FOLLOW THE FLEET ('36): "Let's Face the Music and Dance"

[@fringelilyfringelily391]

One of the most beautiful musical sequences ever put on film, and the song is gorgeous.

[@harmony9844]

It's out of this world! They have such elegance and grace. 🎩 👠 👠

[@СергейХрусталев-с4щ]

Класс!!!

[@arthurleng1500]

Arguments as to who was Fred's best dance partner will rage forever but for me no-one could get anywhere near Ginger. The sheer emotion that she shows throughout this sequence is astonishingly amazing, it brings a tear to the eye. On top of that she was so stunningly beautiful.

[@petertaylor3600]

And oh, that fabulous gown. Gown...because it was more than just a dress. I think this was the one with the weights sewn into sleeves and hem, which belted him mercilessly as it swung. And, without a lining, her perfect shape showed beneath its folds.

[@katyb2793]

Agreed! 👏 👏

[@petertaylor3600]

He said, being discreet about the answer, that Gene Kelly was. But I don't believe that. He also said it was Rita Hayworth. But more likely it was a combination of partners, each with an input. The one he was scared of was Eleanor Powell. But she was more into tap while he was far more creative and artistic. She was just awesome to watch.

[@glennyoung1251]

Yes. Each of Astaire's ballets with different partners are gems unto themselves. I've always felt Lucille Bremer's partnering with Astaire "Limehouse Blues" showed without doubt she was equal to all his dancing "wives."

[@sueamicone8760]

@@petertaylor3600 😅

[@ferociousgumby]

And I LOOOOVE the way her gowns float and swirl around her as she dances! NOBODY wore it better.

[@G6JPG]

From the other comments, that gown was weighted at sleeves and hem (and kept hitting Fred!). But yes, I love it too. And the fact that it's slightly see-through, of course!

[@lanecountybigfooters5716]

That dress weighed 20 lbs, and is made entirely of beads. It left bruises on her legs and she dances as if it's silk.

[@bluemoon6625]

They were in a class of their own. Stunning.

[@sandrafreydberg1771]

One of the most beautiful things ever

[@MrTrackman100]

Ginger definitely is the best of all of Fred's dancing partners. Not only a truly great dancer but also a beauty that includes an accessible personality. As the song says, "She'd be so nice to come home to."

[@osocool1too]

The epitome of elegance...these scenes are totally wonderful. 10/10 from me.

[@madlenellul3430]

Oh just to go back to these theatre times again just for sheer romanticism and enjoyment. These days are gone forever..😪👵🇦🇺🇺🇸

[@kelseymathias3881]

thank goodness for film and KZbin!

[@nhmooytis7058]

Sadly I fear you’re right, but there are great performances preserved on celluloid!

[@jontalbot1]

Should be millions watching this. It’s just magical. I don’t think we can appreciate how this felt to contemporary audiences whose lives often had little magic in them. This is transcendant

[@harmony9844]

That was a SPECTACULAR PERFORMANCE by the late great Fred Astaire and the Beautiful Ginger Rogers. BRAVO! 🥰 👍 😍🎩 👠 👠

[@harmony9844]

I love dancing to this with my Tiger kitty. 🐯 He's a lovely dancer . 🎩 😂 🤣 He is very graceful. 😂 🐅

[@starababa1985]

The evening shots in 30s movies had a unique glow and subtle sparkle that was magical. Exactly the escape that people needed when they were struggling to survive the Depression. If only movie makers today understood the importance of emphasizing the positive in difficult times. We are sinking under the weight of negativity in today's so-called entertainment.

[@G6JPG]

Imagine if it had been on nitrate film stock, with its special lustre! (Sadly you won't, as the stuff is flammable, and degrades into an explosive lump, but I can dream!)

[@RavenclawEspioXV]

This music is so enchanting. It takes me to a different world every time I listen to it.

