellent, although not as dynamic as her acting ability. Fred is definitely the lead in singing and dancing. That she is able to follow Fred's dancing with both technical and artistic agility attests to her talent and even more to her professionalism. She earned a reputation as Fred's greatest partner because, on many levels, she can approach his greatness. They work as one toward a common goal.

Fred Astaire was an established Broadway star when he began working in Hollywood. He had already defined his artistic persona and had concentrated on three major areas: Demeanor, Musicianship, and Dancing. Fred is a most unlikely romantic lead. He has comely, but ordinary looks that diminish under close examination; too high a forehead, too large features, too pale and small-framed. Yet, on the screen, he projects a charming, elite image that more than compensates for the banality of his physical person. These qualities derive from Fred having developed the most exquisite manners. He is the most poised, the most polite, the most confident of men. Those fine traits, combined with his everyday looks, make him a romantic lead anyone can believe in, by association as well as by example.

He also developed an exceptional ability to interpret music. He finds everything the composer has written. It's not just a matter of reading the notes or of keeping the right tempo. He finds the essence of the song, its deepest meaning. He has a pleasant, small voice with which he sings splendidly. Every word is given full value, both musically and literally. The music is fully appreciated and fully communicated. In "Top Hat" his excellent musical talent is beautifully demonstrated in the song, "Cheek to Cheek." Written in a high register, Fred scales the music with impressive virtuosity, never failing to convey the full meaning of the song.

His gift with music extends with perfect appropriateness to dance. As a choreographer and dancer his work is one hundred percent original. His ability to find the very core of the music creates interpretation that is never obvious, never expected, and seeded with a genius that is unparalleled, highly aesthetic, and always inspiring. It is unfortunate that he has been labeled a "perfectionist" because it is a misunderstanding of his objectives. The word perfectionist tends to have an underlying negativism. It suggests triviality, fanaticism, rigidity. None of those factors exist in the work of Fred Astaire. His objective was, perhaps to some degree unconsciously, to achieve a level of quality that equaled his genius. In order to get to that point, it was necessary to rehearse and rehearse, to make everything just right, in the same way that all the stokes of a Matisse are as they need to be, or all the chisel strikes of a Michelangelo create a unified artistic achievement.

In "Top Hat," when Fred finishes singing the lyrics in the "Cheek to Cheek" scene he and Ginger segue to an open area where they perform a beautiful, fascinating dance. It is a highly romantic sequence, performed with impressive technical skill. At the end, Ginger's reaction clearly shows how it wasn't just dancing, but a type of love-making that satisfied the mind and the soul. It is notable how much they were able to communicate symbolically through movement.

For me, "Top Hat" showcases the many talents of Fred and Ginger more fully than the other nine films they made together. It also has excellent production values. However, it should be noted that the other films also have exceptional dance numbers of equal, and sometimes, even greater merit than those in "Top Hat." It is definitely worth seeing all ten of the Astaire and Rogers films, preferably in chronological order.

I'm experiencing something of an epiphany regarding this film. I've loved musicals- and just about any musical featuring Fred Astaire- for most of my life. With that said, this film used to frustrate me to no end because of its wafer-thin plot of mistaken identity. When I first reviewed it, I couldn't get past the plot- as if the plot should have carried the day. That was major impatience and intolerance on my part. Thanks to repeated showings of this one (as well as the entire RKO series) on TCM, I have recently viewed this again and allowed myself to just indulge. Indulge in the marvelous banter that Astaire and Ginger Rogers have- even when he's supposed to be annoying her in their first meetings. Quips that include, "Buy yourself a new hat," "I prefer being in distress," and perhaps my favorite line when Rogers- asking Astaire about the female pedigree of the horse he's driving- inquires with, "who was his dam?" he retorts with, "I don't know miss, he didn't give a d--!!"

That is brilliant scripting, especially for an otherwise G-rated film.

