Roberta (1935)

Director:

William A. Seiter

Writers:

Jerome Kern (play) and
Otto A. Harbach (play) ...

Release Date:

8 March 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

A Heart-Load of Maddening Beauties.. In Gasping Gowns.. A Fortune in Furs.. A Ransom in Jewels.. In a Song-Studded Romance of Paris in Lovetime!

Plot:

Football player John Kent tags along as Huck Haines and the Wabash Indianians travel to an engagement in Paris...

Plot Keywords:

Fashion | Jazz Band | Trapped In Elevator | Dancer | Dress Making

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Irene Dunne	...	Stephanie
Fred Astaire	...	Huckleberry Haines
Ginger Rogers	...	Comtesse Scharwenka
Randolph Scott	...	John Kent
Helen Westley	...	Roberta / Aunt Minnie
Claire Dodd	...	Sophie Teale
Victor Varconi	...	Prince Ladislaw
Luis Alberni	...	Alexander Petrovitch Moskovich Voyda
Ferdinand Munier	...	Lord Henry Delves
Torben Meyer	...	Albert
Adrian Rosley	...	Professor
Bodil Rosing	...	Fernande (maid)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Russian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #601) | Australia:G

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

RKO producer Pandro S. Berman insisted that the studio pay whatever it took to buy the rights to "Roberta", a huge success on Broadway. The gamble paid off, netting the studio $770,000 and helped RKO post its first annual profit since 1930.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When John Kent arrives in Paris and goes to the building where Roberta lives, the doorman tells him that she is on the "troisième étage " and indicates that John should press the corresponding button. John is eventually taken to Roberta on the third floor, which is incorrect since the "troisième étage " corresponds to the fourth floor. In France, the "premiere étage" (first floor) is not the ground floor but the next one up.

Quotes:

John Kent: Where ya goin'?
Stephanie: Down.
John Kent: Why?
Stephanie: Because I pushed the button.
John Kent: But I want to talk to you.
Stephanie: That's what you're doing.
John Kent: I just like to tell you I love you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)

Soundtrack:

Yesterdays

A Musical Fashion Show

ROBERTA (RKO Radio, 1935), directed by William A. Seiter, from the then current Broadway play, and from the novel, "Gowns by Roberta," marks the third pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but a return to playing comedic supporting roles, yet, having more footage than from their initial pairing in FLYING DOWN TO RIO (RKO, 1933). Not as well known nor popular as their other musical outings, ROBERTA may come off today as a disappointment, in fact, a rather dull musical film, but in reality, it's a different kind of Astaire-Rogers film, which centers mostly on displaying the latest fashions from Paris than on dance numbers. It is also a rare case found in their musicals in which one of the central characters in the storyline dies. But when Astaire and Rogers dance on screen, they make every precious moment count and succeed in bringing things to life while the romantic plot involving its lead stars, Irene Dunne and Randolph Scott, presents itself as satisfying but not entirely interesting. And as with the early Astaire and Rogers musicals, this one, too, has the Continental flavor or European background, this time opening in La Havre and later settling down to Paris, France. Again, this is a reworking of a stage play and looks it, without the use of real projection backdrops of the streets of Paris nor a car chase to speed up the pacing.

As for the plot, John Kent (Randolph Scott) is a All-American football player and coach who comes to Paris to visit with his Aunt Minnie (Helen Westley), who had left the United States years ago and has her fortune in Paris as a dressmaker, assuming the title as "Roberta." Accompanying him is his friend, Huckleberry "Hunk" Haines (Fred Astaire), the head bandleader, and his group of Wabash Indianians. John later becomes acquainted with Stephanie (Irene Dunne), Roberta's head designer, and her cousin, Ladislaw (Victor Varconi), working as a doorman. Unknown to John, Stephanie and Ladislaw are both of Russian royalty. Then comes a Polish countess named Scharwenka (Ginger Rogers), who proves to be hard to handle by creating a disturbance towards Stephanie because she doesn't like the clothes being presented to her. But when Hunk is introduced to the countess, he recognizes her as Elizabeth "Lizzie" Gatz, a former girlfriend from back home. Because of her influence in Paris, Lizzie helps Hunk and the band obtain a job at the Cafe Russe. All goes well until Roberta dies, leaving John to inherit the dress shop, and the visitation of Sophie Keel (Claire Dodd), a snobbish girl John once loved, now back in his life, complicating matters between him and Stephanie.