[@harmony9844]

I totally drift off to another realm. 🎩 👠 👠

[@debbiepearce7704]

Her dress swings so beautifully....just lovely

[@michaeljarosz4062]

It's weighted down. A chain is usually sewn into the hem.

[@debbiepearce7704]

@@michaeljarosz4062 thanks...thats very interesting...must have been difficult to dance in, though you would never know ..she is so elegant

[@311nacho]

Real poetry in motion. Two of the best.

[@isabelbarroso3381]

Ginger and Fred pure magic on the dance floor.😀

[@mitzipepall3075]

Oh, dear. So fabulous. i cannot watch this without a tear springing to my eye. That wonderful song! Their dance. Perfection. Philosophy in action.

[@catherinemagee5327]

The world needs Ginger & Fred, right now. Come back with your grace, beauty, and ability to work through things.

[@СергейХрусталев-с4щ]

Хочется всё это вернуть!

[@СергейХрусталев-с4щ]

Главное, чтобы этот Фонд сохранился. Точнее, сохранить!

[@TheJoyfulEye]

Astaire and Rogers. Artistic perfection.

[@marmavit]

This must be one of the most amazing musical and dance moments in theGolden Age Cinema history ✨

[@NiallMor]

They make it look so effortless!

[@rocklandrockland2680]

Simply the very best, Fred and Ginger.

[@UKMike2009]

Ginger is totally captivating (as ever) and the gorgeous dress is quite risque for the period. Astaire and Rogers movies will live forever for their grace, fun and the glimpse back into a bygone age. Simply beautiful work.

[@MichaelWinesburg]

One of the absolute best of all time

[@trevorpugh6475]

The song, the dance, the emotion from both Fred and Ginger... PERFECTION!

[@bettinaschippke6203]

Fred astaire hatte einige grosse partnerinnen, aber ginger rogers war die ikone, hat mir meine mama beigebracht, der song haut auch alles raus

[@isabelbarroso3381]

To me Ginger was Fred's best dance partner because they complemented each other perfectly.

[@SuperC888]

The most gorgeous gown ever created! Just stunning!

[@lanecountybigfooters5716]

25 lbs and made of beads. I believe this one is in the Smithsonian museum now.

[@denisemcnally9488]

Ginger was one of a kind...as great as Fred was, all eyes were on Ginger when they danced.

[@G6JPG]

All _male_ eyes, at least. (Well, each to his own of course.)

[@francescoarmezzani9803]

"niente sarà più come prima", sospesi nei ruggenti anni '30, il punto più alto degli USA, tanta eleganza in muscia e cinema. Che meraviglia e che nostalgia!

[@rubyk.1506]

Nothing beats the early Fred and Ginger combo in my heart!❣

[@elenavonpavel-pitts3442]

OMG...such perfection...look at the way the dress clings to her body as she dances...listen to the agony and beauty in the song...Haven't we ALL been there??

[@Tysto]

How lucky are we that Astaire & Rogers came along when they did & not 30 years earlier, when they wouldnt have been captured on film, or 30 years later, when they wouldnt have been appreciated?

[@esmeephillips5888]

And a shame that Adele Astaire quit just as talkies came in, so we have no record of the most acclaimed Broadway star of her day.

[@MrChrisdube]

The choreography is vastly underrated. They switch from Tap to Swing, fast to slow -- even stopping -- and don't miss a beat; pun intended.

[@daneelolivaw602]

I can't take my eyes off Miss Rogers here, she is stunning, and i get quite emotional watching her in this dance.

[@tombasye1016]

There Excellent Dancing Together Are Unforgettable And Never Forgotten In '' HOLLYWOOD ''

[@brendasampson8554]

I remember back to when I was 3 or 4 when our parents danced and sang like this and times were calmer i miss my all my family who have passed and mostly my mom who teach us to sing and dance like this. She made sure my children would be exposed to this and we spent many hours teaching my children how music and dance brings us together and now my great grand daughter Catherine Abbygail Hendricks is following in my mom, daughter (who was in the Performing Arts ) 2 sisters Diane and Denise) and my brother (Marlons ) footsteps.🥰

[@GavinBorchert]

That final dip before they exit destroys me ...

