Customer Reviews

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you own the older version of Volume One of the complete Astaire-Rogers, then this is the version of the complete set that you ought to get. It will give you the extra disc that the updates provide and also provides you with empty thinpak cases into which you can place your older discs. While I regret that they chose to do these in such confusing fashion, I'm delighted that they are at least giving us the opportunity to upgrade. Also, I'm a huge fan of the thinpak cases. If you haven't bought any of the Astaire-Rogers discs, I strongly recommend getting the complete 11-DVD single volume edition.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are not merely the greatest dance team in the history of film but one of the greatest pairings as well, regardless of genre. Although both of them achieved considerable success apart from the other, there was just something incredibly magical about the times they would perform together. For anyone who loves film, this set is going to be about as essential as any that exists.

There can be only one possible complaint with this second volume in the release of all of the Astaire-Rogers films: it is not chronological. The reason for this is obvious; if they had released the sets with the films in chronological order, the first volume would have been vastly superior to the second. While Volume Two would have contained SWINGTIME, one of their greatest films, Volume One would have contained TOP HAT, THE GAY DIVORCEE, and FOLLOW THE FLEET. As it is, they have tried to balance the films somewhat by putting the utterly essential THE GAY DIVORCEE in Volume 2. Even so, this is a weaker set of movies than the first volume.

FLYING DOWN TO RIO

To be honest, this is not a great movie, though it is for several reasons highly entertaining. The musical numbers performed on airplanes at the end have to be seen to be believed and even then will not be believed. The film was not intended to be an Astaire-Rogers film. It was primarily viewed as a vehicle for the amazingly beautiful Dolores Del Rio. Fred and Ginger were actually fifth and fourth billed, respectively, behind Del Rio, Gene Raymond, and Raul Roulien. RKO was a late entry into the musical genre, lagging well behind Warner Brothers, Paramount, and MGM. They quickly tried to catch up by signing a number of performers. They had purchased the contract of Ginger Rogers from Warner Brothers. She had had some success in Busby Berkeley musicals there and was familiar to film goers from some prominent numbers she performed in vehicles such as 42ND STREET and GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933. Fred had been, of course, a member of one of the greatest vaudeville and Broadway dance teams, Adele and Fred Astaire. The focus of that act had been Fred's talented sister Adele. Interestingly, they were famed as a comic dance team, but tragically only about five seconds of film footage--taken from a bad angle--exists, so we no longer have an idea of what they were like. We do know that Adele was considered to be the heart of the act. She left the act to marry a titled Englishman and Fred was left to fend for himself. Amazingly, his first venture on his own was THE GAY DIVORCE, a huge hit on Broadway that led to his being beckoned by Hollywood shortly thereafter. The last thing in the world that Fred wanted, after a long pairing with his sister, was a new permanent partner. But when RKO was throwing together FLYING TO RIO, it threw together its newly acquired musical talent, and somewhat randomly Fred was teamed with Ginger. Today this film is remembered exclusively for its pairing of the two future legends. Although they weren't actually yet a team, every scene they have together show a natural chemistry.

THE GAY DIVORCEE

Filming Fred's huge Broadway hit THE GAY DIVORCE was an obvious next step in RKO's attempt to produce its own string of musicals. Because of the success of their pairing in FLYING TO RIO, putting Ginger Rogers into the film was a no brainer. A new set of songs was produced, though the big hit from the stage play, "Night and Day," was kept. Otherwise the script followed the stage play almost entirely and one of the most popular actors from the play, Erik Rhodes, who was hysterical as paid correspondent Rodolfo Tonetti, reprised his role in the film. An absolutely perfect group of character actors was added to the mix. This film became the blueprint for all of the best Astaire-Rogers films. In a wonderful example of the weird logic of the censors, they were forced to change the title of the film. Divorces, they were moralistically told, could never be gay, though divorcees could be. Thus, THE GAY DIVORCE became THE GAY DIVORCEE.