So even as he politely annoys her in their first exchanges, it's obvious that she's quite intrigued by him. And when they later dance in a gazebo in a glorious rainstorm as strangers who begin to fall in love, we fall in love right along with them. But then there is that 'mistaken identity' thing that goes on for the entirety of the film. And usually it's here that I write off the film- but if I did that then I could not acknowledge the brilliance of 'best friend' Helen Broderick- who, as the third member of this alleged triangle, tosses off some of the best dead-pan punchlines in the film. I could not acknowledge the two Eric(k)s- Blore and Rhodes, who make the roles of frustrated valet and would-be rogue absolutely hilarious. And I could definitely not acknowledge the stunning Irving Berlin music and routines, from the "Top Hat" shooting gallery of chorus boys to the sublime elegance of the feather-swathed "Cheek to Cheek" pas-de-deux. In retrospect, I can't get too worked up about the plot of this film, because it was 1935 and the middle of the Depression. Most films were light and decidedly cheeky during this sad period in history. If this film prompted some of the team's best box-office receipts in their 10-film history- and went on to garner an Oscar nomination as best picture- it must've been doing something right. I still prefer the plots of other A-R stories (like "Swing Time" or even "Shall We Dance") a bit more, but, as a poster before me stated, I should acknowledge that in terms of the mistaken identity formula, it's quite brilliant.

While demonstrating his new dance sequences to producer Horace Hardwick, showman Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire) severely annoys the resting Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers) in the room below. After Dale goes up to complain about the noise, both Dale and Jerry are very attracted to each other, but due to a case of mistaken identity the path of true love is far from being smooth.

Top Hat is the first film from acclaimed duo Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers that was specifically written for them. Working around the twin source material of The Gay Divorcée and The Girl Who Dared, the screenplay sparkles amidst the frothy nature of the plot. Standard (but lovely) fare here, the kind that would define all of the duo's films, silly plot, boy meets girl and it's not straight forward, and of course a simmering sexual undercurrent that comes with the chase between the sexes.

Songs come courtesy of the magnificent Irving Berlin (aided by Max Steiner), belting show stoppers like "Cheek to Cheek", "Isn't It A Lovely Day" and the sublime solo cane Astaire showcase that is "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails". Gorgeous sets enhance the piece, such as an art deco Venice arrangement, but ultimately it's the charm and artistry of the leading pair that shines the brightest. Coming as it did during the Depression era, Top Hat, and the even better Swing Time a year later, really were (and still are) tonics for the people, I find it almost impossible to not lose myself in these types of pictures, and the audiences of the 30s clearly felt the same as me. Mussolini and his Italian countrymen may have been offended by Erik Rhodes comedy portrayal of Alberto Beddini, and Ginger's self styled gorgeous Ostrich feathered dress may have briefly caused a ripple in Fred and Ginger's working relationship (the feathers caused Fred no end of problems during the magnificent "Cheek To Cheek" sequence), but it all came good in the end with Top Hat taking over $3 million in takings and becoming RKO's biggest earner of the decade.

Much like how the film can lift you, that is just as priceless. 8/10

Narratives centred around a persistent misunderstanding between characters have always been among my least favourite; the classic musical "Top Hat" is no exception - quite the contrary, in fact, as the precisely vague dialogue and exact plotting here, such that the miscommunication gradually exacerbates, is patently frustrating and tiring. The stars are not particularly charming (Alberto and Bates being the worst offenders), their interactions hardly witty - despite its screwball aesthetic, this scarcely produces a chuckle. (The film's sexual politics are too backwards for it to qualify as a screwball regardless, comparing to e.g. Hawks' "Bringing Up Baby" from three years later.) This is worsened by Fred Astaire's smug performance, his delivery seeming to suggest that every quip is a punchline. Ginger Rogers, on the other hand, is consistently splendid. Her scenes with Astaire are obviously the main draw, when the plot is sidelined, the camera stationary in an all-encompassing wide shot, and the viewer is treated to some song-and-dance. The co-stars display natural chemistry in the "caught in the rain" scene, incorporating their unfamiliarity with each other into the choreography. Astaire shines on the title track, performing a memorable tap-dance number where he mimics the sound of gunfire. "Cheek to Cheek" is possibly the highlight; even a philistine like myself can appreciate the elegant movements of the couple. Frankly, the songs themselves are not noteworthy, often resembling muzak (perhaps that is harsh). "The Piccolino" is especially mediocre as a finale, though once it moves to a larger ensemble this hardly matters, as the editing, cinematography and choreography are all pitch-perfect. These magical sequences just about make up for the lacklustre script, though taken as a whole the film fails to live up to its widespread acclaim.