[@daveconleyportfolio5192]

Defying fate, affirming life.

[@YensidBuckingham]

Fred had many amazing dance partners, but nothing compares to Ginger Rogers. Such an amazing woman.

[@lepidodendron]

I'll never forget you ❤

[@dzadza7775]

Could this be the best of the best? So of its time . ❤

[@freemysoles3892]

Perhaps Irving Berlin's finest song, written (music and words) in 1936 for Follow the Fleet and his favorite singer, Fred Astaire. A masterpiece.

[@marinacamachovelazquez8425]

Recuerdos del ayer. Hermosos y bellos recuerdos de cuando era una niña y veía a ñado de mi papá todas ñas peliculas de Fred Aster. Su canto sus danzas, hacían que mi corazón danzara tambien. Hoy a través de éste video, vuelvo a vivir bellos recuerdos. Y a ellos grandes artístas , bailarines y cantantes, gracias por su atte en la pantalla. Felicidades

[@michaelegan6092]

Absolute perfection.

[@bettinaschippke6203]

Die beiden waren ein traumpaar

[@risingwolf]

Superlatives like sublime fall short. A gift from the Gods. Astaire, Rogers & Berlin, it doesn't get much better.

[@fiomcc8298]

I saw this clip early this morning, before my day started, I want it set the toll for a great day cancel that to see such beauty, elegance and grace in motion… Amazing… Gorgeous🎉

[@G6JPG]

Though this is mainly about the dancing, Fred's singing voice is very pleasant too.

[@EllanDay-hz2ib]

Just beautiful ! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@morganfisherart]

Fabulous! Just one tiny imperfection: when she throws away her handkerchief at 2:02, it should have floated all the way off screen and not been seen on the floor like a used cleaning rag for the entire dance.

[@petertaylor3600]

Find me a US sailor who could do this in his spare time! Any sort of sailor! (There was Fred, at his age and stage, playing a gumchewing US gob, on shore leave, something he was far too old to carry off). But, this was the beautiful gown that had weights sewn into the hem and sleeves to make it move. Which belted him around the legs, leaving bruises everywhere. Sleeves, too. He learned to dodge the swinging hem, and you can see him doing that, arching away as she turned. But so gloriously beautiful.

[@lanecountybigfooters5716]

The dress weighed 25 lbs - and Ginger herself only weighed 105lbs, and Fred 135. She's carrying 1/4 of her own body weight and making it look effortless.

[@pazfernandez2648]

Recuerdos de niña quedarme embelesada viéndoles bailar y preguntarme qué se sentiría al bailar así 😊❤

[@srinidhi7140]

Old is gold 💓

[@pauljung3534]

"Drama and dance, entwined in eloquence."

[@pauljung3534]

No life, is without drama...so let's face the music & dance... and dance.

[@Juliaflo]

Mr. Berlin wrote those words for a very good reason. There is intellect in sognwriting.

[@davidbertrand895]

There'll never be movies like these 30s movies again.

[@tindepapp]

I enjoy watching them. Ifly high sky. Thank you

[@carolwalker1376]

Pure elegance & class. And that dress ... wonder what colour it was and who owns it now. It’s absolutely exquisite. Thanks for posting on KZbin xx

[@karenfritsche2249]

I know you wrote this a month ago, but I thought you'd like to know this dress is now in the Smithsonian, along with Ginger's dress from the "Piccolino" number in "Top Hat." The "Let's Face the Music" gown is gray.

[@carolwalker1376]

Thanks so much for the reply… so glad its in The Smithsonian xx

[@marthawoodworth]

This song is about the commitment it takes to actually be, mutually, in love. Love is always a crapshoot, but thank heavens some people believe in it. So many people feel unloved, think they can't "find" it. Often they are simply afraid of it, and so continually miss out because they don't "see" it standing right before them. If you let it in, the dance can be ecstatic, and last for years.