The film is remarkable on a number of levels. No film previously made featured so much extraordinary dancing. Most film dancing had focused on spectacular, heavily choreographed spectaculars, such as the productions we associate with Busby Berkeley. But Astaire insisted that his numbers be filmed with the camera only slightly above the angle of his and/or his partner's body and that his feet be visible at all times. This gives his numbers an intimacy that had never previously been seen in the film musical. The film also features many interior design innovations that would become even more famous in TOP HAT (e.g., Venetian blinds are so called not because they have any connection with Venice, but because they were used in the clean, new, and white Venice of TOP HAT). The dance numbers are all great, but none more so than "Night and Day." It was the first great Astaire seduction dance. In most of their films he has trouble interesting the somewhat aloof Ginger until he gets her to dance with him. Here he forces her to dance with him and at first she resists, making attempts to leave. But eventually she completely succumbs to his overtures and compliantly follows his every move. One of the secrets to Fred and Ginger's success was the way that you could follow the progress of the dance in Ginger's face. He was by far the greater dancer, but she was by far the greater actor and her face provided a perfect window into all that is happening. If there had been any doubt that what we were watching in their dance was lovemaking, all doubt is removed as the number ends with Fred gently guiding Ginger to a divan and then as she sits there utterly transfixed, gazing up at his face, he shifts his weight back, reaches into his jacket, and after pulling out a silver case, offers Ginger a cigarette. I remember reading a number of years back a film critic who wrote that the entire prior history of film would have been justified by their performance of "Night and Day." I don't disagree.

ROBERTA

Many are perplexed that in the follow up to THE GAY DIVORCEE Fred and Ginger take second billing to Irene Dunne. Surely they proved in that film that they were the stars of any film that they appeared in. The mystery is resolved when one realizes that work on ROBERTA began before the release of THE GAY DIVORCEE. Unfortunately, Irene Dunne and Astaire-Rogers were not a great match. Dunne's singing style was quite mannered and didn't mesh with the remarkably natural style that both Fred and Ginger employed (it isn't often noted that they didn't sing at all like the vast majority of thirties vocalists--their singing voices were a complete extension of their talking voices, while most vocalists of the period had much more mannered styles). Still, it is a pretty good film with a lot of good moments. There is one great tragedy: Fred and Ginger do not dance to "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," the best song in the film. They would later try to correct this in THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY, but by then the time had passed. This is far from one of my favorites of their films, but I do enjoy rewatching it from time to time.

CAREFREE

This is not a great musical though it is a very good comedy. It is a commonplace that this is the film that Ginger completely stole from Fred. I think that is true. It also foreshadows her subsequent career, in which she would establish herself as a truly great comic actress. The musical numbers aren't up to the level of their other films, but the film is a complete delight simply because of Ginger's great comic performance. I really like the novelty number that Fred has in which he drives one golf ball after another. No one was better at incorporating props into dance numbers than Fred. Interestingly, apart from a rather comic kiss in front of Ginger's husband in THE GAY DIVORCEE, Fred and Ginger had never had a romantic kiss in any of their films. So, the idea was to have a dance number that would culminate in kiss. The number was shot in slow motion and when they finally kissed they held it for a normal length of time for a kiss. But slowed down they appeared to be locked in a kiss that would never end. They had to reshoot with a mere peck of a kiss that looked just right when slowed down.

THE STORY OF VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE

It is pretty much a toss up between this film and THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY for the dubious distinction of being the weakest Astaire-Rogers film. Today it is fairly baffling why there would have been a demand for them to portray another dance team and largely just recreate their dances. Today the Castles are remembered almost exclusively for having been portrayed by Fred and Ginger. It is a film worth seeing at least once (I've seen it three times, so I've tested this theory; once truly would have been enough). For a long while, it appeared that this was going to be Fred and Ginger's last film together and it was their last at RKO. But ten years later Judy Garland had to pull out of THE BARKLEY'S OF BROADWAY, and Ginger stepped in to take her place. Ironically, the film was to be a follow up to the unexpected success of Fred and Judy's EASTER PARADE, ironic because Fred was in that one only because Gene Kelly had injured himself before filming began, causing Fred to come out of a relatively brief retirement.

I would strongly recommend that anyone interested in the films of Astaire and Rogers consider getting a copy of Arlene Croce's superb book on the dancing in their films.

The box set is made up of clear plastic thin cases and measures 3 7/8" wide x 7 7/8" high x 5½" deep, which is a real space saver for 12 discs (10 movie DVDs, 1 bonus DVD, and 1 audio CD). (If you purchase Volume I and the Partial Ultimate Collector's Edition separately, you transfer the five discs from the old DVD cases to the new thin ones. The wider ones do not fit.) Among the five DVDs, each comes with the feature film, a comedy/musical/vintage short, and a classic cartoon. Two have a radio promo; three have a theatrical trailer. The Gay Divorcee DVD comes with two vintage shorts, so you get six shorts on five discs. Unlike the first volume, there are no featurettes. Below are brief review/descriptions of the five feature films, vintage shorts, radio promos, classic cartoons, bonus material, and run times for each.