This started off with a bang - a couple of good songs and some tremendous dancing by Fred Astaire. However, it bogs down with the standard storyline of mistaken identity which goes on and on and on. It just gets really annoying after awhile. Ginger Rogers and Helen Broderick continually mistreat and make accusations against their men. Then, when they find out their mistakes, they never apologize or act like they did anything wrong!

At any rate, it's always a pleasure to watch Rogers and Astaire dance together, but these stories......yeech! At least Edward Edward Horton added something to the story. The dialog is very dated and, for the millionth time, you see marriage treated with no respect.

Overall, you can find a lot better Astaire-Rogers movies than this overrated turkey.

"Top Hat" has everything to make a perfect musical - great leading stars in Astaire and Rogers, good character support from Edward Everett Horton, Helen Broderick, and Eric Blore, fabulous numbers ("Top Hat, White Tie and Tails", "Isn't it a Lovely Day", "The Picolina", and "Cheek to Cheek"), an hilarious plot of mistaken identity, and breathtaking designs which transport you into a Hollywood fantasy of Venice. This was the stars' greatest teaming and the film packs a great deal of energy, fun, and sex all these years later. A true musical classic and one of RKO's finest.

There's nothing like Depression-era escapism, especially the Astaire-Rogers brand of it. Devoid of unpleasantness and cynicism, these films are light as air and fun, untouched by silly things like plot. Top Hat (1935) is the most famous of the Astaire and Rogers collaborations. I'm not sure if it's the best, but it's certainly my favorite.

Like I said before, the plot is of no consequence. It's the stuff of farce and isn't too memorable. What you're here for is witty dialogue, memorable music, and great dancing. Oh, and those gorgeous Art Deco sets and costumes.

There are a lot of movies I wish I lived in and this is one of them. What I wouldn't give to live in such a glamorous world in shimmering black and white...

It can be difficult to review a film like this, when it was made 86 years ago you never know whether to judge it by todays standards or as it would have been perceived when it first released. Fred Astaire is funny even by todays standards and Ginger Rogers is pretty good as well, the dancing is good, the music nice and the sets surprisingly large and extensive, I'm sure that when this first came out the charm and wit was brilliant and the dancing outstanding but by todays standards, while it does stand up it just isn't great. A nice distraction but it does feel pretty standard now a days. Give it a watch but don't expect to have your socks blown off.

