Carefree (1938)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Mark Sandrich

Writers:

Marian Ainslee (story)
Guy Endore (story)
(more)

Release Date:

2 September 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Plot:

Dr. Tony Flagg's friend, Steven, has problems in the relationship with his fiancee, Amanda, so he persuades her to visit Dr...

Plot Keywords:

Dream | Hypnotism | Beautiful Woman | Choir | Psychoanalysis

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars.

Cast

Fred Astaire	...	Tony Flagg
Ginger Rogers	...	Amanda Cooper
Ralph Bellamy	...	Stephen Arden
Luella Gear	...	Aunt Cora
Jack Carson	...	Thomas Connors
Clarence Kolb	...	Judge Joe Travers
Franklin Pangborn	...	Roland Hunter
Walter Kingsford	...	Dr. Powers
Kay Sutton	...	Miss Adams
The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir	...	Choir (as Robert B. Mitchell and his St. Brendan's Boys)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry A. Bailey	...	Sponsor (uncredited)
James P. Burtis	...	Truck Driver (uncredited)
Charles Coleman	...	Doorman (uncredited)
William Corson	...	(uncredited)
James Finlayson	...	Man at Golf Course (uncredited)
Edward Gargan	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Elevator Starter (uncredited)
Grace Hayle	...	(uncredited)
Vinton Hayworth	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Ray Hendricks	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Phyllis Kennedy	...	(uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Repairman on Ladder (uncredited)
Richard Lane	...	Henry (uncredited)
Hattie McDaniel	...	Hattie (uncredited)
Harold Minjir	...	Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Country Club Member (uncredited)
Frank Moran	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Jack Rice	...	Man with cane who falls (uncredited)
Marek Windheim	...	Country Club Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Sandrich

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Marian Ainslee		story
Guy Endore		story
Dudley Nichols		story
Ernest Pagano		writer
Allan Scott		writer
Hagar Wilde		story

Produced by
Pandro S. Berman	....	producer

Original Music by
Robert Russell Bennett		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Robert De Grasse		(as Robert de Grasse)

Film Editing by
William Hamilton

Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase

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

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Argyle Nelson	....	assistant director

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

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

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
John Miehle	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Howard Greer	....	gowns: Miss Rogers
Edward Stevenson	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Victor Baravalle	....	musical director
Robert Russell Bennett	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Max Reese	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Gene Rose	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Roy Webb	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Hermes Pan	....	choreographer
Fred Fleck	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1938) (USA) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• Image Entertainment (199?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Media Home Entertainment (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• RKO Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Turner Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #4307) | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Busch Gardens - S. Grove Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Irving Berlin's "The Night Is Filled With Music" was not filmed but instead played as background music in the release print.

Quotes:

Aunt Cora: Hattie, have you ever been married?
Hattie: No Ma'am, but I been engaged.
Aunt Cora: Oh, just as good.
Hattie: No Ma'am... it's a lot better.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fred Astaire: Puttin' on His Top Hat (1980) (TV)

Soundtrack:

I Used To Be Color Blind

Messing With Her Mind

Carefree marked the third collaboration of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers singing and dancing to an Irving Berlin score. Unfortunately it would prove to be the weakest of the films, the others being Top Hat and Follow The Fleet. One thing was that Irving Berlin wrote a lot less music for this than the other two.

The second thing was that it involved psychiatry and we'd have to wait for such musicals as Lady in the Dark and On A Clear Day before the subject was handled in any way responsibly.

I'm not sure the subject was the proper one for Astaire and Rogers. The plot has Rogers seeing Astaire professionally while she's engaged to Ralph Bellamy who is playing the typical Ralph Bellamy part. I guess because it's Ralph Bellamy liberties can be taken with the leading lady by a her psychiatrist.

It was a bit much to swallow, a man who gave up studying the dance to become a disciple of Sigmund Freud. But that's what Fred Astaire is in Carefree. Usually the two don't mix. I can't imagine Freud breaking out into an intricate Astaire dance routine.

I will say that Irving Berlin did give Fred and Ginger some good songs to sing and dance to. The print I have is totally black and white and the I Used To Be Color Blind dream sequence definitely loses something when not seen in color. Fred and Ginger are at their liveliest doing The Yam and the rest of the cast gets involved. In fact I was surprised at how nimble Clarence Kolb was on his feet.

Fred's plaintive plea for Ginger to Change Partners got an Oscar nomination for Best Song, but it lost to Bob Hope's perennial theme of Thanks for the Memory.

I could not quite enjoy Carefree as much I have other Astaire/Rogers collaborations. When you think about, Fred's using his professional training to mess with her mind. His heart may be in the right place, but his medical ethics stink.