FEATURE FILMS

Their first film together, FLYING DOWN TO RIO is the only Fred and Ginger (F&G) movie where they play supporting roles. The studio executives and the public did not yet know this couple's dance potential and powerhouse future. They only dance together once 43 minutes into the film (The Carioca). The movie is filled with several post-card quality shots of Rio de Janeiro and has more choreographed group dance routines and vocalists than you can shake a stick at. My favorite is all those girls dancing on biplanes while in flight, which is very creative. The romantic plot of the main characters, Belhina De Rezende (Dolores del Rio) and Roger Bond (Gene Raymond) and the subplot of the Greek investors are a little light but still held my interest.

F&G's second film and their first as leading characters together, THE GAY DIVORCEE is the initial series of boy-chases-girl movies with comic misunderstandings, misgivings, and mistaken identity. F&G do the dancing, but Rodolfo Tonetti (Erik Rhodes) with his accent has the best one liners and password mispronunciations. The forgetful Hortense Ditherwell (Alice Brady) is a hoot. The musical number "Let's K-nock K-nees" is very fun and playful, even though it does not have F&G in it. Its tune is repeated in whistling near the beginning by a bellhop and near the end by canaries. In their previous movie "Rio" the dance craze was the Carioca; in "Divorcee" it's the Continental, which has a spectacular song, F&G dance, dance ensemble, and finale.

If you want to see Paris fashions in 1935, F&G's third film, ROBERTA, is the place to see it. Among all F&G movies, the plot is more sophisticated and dramatic and less comedic. Ginger plays an act within her role: not just the sassy American blonde but also the sophisticated Russian Comtess. She even sings "I'll Be Hard to Handle" with a Russian accent. In that same number, F&G communicate with each other not with words but by taps on their feet. Almost every speaking actor/actress has a three-dimensional personality especially Roberta/Aunt Minnie (Helen Westley) and Johnny (Candy) Candido with his voice performances. However, Stephanie (Irene Dunn) has an excellent singing voice but is overrated and should not have been top billed. As a side note, if you pay attention, look for Lucille Ball as one of the fashion models (uncredited).

In this eighth installment of F&G films, CAREFREE, Ginger displays her talents not only as a dancer but also as an actress and a singer. She performs all three simultaneously in The Yam. She causes mischief while under the hypnotic influence of Tony Flagg (Fred Astaire), throwing sticks and dinner rolls, breaking glass, driving erratically, and shooting skeet. The psychiatry is definitely unconventional, but it is a comedy after all. The slow motion dancing in the dream sequence is very smooth and kind of cool. A running joke where Aunt Cora (Luella Gear) keeps telling Judge Joe Travers (Clarence Kolb) to sit down adds a couple of more laughs. Typecasting prevails here; look for Hattie McDaniel (Gone with the Wind) playing a maid here, too.

Their ninth film together and the last for RKO, F&G play real life characters VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE. Since the story is set in the 1910s, which is comparably a more "innocent" era, the dancing is not as sophisticated but just as elegant, because it's F&G. A typical biographical account, it takes you through various trials and conflicts throughout their lives. The movie has more comedy in the beginning but becomes more serious at the end, especially when Vernon joins the Royal Air Corps during World War I. All the characters are lovable, and you wish you could be there. It's also the only F&G movie where the principles are concerned about having enough money to make ends meet.

VINTAGE SHORTS

Even without F&G, these film shorts are consistent with the genre and were made close to the times of the feature films they accompany.

"Beer and Pretzels" is a very early three stooges short with Ted Healy still with the comedy team. The slapping-of-the-face sound effects have not yet even entered the soundtrack. Just like F&G in Rio, Moe, Larry and Curly are in supporting roles. The four men cause havoc as waiters in a high class restaurant. Most of this short consists of song and dance routines of people I have never heard of. (1933, B&W, Run time 20:33)

In "Show Kids" the proprietor of a dying vaudeville theater turns it over to his 12-year-old son, who invites a children's dance company to perform. It has some really cute dance numbers, and some of these kids have real talent and acrobatic skills. The picture has excellent Technicolor for its time except for a red shadow that appears in all the song and dance numbers. (1934, Color, Run Time 19:59)

"Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove" takes place where the title says. A narrator takes you through celebrity introductions and various performances including a fashion show of different time periods, Rumba dance, hula dance, song by Bing Crosby, two big bands. Candy Candido's musical voice impersonations are very impressive. (1934, Color, Run Time 19:33)

In "Starlit Days at the Lido" guests enjoy outdoor entertainment. Reginald Denny takes you through celebrity introductions and various performances, including one neat trick where a girl keeps pulling cigarettes from nowhere. (1935, Color, Run Time 19:16)

In "Public Jitterbug No. 1" a group of "Feds" is out to catch Jitterbug Dancer #1. The tap dancing is superb. The cigarette and match-eating routine is a neat trick. (1939, B&W, Run Time 19:01)

In "Happily Buried" two presidents of competing waffle iron companies want to marry each other but cannot agree on the shape of the iron in the merged company. As a publicity stunt, John Hubbard (Richard Wright) buries himself on display. Look for Tommy Bond, who played Butch in the Little Rascals. (1939, B&W, Run time 20:01)

HOLLYWOOD ON THE AIR RADIO PROMOS

The "Hollywood on the Air Radio Promo" is just what it says. It is just like a theatrical trailer for a movie except it is audio only, complete with crackles, pops, and varying playing speeds. A narrator pitches the movie and introduces you to excerpts directly from it.

The Gay Divorcee includes "Looking for a Needle in a Haystack," "Let's K-nock K-nees," "Night and Day," and "The Continental." (Mono, Run Time 13:43)

Roberta includes "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "I'll Be Hard to Handle," "Lovely to Look At," and "I Won't Dance." (Mono, Run Time 11:55)

CLASSIC CARTOONS

In "I Like Mountain Music" the characters in a department store come to life and perform. Most of them jump out from magazine and book covers and are caricatures of personalities popular at the time. (1933 B&W Run time 6:59)

In "Shake Your Powder Puff" the animals of a farm put on a vaudeville show in the barn. A drunken dog causes mischief and is repeatedly thrown out. (1934, B&W, Run Time 5:59)

In "The Calico Dragon" a little girl reads a fairy tale about a dragon, then falls asleep. She dreams that three of her dolls, a boy, a horse, and a terrier, enter the land of calico to slay a three-headed calico dragon. Good use of that pattern. (1935, Color, Run Time 7:57)

In "September in the Rain" the labels of packaged goods in a general store come to life and perform. (1937 Color, Run Time 4:39)

In "Puss Gets the Boot" a cat and mouse fight for household domination. It is a Tom & Jerry predecessor before they were called Tom & Jerry. (1940, Color, Run time 9:11)

"September in the Rain" and "Puss Gets the Boot" both have a written preface commenting on how racist those cartoons are. However, the stereotyping did not bother me, and I would not have even noticed if they did not point it out. Nevertheless, I am glad they were sensitive about it.

THEATRICAL TRAILER RUN TIMES

Flying Down to Rio 1:29
The Gay Divorcee 1:18
Roberta 2:56
For whatever reason, the Carefree and The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle DVDs do not include a theatrical trailer.

BONUS MATERIAL

Bonus DVD (Astaire and Rogers Partners in Rhythm) "Featuring clips from all 10 films Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made together ... this glorious salute captures the sweat, determination, inspiration, talent, and scintillating chemistry that made the team an icon of elegance in motion. Candid photos, behind-the-scene tidbits and sidelights about such famed Astaire-Rogers collaborators such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Hermes Pan, and George Stevens add to the fun ..." -excerpt from back cover. Most notable are interview snippets with Ginger from 1972 and 1987. Run Time 76:18

Bonus audio CD (Timeless Songs from the Original Soundtrack) As the title describes, tracks are taken directly from dance numbers in the movies.
1. Night and Day (from the Gay Divorcee) 4:29
2. The Continental (from the Gay Divorcee) 8:17
3. Top Hat, White Tie and Tails (from Top Hat) 4:30
4. Cheek to Cheek (from Top Hat) 5:02
5. I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket (from Follow the Fleet) 5:17
6. Let's Face the Music and Dance (from Follow the Fleet) 4:35
7. Pick Yourself Up (from Swing Time) 4:44
8. The Way You Look Tonight (from Swing Time) 1:57
9. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off (from Shall We Dance) 3:46
10. They Can't Take That Away from Me (from The Barkleys of Broadway) 4:33
Total Play Time 47:15

Collectible Behind-the-Scenes Photo Cards-You get ten 5"x7" B&W glossy photo cards. Captions, associated movie, and copyright information are on the back of each card. Most are behind-the-scene looks at F&G and the people they worked with, such as Irving Berlin, Hermes Pan, and George Gershwin.