If there was one film that comes to mind when thinking of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers it would be Top Hat. And it is easy to see why because it is a wonderful film, whether as a musical, comedy or a timeless and unsurpassed partnership. The story isn't its strongest asset, some may argue that it's the story that they remember the least about Top Hat and a lot of Fred and Ginger's other outings. However that doesn't matter all that much, because it still has a fantastical fun element and told with a lot of charm and warmth. And because everything here just works amazingly well. The art-décor settings are very sumptuous, with costumes that are equally stunning(some of Ginger Rogers' dresses have to be seen to be believed) and handsome photography. Irving Berlin's score and songs are some of the best of any 30s-50s film musical, the witty lyrics, charming melodies and distinctive style is just a joy to listen to throughout. Top Hat, White Tie and Tails is a very catchy title number and really allows Fred Astaire to make it his own, while Isn't It a Lovely Day is one of Berlin's most beautiful songs and Cheek to Cheek has some of the best choreography of any single song of any Fred and Ginger film. Piccolino also comes across very well, Ginger's singing isn't a wow factor but the song itself and the lively choreography do win you over. The songs are helped by the choreography, which is glamorous, good-natured and looks so light-as-a-feather when Fred and Ginger do it. The dialogue is very witty and warm-hearted, the highlights were the hansom-cab scene and anything involving Beddini. The characters are eccentric but immensely likable, it's very easy to warm to and relate to Jerry. And there's no going wrong with the performances either, Fred and Ginger's dance partnership is deservedly iconic, you just admire and sometimes envy how poised and athletic they both are, and their individual performances are just as charming, especially Astaire. The supporting cast sparkle just as much, especially Erik Rhodes who steals every scene he's in and even at times the whole film. In conclusion, a Fred and Ginger classic. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Yes nobody does musicals like these anymore and if someone did who'd care to see them? Seeing Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers again dancing like only they could do, looking like if they had been born to each other, talking with their feet and their whole bodies almost makes you cry with nostalgia. These were human beings expressing their feelings not machines or robots like those we see in most nowadays movies. When this fabulous pair of tap-dancers begin to move before our eyes we forget everything else and become enraptured. That's what this movie is about and nothing else. The story? Oh yes the story is weak but who cares? In these musicals the story is only the cement which brings music and dance numbers together. However a special mention of two secondary players who go very well: Helen Broderick making the open minded wife of the theatrical manager and Eric Blore in the role of Bates the butler who presents us with a few hilarious gags. It's an old movie indeed but it still resists wear and tear of time.

A point not often raised by other reviewers of Top Hat is how much of a benchmark this film was in the career of Irving Berlin. Top Hat marked Berlin's return to Hollywood with a new appreciation for the business end of the motion picture industry.

Berlin had been there in the first three years of sound and wrote a few songs for the screen. He didn't like writing and seeing his work integrated into the scores of other films, he didn't like seeing his work ending up on the cutting room floor as was the case in Reaching for the Moon and he didn't like just writing the songs and seeing them tossed every which way into a film.

With Top Hat Berlin began a tradition of total control. After that it was extremely rare to hear a non-Berlin note in any score he wrote. He was as in on the creation of the film as he would have been on the Broadway stage. And he retained copyright control of his songs which was usually not the case, the studio did. The man was a first class businessman as well as our greatest songwriter.

This was the fourth teaming of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. With these two, RKO started rivaling Warner Brothers and MGM for quality musicals. With Fred Astaire they had not only a great dancer, but a star who worked hard in the creation of those numbers. The Piccolino number that he and Ginger do at the finale certainly rivals any of the stuff Busby Berkeley was doing at Warner Brothers though it is not as surrealistic.

Irving Berlin wrote and integrated five outstanding songs into Top Hat. The aforementioned Piccolino, No Strings, Isn't It a Lovely Day To Be Caught in the Rain and Cheek to Cheek. The last was one of Berlin's most popular songs, still done today by would be Astaires. It was nominated in the second year of the Best Song Oscar category, but lost to Lullaby of Broadway.

My favorite number here is the free and easy Isn't It a Lovely Day To Be Caught in the Rain. Fred and Ginger make that informal number under a gazebo so natural, it's positively infectious.

A whole lot of this cast was retained from the previous Astaire-Rogers outing, The Gay Divorcée. Edward Everett Horton, Edward Blore, Erik Rhodes, and Helen Broderick simply repeat their roles from the previous film.

So when you're caught in the rain at home with your significant other, you could do worse than watch Top Hat. You'll be dancing cheek to cheek and soon.