[@tsehan67]

лучшая танцевальная и киношная пара! Всех времён и народов, как говорится)

[@SuperC888]

2:05 to 2:07 During the first take, Rogers's dress, which was heavily weighted so as to achieve a controlled swirling action, her sleeve hit Astaire in the face midway through the routine, though the effect is barely discernible. He nonetheless selected this take out of twenty overall for the final picture.

[@estelaantunez9320]

Por Dios increiblemente bellooooooo!!!

[@judeharper3829]

Ginger was the one and only Fred’s Best dance partner. No one could come close to her.

[@barbaramcelhiney5934]

Awesome. Looks like one take again. How many hours of sheer practice and love of dance

[@G6JPG]

One _shot_, certainly, after the cut at 1:47 (which is before they really get dancing). How many goes they had at it, goodness knows! (Well, I expect some true fans do.) Others say 20 but they used the first take anyway. (Maybe Fred's bruises [from the dress] were showing on later ones!)

[@neideaparecidaalvesdeamori5256]

Vestido maravilhoso. Amo a moda dos anos 20, 30, 40, 50. Esplêndido casal.

[@deadandburied7626]

Timeless!

[@ГалинаТитова-т1б]

Браво. Браво. Браво. Спасибо вам большое за прекрасное видео и Танцы Шедевр очень Красивое Исполнение Танца Великолепное и Изящное в Этой прекрасной пары. Талант Послан Богом Им. Благодарю вас за Прекрасную Музыку и Видео Чудесное смотреть здорово. Благодарю вас. Всего вам доброго и хорошего в жизни.

[@rpbajb]

Watch Ginger's beaded gown at 3:09 . I wonder how much it weighed to behave like that in a spin. 15 pounds? 20? But she looked at ease with it.

[@arthurleng1500]

according to Gingers autobiography the dress weighed approx.35 pounds, It must have been like dancing in a straight jacket, that woman was amazing!

[@rpbajb]

@@arthurleng1500 Thanks for the info. That is amazing.

[@lanecountybigfooters5716]

At least 25 lbs and maybe more. And she weighed 105lbs. It's easily 1/4 of her own weight and she makes it look effortless.

[@jeffwallder5094]

Fred's best dance partner was the one he was dancing with at the time.

[@lanecountybigfooters5716]

Fred made all his dance partners look good, he capitalized on their strengths and magnified them.

[@SuperC888]

The trivia history goes that Rogers' metallic thread gown had weights in the sleeves and hem to make the skirt wind and unwind; the dress was unintentionally difficult to perform in because its flared sleeves hit Astaire across the face IN THE FIRST TAKE- and after many re-shoots trying to cover it up, they ended up printing that first take (we have to assume that was apparently the best performance of the dance, but you can see the sleeves brush across Astaire's face).

[@teresavandyck784]

Fred could deliver a song like no other. I heard Cole Porter’s last word he uttered before his death was, “Fred.” ❤❤

[@Dan-vt3nk]

Awesome!

[@elidavega294]

Wonderful!!! Beautiful..!!!

[@ad-sd-vids5332]

2:04 in his autobiography, Fred said that Ginger’s heavy sleeves whacked him in the face right here, but it was also the best take so they left it in the film

[@alaideemidio2314]

Adoro ver os dois em cenas com danças! Mas, os vestidos que ela usou nos filmes são todos maravilhosos!

[@nhmooytis7058]

I think I read she actually designed this one.

[@bonanzajoe]

Of all the dancers to date, Fred Astaire was the greatest. He had natural Rhythm.

[@petertaylor3600]

And a lot more...so did she. Talent by the cartload, both of them.

[@stefanwild326]

Fun fact (no clue if true) the paillettes on the dress were so heavy, that Fred almost got knocked out when one of the sleeves hit him in the face 😊

[@garssympa500]

I bet the dress had more rehearsal time than they did... ;-) The ultimate in glamour. We'll never see anything like this again.

