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Highest Graded Films of 1937
Fred Astaire's Graded Films
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Since 06/09/00
But Shall We Dance is only an average film. It peaks with the first two minutes of "Slap That Bass," which has performances by the ship's forgotten crew: its black manual laborers. Astaire can't let them steal the show, and he jumps in and spoils their sole appearance.
Shall We Dance is best known for its Gershwin Brothers score. "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" seemed especially familiar. It dawned on me where I had heard the songs before: "The Lawrence Welk Show," which I endured as a child courtesy of my non-rock'n'roll parents.
The fact that Lawrence Welk loved the Gershwins betrays the weaknesses of the latter. The melodies completely lack dissonance. It's a sunny day, we're in love, life is beautiful, la de da. That is to say, it's empty, as much as is the formula of the Astaire-Rogers romance. Men and women stick within their polite gender roles, but have been neutered, as if their sex drive does not exist.
From the beginning, Astaire wants Rogers. Of course, she plays hard to get, and the usual misunderstandings create further obstacles, but we'll know that they'll get together.
Rogers first falls for Astaire because he is walking a team of dogs. If that 'hilarious' sight gag is unconvincing, what about this one? Rogers is set to present Astaaire with divorce papers, until she sees him dance with a bevy of showgirls dressed up like her. Worse, they each have a mask of her. The normal feminine reaction would be to recommend psychiatric treatment for Astaire, then run. Instead, she joins the act.
The middle of the film is dominated by a thin storyline. Astaire orchestrates publicity that he is secretly wed to Rogers. Why? So he can escape the clutches of a dancer (Ketti Gallian), as simply telling her no would be too easy. Rogers' best friend and night club owner (Jerome Cowan) participates in the scam with Astaire to prevent Rogers from marrying William Brisbane, as it will end her (and allegedly his) career.
But Rogers never has any romantic interest in Brisbane. She wants to get married because she's tired of being chased by men. So, she lets Astaire chase her instead. No part of the story makes any sense.
The supporting characters are even more befuddled. Edward Everett Horton owns a dance studio, but in effect is Astaire's constant companion. The problem is, he's a complete idiot, as is a moralistic hotel manager (Eric Blore) that receives far too much screen time.
Shall We Dance asks the audience to disregard the shallowness of plot, script, and characters. After all, it is a musical, and don't Astaire and Rogers sing and dance divinely? But in truth, neither can do little more than keep in tune. Their carefully rehearsed dance routines can't carry the film's dead weight.
It's a happy, feel-good film, we are told. Don't examine it, just find the spirit and enjoy it. This is the line on Shall We Dance. But the line is wrong. It's a weak effort, and even its charm is contrived.