Some day, Hollywood might find the secret ingredient to resurrect the good old-fashioned charm of Golden Age musicals, a stunt French director Michel Hazanavicius achieved with "The Artist". And it's even possible that a new generation of composers, choreographers or lyricists would emerge and make musical sequences that would rival with "Cheek to Cheek" or "Singin' in the Rain". And maybe, maybe they will even find faces as glamorous as Ginger Rogers or legs as agile as Fred Astaire. Still, there's one thing Hollywood will never duplicate from the old days: Fred Astaire himself.

Ginger Rogers was unique but Fred Astaire's uniqueness even more.

Astaire was the mystery guest in a "What's My Line?" episode and Dorothy Kilgallen asked if he was a singer, he retorted with a modest and urban "yeah" but John Daly warned that the answer could be misleading, to which Bennett Cerf asked if he wasn't a dancer too. Finally when they guessed him right, Dorothy said she believed he was actually one of the best singers out there and Bennett Cerf stated he was the best of everything. And that just sums it up: Astaire was a natural talent and a national treasure: that man could act, he could sing and dance and had the facetious little smile of a naughty little boy with an early receding hairline. Ìn his first scene in "Top Hat" in a sinister London gentleman club where noise is strictly prohibited, Astaire makes folding a newspaper without making the cracking noises a gag worthy of the best silent comedians.

Fred Astaire's comedic flair is so natural that the attempt to write a storyline between the musical interludes seems almost worthless. But for the sake of "talking about the film", let's say that Astaire plays Jerry a tap dancer who comes to London to play in show produced by his friend Horace Hardwick (Edward Everett Horton). An impromptu tap dance routine awakens the neighbor below Dale (Rogers), and so we get the obligatory meet-cute and the start of quid-prod-quo where she'd take him for Horace who's the husband of her friend (Helen Broderick) and naturally their conversations are written in such a way the misunderstanding will never be cleared until the end. Anyway, they meet again in Venice where Dale accompanies her dandy fashion-designer, a caricatural Italian named Beddini (Erik Rhodes) and one mistake too many leads to a rushed marriage... and I kept thinking, why making it so damn complicated?

That's the paradox of Mark Sadrich' film, Astaire is such a gifted actor for comedy that you put him in any serious storyline and he can just transcend it through his charming playfulness and his sense of humor,, he's so good at not taking things seriously that there's no plot muddled enough that would stop him to play his usual self... the film tries way too hard with all these mistaken identities, these rivalries that I felt the dancing moments were sidetracked by the plot, not the opposite. Yes, it's the first time that the talking moments feel like fillers.

And naturally, the magic finally operated with perhaps one of the greatest musical moment after "Singin' in the Rain" , "Cheek to Cheek" one that became such a staple of American pop culture it was used not in one but countless films to define Hollywood, naturally, you all think of "The Green Mile" but how about "The Purple Rose of Cairo" with Mia Farrow's marveled eyes .... The magic of Astaire is so great that you wouldn't even notice that Rogers is reluctant at first and is finally smiling in the great finale. I guess I wasn't the only one who thought it would be the final number. The scene is so magical that it was shown countless times through the dazzled eyes of viewers, and that's how anyone would watch that scene.

Now, would it be unfair to review the film on the basis of that scene only? I would say that it would be unfair to consider it the only worthy dancing moment, there's a fun solo number with Astaire. "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" where he uses canes as arrows, and the famous Picolino... but the "Cheek to Cheek" does capture the magic of old Hollywood and is certainly the reason why "Top Hat" is the most famous collaboration.

Now, I didn't see "The Gay Divorcee" but I watched "Swing Time" and I wrote that on my review:

" I didn't pick "Swing Time" because it's the most celebrated Astaire-Rogers film (or is it "Top Hat"?), I picked it because of its inclusion in the American Film Institute's Top 100 Movies (the latest edition). I had never heard about it so when I saw the title on the list, I was like "OK, but why not "Top Hat"?". Not that I've seen it either, but the film was listed in AFI's Musicals List and "Cheek to Cheek" among the Top 100 most iconic songs, not to mention that the dance sequence was a staple of Hollywood, used in many contemporary movies to define the Golden Age."