The Campaign/Press Books have story line, newspaper clippings, artwork, photographs, and star biographies. Roberta is 28 pages saddle-stitched in B&W plus a throwaway. Shall We Dance has 21 sheets in B&W stapled across the top in two books plus a throwaway, a folder, and ideas for a dance remembrance contest.

The slip sheet on the outside of the box holds the proofs of purchase in the upper right corner. Do not discard. You'll need it for the mail-in offer for the four Astaire and Rogers movie posters.

Just wanted to thank Warner for providing this upgrade route for all of us who purchased Volume 1 last year. Of course, if they had issued the 11 disc Ultimate Collector's Edition first... But still, sincere thanks.

This beautiful and poignant farewell from one of the most memorable and beloved of screen couples in film history was the perfect way to say goodbye. Their previous pairings had been filled with joy, grace and elegance; a delightful escapism which helped get everyone through the depression and set a tone of charm and romance no one else has ever come close to. Appropriately enough, their last in the incredible cycle is tender and sweet, faint echoes of their previous entries mixed with the melancholy of something special disappearing forever, never to pass this way again.

Astaire and Rogers tell the story of Vernon and Irene Castle, who set dance and fashion trends all across Europe and America during a more innocent time in the world. Their's was a story of love, humor and dance. But when what they had always dreamed of was within their reach, the world intruded in a way which could not have been anticipated. Astaire and Rogers have never been so real as in this nostalgic and gentle ode to love and innocence.

Based on Irene Castle's stories, "My Husband" and "My Memories of Vernon Castle," the adaptation by Oscar Hammerstein II and Dorothy Yost was turned into a screenplay by Richard Sherman. Ginger's costumes were created by the real Irene Castle, and the Castle's love hangs over this film like a soft velvet fog. H. C. Potter's direction is minimal, allowing Fred and Ginger to say so long through the story of Vernon and Irene.

It begins in 1911, when Vernon, a second comic for Lewis Fields, is chasing after another actress. She ditches him at the beach, and a drowning little dog will bring Irene Foot and Vernon Castle together for the first time. Walter Brennen is wonderful as the crusty and protective Walter. He has practically raised Irene and calls her "Sailor" through her entire life. Vernon and Irene slowly come around to each other. A scene where both he and Irene attempt to get her dog to jump in his borrowed automobile, as an excuse to take a ride together, perfectly captures the sweet and lovely innocence of the time prior to WWI.

There is a charm to scenes in the Foot's parlor as Walter, and Irene's parents, go out of their way to leave the couple alone and keep asking if there is any news yet. It will bring a warm smile to your face when Vernon finally tells Irene he loves her and proposes, and laughter at his reaction to her acceptance. There is a warmth and sense of nostalgia to everything here as the young couple try to make their dreams come true.

It was Irene's belief in Vernon that pushed them forward as a dance couple, as she knew his talents were being wasted in the role of comic buffoon he was forced to play on stage. They have to leave Fields in America for Paris, in what appears to be their big break. Their springtime honeymoon in Paris, however, is plagued by financial woes when they discover they are not getting the chane to dance at all, but only for him to keep playing the comic fool for laughs.

That is when Maggie Sutton (Edna May Oliver) steps in, using her influence to get them a chance to dance at the Cafe De Paris. They do it for a meal for themselves and Walter, but once they hit the dance floor, they will never go hungry again. Maggie becomes their manager, her gruff exterior hiding a heart of gold. Their popularity grows to staggering preportions, as does their bliss. They travel all over Europe and America, setting dance and fashion trends the world over.

Vernon and "Sailor" set dance trends such as the "Castlewalk" and "Foxtrot," as well as the "Maxie," the "Castle Polka," and, the legendary "Tango." There are Irene Castle hats, bon bons and face cream. And Vernon Castle shoes and cigars. The montage of Fred and Ginger storming to success is graceful and joyous. Ginger is especially fetching in a memorable black tango dress designed by Irene Castle.