While the plot plays at a leisurely pace, the songs, by Jerome Kern, with additional lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh, help it along. The musical program includes: "Let's Begin" (sung by Fred Astaire and Candy Candido); "Russian Folk Song" (sung by Irene Dunne); "I'll Be Hard to Handle" (sung by Ginger Rogers/danced by Astaire and Rogers); "Yesterdays" (sung by Irene Dunne); "I Won't Dance" (sung by Rogers and Astaire/ dance solo by Astaire); "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" (sung by Irene Dunne); "Lovely to Look At" (sung by Dunne, later reprised by Astaire and Rogers); "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" (instrumental dance by Astaire and Rogers); and "I Won't Dance" (finale, danced by Astaire and Rogers). Many of the songs heard are very pleasing to the ear, with some of the Irene Dunne solos hitting the high note, playing like a 1940s MGM musical, in a slower tempo and minus the color. In fact, it was MGM that later purchased the rights to ROBERTA and remade it as LOVELY TO LOOK AT (1952) starring Kathryn Grayson, Red Skelton and Howard Keel. Both film versions are currently presented on cable's Turner Classic Movies for comparison.

Of the ten Astaire and Rogers musicals, ROBERTA was the only holdout to commercial television. It was the one movie in the Astaire and Rogers series destined not to ever be seen again. Whether it was because MGM had a hold on it so not to have it compared with its splashing Technicolored remake, or that the movie itself would not hold any interest towards a newer generation of movie goers, is anybody's guess. Fortunately, ROBERTA was brought back from the entombment of a studio vault in the 1970s, first at revival movie houses, then to commercial television. When ROBERTA made its New York television premiere September 25, 1977, on WOR, Channel 9 (the former home of the RKO Radio film library), it was a long awaited event, especially when one has to stay up on a school night as it was scheduled to air near the midnight hour, but in spite of itself, it was definitely worth sitting through. I recall a brief article in the television section of a local newspaper complimenting Channel 9 for bringing back this long unseen musical gem, and writing, "it's about time!" The critic also noted that ROBERTA hadn't been shown commercially anywhere since the early 1940s.

With a combination of Irene Dunne's singing, Randolph Scott's repeatedly reciting the catch phrase of "swell," and a very lengthly fashion show finale with models (one of them being the very blonde Lucille Ball) in fashion gowns pacing the floors back and forth, the classic moments, which are few, are Astaire's solo dancing to "I Won't Dance," and the beautiful duet of Astaire and Rogers dancing to "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes." In "I Won't Dance," Astaire shows himself as a very personable performer as he tap dances and shakes hands with the observing patrons in the audience. There is also a comedic dance earlier in the story, "I'll Be Hard to Handle" with Astaire and Rogers.

Also Seen in the supporting cast are Luis Alberni as Alexander Voyda; Ferdinand Munier as Lord Henry Delves,Torben Meyer as Albert, and William B. Davidson briefly as a ship's captain.

One final note, Ginger Rogers displays some fine comedic talent playing a Polish countess and supporting an thick accent that echoes that of comedienne Lyda Roberti. And why not? It was Roberti who appeared as Scharwenka in the Broadway production. Because the Astaire and Rogers combination was hot, it was obvious that Roberti would not get to reprise her original role, nor anyone else for that matter.

ROBERTA does have its moments of greatness when it comes to dances, and slow points when it comes to its plot, but all in all, it's worth viewing. And to get to hear the songs, like "Opening Night," "The Touch of Your Hand" and "You're Devastating," which were all disgarded from this version, but heard as instrumental background, one would have to sit through the 1952 remake. While LOVELY TO LOOK AT (1952) has color, ROBERTA (1935) has class.