I maintain my opinion on "Cheek to Cheek" but I still can understand why "Swing Time" was selected.

Buoyed by Irving Berlin music, this is one of those love stories where the lovers get confused as to who is whom. Astaire sees Rogers and is smitten, but because of his celebrity there is a kind of caution. They battle each other, partially because they don't know each other's intentions and partially because they are confused by the supporting characters. It doesn't matter what the story is. The dancing here is as good as anything you have ever seen. I know there was some tension as Rogers tried to tread her own path as an actress, but what a gift to the world these two were. Their synchronous moves are incredible as they move across the screen. We also forget that Fred Astaire had a really good voice for the popular music of the time.

This was my introduction to the Fred and Ginger musical series of the '30s, though I'd seen each of them separately in other things, and if "Top Hat" is their best film together, as many seem to believe, I doubt I'm ever going to be a hard-core fan, though I found it entertaining enough.

It's about what I expected, except that I thought I would be more wowed by the dancing. The plot is classic '30s screwball, revolving around mistaken identities, like an episode of "Three's Company," but with even less realism and logic. Astaire plays Jerry Travers, famous song and dance man (of course, what else would he be?), and Rogers is Dale Tremont, friend of the wife of Jerry's producer, Horace Hardwick (great porn name by the way). Jerry and Dale meet cute, as meant-to-be lovers always do in these movies, until Dale decides she hates him because she thinks he's someone else, then decides she loves him when she realizes who he really is. In between, Astaire does a lot of dancing and warbling, Rogers wears a lot of god-awful gowns, and everyone throws out a bunch of one-liners, some of which land a laugh, others of which just land.

I'm not surprised that Rogers fought so hard against being typecast as partner to Fred Astaire, as she certainly takes a back seat to him here. When he dances, his feet don't seem to touch the ground; when she dances, it's not exactly like she's chopped liver, but you can see the effort she's making to keep up. And she gets none of the laughs. What she does get is the dubious honor of flouncing around in one garish outfit after another. During the "Cheek to Cheek" dancing sequence, she wears a Princess Leia hairdo and a dress that looks like it's made from the back ends of several Pekingese (and every time she twirls she leaves strands of her dress all over the stage in a distracting but kind of refreshingly realistic detail), and late in the movie she enters a room in some sort of Japanese-style night dress that makes her look like one of the seven samurai.

As is typical with films of this time period, a terrific ensemble of character actors appears in supporting roles, and they supply the movie with most of its humour and charm. Edward Everett Horton plays the dithery Horace and Helen Broderick plays his droll wife, Madge. Erik Rhodes plays a pompous Italian playboy who fusses over Dale and says everything in an exaggerated, silly Italian accent. He's also the one who supplies Dale with all of her clothes, which gives us reason to hope that she dumps him before the end of the movie. My favorite character was Horace's butler Bates, played by Eric Blore. It's a completely unnecessary role, but I got a kick out of the fact that he always refers to himself as "we," which is funny, and some confusion over a steak and its intended use provides the film with one of its funniest scenes.

In addition to the aforementioned "Cheek to Cheek" number, two other big set pieces stand out: the "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" number, which Jerry performs with a chorus of men in tuxes as part of the show in which he's starring, and inexplicably and alarmingly ends with Astaire pretending that his cane is a machine gun and mowing down the male chorus; and the "Piccolino" finale, a bolero-style jaw dropper that seems to have been guest directed by Busby Berkeley. Only once, when Fred and Ginger take center stage during this number, did I really get a glimpse of that electricity that made this duo so legendary.

If you're one of those people that's going to pick a nonsensical plot apart, DO NOT see this movie, because you will hate it. You watch these movies for the music and the dancing and the escapism, and while I've seen better movies that provide all of the above, I still liked this one too.

Grade: B