Shall We Dance (1937)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Mark Sandrich

Writers:

Allan Scott (screenplay) and
Ernest Pagano (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 May 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Hot Feet !

Plot:

A budding romance between a ballet master and a tapdancer becomes complicated when rumours surface that they're already married.

Plot Keywords:

Ballet | Dancer | Ship | Ocean Liner | Gossip

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Fred Astaire	...	Petrov
Ginger Rogers	...	Linda Keene
Edward Everett Horton	...	Jeffrey Baird
Eric Blore	...	Cecil Flintridge
Jerome Cowan	...	Arthur Miller
Ketti Gallian	...	Lady Denise Tarrington
William Brisbane	...	Jim Montgomery
Ann Shoemaker	...	Matron Spreading Gossip
Harriet Hoctor	...	Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Norman Ainsley	...	Ship's Bartender (uncredited)
Ben Alexander	...	Evans - a Bandleader (uncredited)
Sherwood Bailey	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Matthew Boulton	...	Ship's Officer (uncredited)
Harry Bowen	...	Johnson - the Locksmith (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey	...	First Steward (uncredited)
William Burress	...	New Jersey Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Charles Coleman	...	Central Park Policeman (uncredited)
Monte Collins	...	Usher-Messenger (uncredited)
Jean De Briac	...	Show Producer (uncredited)
Dudley Dickerson	...	Engine Room Singer (uncredited)
Pauline Garon	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Douglas Gordon	...	Steward (uncredited)
Helena Grant	...	Passenger Starting Gossip (uncredited)
Charlie Hall	...	Ship's Bartender (uncredited)
Eddie Hall	...	Man on Stairs with Blonde (uncredited)
Jane Hamilton	...	Woman (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Passenger Walking Dog (uncredited)
Sam Hayes	...	Dispatcher (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Fire Drill Steward (uncredited)
Tiny Jones	...	Flower Woman (uncredited)
Lew Kelly	...	Policeman at Jail (uncredited)
George Magrill	...	Room Steward (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Marie Marks	...	Woman (uncredited)
Alphonse Martell	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Show Producer (uncredited)
Frank Moran	...	Process Server (uncredited)
Mantan Moreland	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Henry Mowbray	...	Radio Officer (uncredited)
Leonard Mudie	...	Room Service Waiter (uncredited)
Vesey O'Davoren	...	Ship's Bartender (uncredited)
Jack Rice	...	Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Matty Roubert	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
George Savidan	...	Errand Boy (uncredited)
Rolfe Sedan	...	Ballet Master (uncredited)
Mary Stewart	...	Dancer and Singer (uncredited)
Spencer Teakle	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Pete Theodore	...	Linda's Dancing Partner (uncredited)
Richard Tucker	...	Mr. Russell - Attorney (uncredited)
Marek Windheim	...	Ballet Master (uncredited)
Sam Wren	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Emma Young	...	Tai (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Sandrich

Writing credits
Allan Scott		(screenplay) and
Ernest Pagano		(screenplay)
P.J. Wolfson		(adaptation)
Lee Loeb		(story) and
Harold Buchman		(story)
Anne Morrison Chapin		contributor to treatment (uncredited)
James Gow		contributor to screenplay construction (uncredited)
Edmund H. North		contributor to screenplay construction (uncredited)

Produced by
Pandro S. Berman	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
George Gershwin
Robert Russell Bennett		(uncredited)
Nathaniel Shilkret		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
David Abel		(photographed by)
Joseph F. Biroc		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
William Hamilton

Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase

Makeup Department
Mel Berns	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
J.R. Crone	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Argyle Nelson	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Carroll Clark	....	associate art director
Darrell Silvera	....	set dressing

Sound Department
Hugh McDowell Jr.	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects (as Vernon Walker)

Camera and Electrical Department
J. Roy Hunt	....	camera operator (uncredited)
John Miehle	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene	....	gowns: Miss Rogers
Edith Clark	....	wardrobe attendant (uncredited)

Music Department
Nathaniel Shilkret	....	musical director
Robert Russell Bennett	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Hal Borne	....	musician: rehearsal pianist (uncredited)
Joseph A. Livingston	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Harry Losee	....	ballet stager
Hermes Pan	....	ballet stager
Harry Cornbleth	....	stand-in: Fred Astaire (uncredited)
Eddie Hall	....	stand-in: Edward Everett Horton (uncredited)
John Huettner	....	stand-in: Edward Everett Horton (uncredited)
Marie Osborne	....	stand-in: Ginger Rogers (uncredited)
Paul Rochin	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Harry Timms	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures (A Pandro S. Berman Production)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• Chapel Distribution (2009) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Emerald (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1994) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Turner Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Stepping Toes (USA) (working title)
Watch Your Step (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

109 min | Argentina:116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Australia:G | Finland:S | USA:Unrated | UK:U (video rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #2994) | UK:U (original rating)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

The seventh (of ten) dancing partnership of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Quotes:

Arthur Miller: What does your watch say?
Jeffrey Baird: It says, "Tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick."

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Beginner's Luck

Rogers, Astaire and Gershwin!

Considered a lesser Astaire-Rogers starring vehicle this slim-plotted musical is still a delight thanks to 3 great Gershwin songs: They Can't Take That Away from Me, Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, and They All Laughed. Slap That Brass isn't bad either.

Astaire plays a ballet star (!) who wants to dance jazz; Rogers plays a brassy revue star who is bored by men. They have two terrific dance numbers together: They All Laughed and a roller skating dance to Let's Call the Whole Thing Off.

Throw into the mix the always fun Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore and you have a smooth and easy musical with great comedy support. Unfortunately the film also has the blah Ketti Gallian who has NO appeal whatsoever and the overblown Harriet Hoctor who was as mediocre as they come. Her ballet number is boring. Jerome Cowan, William Brisbane, and Ann Shoemaker add nothing. Indeed the film looks badly edited as Shoemaker, who gets good billing, has one brief scene aboard ship. Also Cowan has a confederate about halfway thru the film who is never even identified.

Still worth seeing for the great Gershwin songs and the matchless Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.