Swing Time

UPC: 053939657128

Studio: Warner Home Video

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:[Excellent For Children]

Summary: The sixth of RKO's Fred Astaire -Ginger Rogers pairings of the 1930s, Swing Time starts off with bandleader Astaire getting cold feet on his wedding day. Astaire's bride-to-be Betty Furness will give him a second chance, providing he proves himself responsible enough to earn $25,000. Astaire naturally tries to avoid earning that amount once he falls in love with dance instructor Ginger Rogers. Numerous complications ensue, leading to the "second time's the charm" climax, with Ginger escaping her own wedding to wealthy Georges Metaxa in order to be reunited with Astaire. The film's most indelible image is that of Fred Astaire, immaculately attired in top hat and tails, hopping a freight car--a perfect encapsulation of the film's Depression-era cheekiness. The Jerome Kern-Dorothy Fields score includes such standards-to-be as "Pick Yourself Up," "A Fine Romance," "The Way You Look Tonight," "Never Gonna Dance" and "Bojangles of Harlem." The peerless supporting cast of Swing Time includes Helen Broderick, Victor Moore, Eric Blore, and Landers Stevens, the actor-father of the film's director, George Stevens. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Category: Musical

Awards: Best Dance Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Song – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Song – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Features: ccCommentary by John Mueller, author of Astaire Dancing
New featurette "The Swing of Things: Swing Time Step by Step"
Musical short "Hotel a la Swing"
Classic cartoon "Bingo Crosbyana"
Theatrical trailer
English, French and Spanish subtitles

Swing Time

Format: DVD

Release Date: 08/16/2005

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DD1 Dolby Digital Mono

Runtime: 140 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Credits [1:19]
2. It's Not in the Cards [1:37]
3. No Cuffs [3:18]
4. No Wedding [3:01]
5. Marital Money Matter [3:04]
6. Catching a Train [1:55]
7. Change Exchange [4:08]
8. Interested in the Dance [3:13]
9. Trial Lesson [2:42]
10. Pick Yourself Up [7:23]
11. Clothes Unmake the Man [5:04]
12. Picket Line [3:03]
13. The Way You Look Tonight [2:10]
14. Interupted Music [4:30]
15. Ace of Spades [4:26]
16. Waltz in Swing Time [3:15]
17. On the Safe Side [3:09]
18. Snowy and Secluded [3:27]
19. A Fine Romance [6:17]
20. It's Nice [5:38]
21. Bojangles of Harlem [8:16]
22. Bad Luck of the Draw [4:38]
23. Otherwise Engaged [2:20]
24. Never Gonna Dance [6:03]
25. Goofy Trouble [3:40]
26. Missing Pants [3:39]
27. A Fine Romance [2:04]

Brendon Hanley

Perhaps the perfect example of the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers appeal, Swing Time is a charming romantic-fantasy that's almost impossible to resist when its musical set pieces are in motion. The plot, however minimal, only distracts from the classic melodies and entertaining dance sequences. Directed by the venerable George Stevens, Swing Time was the fifth Astaire-Rogers film, and came out during the peak of their popularity; it's of a piece with the duo's other successes, and in fact markedly resembles their earlier hit, 1935's Top Hat. Perhaps the most cherished dance number is "Bojangles of Harlem," during which Astaire dances with shadows and pays tribute to famous dancer Bill Robinson. The stellar score also includes "The Way You Look Tonight" and "A Fine Romance." ~ Brendon Hanley, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Fern Emmett  Actor 
Frank Mills  Actor 
Howard Hickman  Actor 
Ferdinand Minuer  Actor 
Baby Marie Osborne  Actor 
Blanca Vischer  Actor 
Bess Flowers  Actor 
Dennis O'Keefe  Actor 
Edgar Dearing  Actor 
Jack Rice  Actor 
Ralph Brooks  Actor 
Dale Van Sickel  Actor 
Sailor Vincent  Actor 
Pandro S. Berman  Producer 
Dorothy Fields  Composer (Music Score) 
Jerome Kern  Composer (Music Score) 
Howard Lindsay  Screenwriter 
George Stevens  Director 
Allan Scott  Screenwriter 
Fred Astaire  Actor 
Ginger Rogers  Actor 
Victor Moore  Actor 
Helen Broderick  Actor 
Eric Blore  Actor 
Betty Furness  Actor 
George Metaxa  Actor 
Landers Stevens  Actor 
John Harrington  Actor 
Pierre Watkin  Actor 
Abe Reynolds  Actor 
Gerald Hamer  Actor 
Harry Bowen  Actor 
Harry Bernard  Actor 
Frank Jenks  Actor 
Jack Good  Actor 
Donald Kerr  Actor 
Ted O'Shea  Actor 
Ralph Byrd  Actor 
Charlie Hall  Actor 
Jean Perry  Actor 
Olin Francis  Actor 
Floyd Shackelford  Actor 
Joey Ray  Actor 

Country: USA