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Astaire & Rogers Collection Volume 2 (Swing Time, Shall We Dance, Carefree, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, The Barkleys of Broadway) (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: Fans of classic movie musicals will be in heaven with two five-video sets of the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the quintessential dancing duo. In this second set, the pair is no longer restricted to frothy comedy revolving around mistaken identities; they occasionally explore deeper emotional threads with a bit of heartbreak. The first film is one many consider their most enjoyable, Swing Time, a dashing combination of great music, dance, and comedy. Favorite musical moments include the spectacular dance-studio number "Pick Yourself Up," the farewell ode "Never Gonna Dance," and the Oscar-winning "Just the Way You Look Tonight," from the team of Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields. Shall We Dance features brilliant songs by George and Ira Gershwin ("They Can't Take That Away from Me," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" performed on roller skates) and a complex plot that has Fred and Ginger actually getting married before the final credits roll. The eighth and ninth entries in the series tried some different approaches, with Carefree more of a comedy vehicle for Ginger (yet still including some fine dances and Irving Berlin songs as well as their first onscreen kiss) and The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle portraying the pair as historical dancing stars and using a score of turn-of-the-century standards. This set also includes their 10th film, their 1949 reunion at MGM 10 years after their final film at RKO. While The Barkleys of Broadway falls short of their best work, it's a fond remembrance of the most glorious partnership in film history. --David Horiuchi

Barkleys of Broadway (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: The MGM reunion of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, 10 years after their last RKO picture, happened by accident. The Barkleys of Broadway was meant to pair Astaire with Judy Garland as a follow-up to their 1948 hit Easter Parade. Garland, however, had to drop out due to health problems and was replaced by Ginger, who had gone on to a successful career in nonmusical drama and comedy. As it turned out, the plot probably suited Ginger better than it did Garland. Josh and Dinah Barkley are a veteran song-and-dance couple whose routine bickering turns into a complete breakup when Dinah decides she hasn't received enough credit for her talent and leaves Josh to take a straight dramatic role. Fred and Ginger are as charming and comfortable together as a veteran couple should be, but this film is not a return to the RKO days--its elements are trademark MGM: splashy colors, Fred in a gimmicky solo number (playing sorcerer's apprentice to a line of unoccupied shoes), Oscar Levant providing his usual dynamic pianism and acerbic personality, and a score that is at its best when it borrows songs from a previous generation. In fact, Harry Warren, who provided the music for Ira Gershwin's lyrics, was upset that the film's big ballroom number recycled George and Ira Gershwin's "They Can't Take That Away from Me," which Fred and Ginger had introduced (but did not dance to) in 1937's Shall We Dance. Frankly, though, "They Can't Take That Away" not only works well thematically, but is one of the greatest songs ever written for the screen, while Warren's score is merely adequate and unmemorable. All in all, The Barkleys of Broadway is a warm, welcome, and not completely satisfying reunion. Watch it, then watch Swing Time again. --David Horiuchi