There are dark clouds on the horizon, however, as the entire world is sucked into war for the first time. Vernon and Irene are ready to stop touring and settle down to the life they've always dreamed of having. Irene's fears finally have to take a backseat to Vernon's sense of duty, however, when he joins the fight and enlists in the Royal Flying Core. Irene waits anxiously, the couple exchanging letters until they can be together once again. A more innocent time, intruded upon by the world as never before, is captured beautifully here.

There will be a reunion in France, and one more dance, before Vernon is finally transferred to Texas as a flight instructor. It seems they may have escaped WWI unscathed, but fate may be requesting some sad music, for a final dance. A bittersweet fade out of Irene and Vernon dancing forever, will bring tears not only for the Castles, but for Fred and Ginger, who were in their elegant way, trying to say goodbye.

There is a sweet scent of honeysuckle and roses here, a different but equally lovely magic caught on celluloid one last time. If you love Fred and Ginger, you can not miss the graceful way they chose to exit, spinning and dancing down the lane in our hearts forever.

Referring to the PARTIAL Ultimate Collector's Edition: I've never been happier to shell out extra money for a packaging gimmick.

Thanks to someone's marketing intelligence, those of us who had already bought the first volume of the Astaire-Rogers films get to enjoy all the perks of buying the Ultimate Collector's Edition -- including the (very good) "Astaire Rogers: Partners in Rhythm" documentary, and slim sleeves for ALL of the movies -- without having to pay for anything twice. This was a respectful move, that made Warner Brothers a few extra dollars, without cheating anyone.

This is not the first time I've found Warners to be the class act of the major studios when it comes to DVD releases. I can't wait to see what they have in store for a collection of Astaire's films after-Ginger.

BTW - on The Story of Vernon & Irene Castle disc, check out the cartoon, Puss Gets the Boot. Though the cat is named Jasper and the mouse is unnamed, this first pairing of directors Hanna and Barbera became so popular (the toon was nominated for an Academy Award) that the characters' names were changed to Tom & Jerry, and the series was officially born one year later

This was the first movie I saw of Astaire and Rogers, when I was 13, watching American Movie Classics (AMC). It got me hooked! After watching all the rest of the movies made by Astaire and Rogers, it remained my favorite (Shall We Dance is a close second). It contains a fascinating true story, romance, and many glimpses of the beautiful dancing duo. In fact, Astaire and Rogers dance more smoothly and unified in this movie than any of the others. Of course, it would be expected since it's one of their last. Anyone who is a die-hard romantic must get this video!

A must for fans of the talented Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. I was moved to tears at times, and the next minute I was laughing. They did such a beautiful job of protraying the real Irene and Vernon Castle. The real Castle's would have been proud of the way this movie was made. Fred Astaire was such a joy to watch, and I think this is my favorite Ginger Rogers movie. She brings class and grace to her character. I would recommend this to anyone who is in search of a movie that touches the heart.

if i could, i would give this movie at least 6 stars. Fred and Ginger always were a step above the rest anyway. the singing-the dancing...all wonderful. you may not belive it but i'm 16 and i really love this stuff. i've been watching since i was 14 and i can't get enough. Fred was born to dance and Ginger was born to dance with him. an unbeatable pair.

Some say that the very beginning of the jazz craze began in April of 1912. At the CAFE DE PARIS, some bored diners suddenly roared with delight at the sight of a beautiful young American couple; to a jazz rhythm, they did a dance which had never been seen before. Effortlessly, they wove about with a step that was intimate without being vulgar, light without being acrobatic. All Europe - it seemed - was soon flocking to see the international dancing sensations: Mr. & Mrs. Vernon Castle. The period was also the beginning of a revolution in styles, manners, pleasures and ideas of propriety. Irene Castle became the symbol of all that was chic in a woman; she bobbed her hair and a million girls bobbed theirs. She developed a streamlined silhouette, wore riding pants, carried a lap-dog on the street, and a million women imitated her. The Castles popularised the Castle Walk, the One Step and the Maxixe; millions discovered the pleasures of intimate dancing. The Castles opened dance halls and millions flocked to see them. When Vernon Castle died in a plane crash in 1918, he wrote finis to the history of this shining couple who danced like a comet across the carefree days before WWI. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers accurately relive their charming story in this well-researched well-acted movie; Astaire and Rogers would make their swan song for the screen a decade later in the fair BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY.

The thin cases are a welcome addition when you buy this "upgrade" edition. The picture quality of the DVDs is top notch. An outstanding collection.