[@G6JPG]

There's only one cut in the whole clip (at 1:47), and that's before the dancing really starts. Fascinating how that dress moves. (Yes, I've read the comments about it weighing 25 pounds with the weights, and Ginger only being 105 pounds.)

[@alexalex13131]

I first became aware of Ginger Rogers from the film 'Monkey Business' with Cary Grant and thought she was a beautiful and charming actress. But i didn't know then that she was also a genius.

[@gregoryambres1897]

Was it a coincidence that a popular song with these lyrics should have debuted so shortly before the outbreak of the greatest global conflict of the twentieth century?

[@riverwildcat1]

Ginger was his best partner. The whole package.

[@kelseymathias3881]

only 25 years old here!

[@riverwildcat1]

@@kelseymathias3881 Wow. What talent!

[@kelseymathias3881]

@@riverwildcat1 yes!

[@michaelfield3901]

Perfection

[@TheDavid77829]

❤ the gown that Ginger's wearing almost put Fred Astaire's eye out

[@fwboring802]

Magic.

[@petergraves2085]

One-shot filming too - I think.

[@rondaleroi]

According to Wikipedia, they did 20 takes, but then used the first one. "During the first take, Ginger's dress, which was heavily weighted so as to achieve a controlled swirling action, hit Astaire in the face midway through the routine, though the effect is barely discernible. He nonetheless selected this take out of twenty overall for the final picture."

[@mariehoadley2075]

My favorite dance

[@rachelbuchanon8630]

Priceless Eleagant

[@HappyFlowers-fg8yk]

An era of class.

[@LawrenceMartinez-fb1tt]

In an interview Ginger said that they had to work into the early hours in the morning to get this dance sequence right….she also said that her feet became bloody but like the trouper that she was she continued to dance. The gown is in the Smithsonian and can’t be displayed because of the age the weight of the beads would cause the thread to disintegrate. It is nice to know it survived….the black satin dress Rita Hayworth wore in Gilda was worn by Demi Moore to the opening of a Planet Hollywood Restaurant in the early 1990’s.

[@romanclay1913]

3:02 When the lighting makes Ginger's dress translucent is so sexy.

[@НинаТерентьева-о3э]

Какие были танцы, не то что сейчас!🎉❤

[@jorgesixtoantonio3162]

Thanks You

[@hotpeach9]

Ginger and Fred were the best!

[@michelleforsyth9003]

True then,true now. I once heard someone say.'get over it! Or get on with it!'

[@Jay_Sullivan]

I wonder how they made her dress move like that. Is it simply a thin fabric and heavy hem?

[@lanecountybigfooters5716]

It's all beads and weights.

[@Pyatigorec]

Джинджер - едва ли не самая красивая женщина всех времен и народов! Естественная и пластичная, искренняя во всем…

[@Bonglecat]

Just been reading about how the dress was fully beaded and weighed over 25 pounds. They had to adjust the dance to accommodate the way it carried on moving and in the first spin with her hands over her head you can see the sleeves hit Fred in the face and he winces.

[@sailordude2094]

This was the number one song in the Berlin bunker, April 1945. Lol.

[@barbaramcelhiney5934]

Seriously, did I miss something? Was this one take? Takes my breath away.

[@G6JPG]

One _shot_ (after 1:47), certainly. Apparently they did 20 _takes_ (and thus lots of film stock, with the long shots!). Though used the first one.

[@lanecountybigfooters5716]

If only they had saved that film. What outtakes they would have been!@@G6JPG

[@vm9463]

❤️

[@AmatureAstronomer]

Ginger was kinda cute.

[@G6JPG]

In the US sense (i. e. sexy), definitely!

[@phillipoos]

Amazing music from the legendary Irving Berlin....an escapee from stupid , Black Hundred Russia ! And now history repeats itself....