Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers - A Fine Romance (1936)

Performed by: Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers
Full Song Title: A Fine Romance
Performed in: 1936
Here is another one of my all time favorites of Fred Astaire. And let me tell you, there will never again be another Fred Astaire. Sure, you'll hear someone say about so-and-so, "He's the next Fred Astaire!"
I think not. Fred Astaire is simply the greatest song-and-dance man the world has ever known. Why? Because he could do both very, very well. Fred is, of course, known primarily as a dancer, and it's unfortunate that not enough is said about his singing. Now, Astaire is not Crosby, nor is he Al Bowlly, but one thing he has mastered that the other singers haven't is the way he "sold a song." There is such tender persuasiveness as he handles the lyrics some songwriters, such as Gershwin, Berlin, and Kern, wrote especially for him. Astaire sings directly to the listener's heart, another talent which made him the legend we know him as today. In a word, he is simply untouchable.
Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 - June 22, 1987) was an popular American dancer, choreographer, singer, musician and actor. His stage and subsequent film and television careers spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films, several award winning television specials, and issued numerous recordings. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute. He is best known as the dancing partner and on-screen romantic interest of Ginger Rogers, with whom he co-starred in a series of ten Hollywood musicals which transformed the genre.
Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 - April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in films, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century.
During her long career, she made 73 films, collaborating with Fred Astaire as a romantic lead actress and dancing partner in a series of 10 Hollywood musical films that revolutionized the genre. She achieved great success on her own in a variety of film roles and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Kitty Foyle (1940). She ranks #14 on the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars list of female stars of classic American cinema.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I have.
Best wishes,
Stu
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Please Note: I do not claim copyright or ownership of the song played in this video. All copyrighted content remains property of their respective owners.

[@chrisnorman9980]

This will never be outdated - it’s timeless.

[@richardgornalle4536]

These two are brilliant together. Screen magic.

[@TheMuseSway]

I will always love Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. They're my favorite musical, dancing duo

[@noodle2453]

I swear they’re just so perfect

[@Tonetwisters]

How could you dance with Ginger Rogers and hold her in your arms ... and NOT fall in love with her?

[@kurtsherrick2066]

They were magic together. Last Saturday to get my mind Focused I watched Fred and Ginger all day. Back to a time when of real Stars. Today people just don't get it. I am thankful my parents let me stay up late and watch old movies with them.

[@suanl004]

It's funny, sweet, and something else you don't see nowadays - ADORABLE! 😇

[@frannieo1707]

I hope heaven is an art deco ballroom, with Fred Astaire waiting in top hat, tux. white tie and tails.

[@the1920sand30s]

That would be lovely Frannie :-) Thank you for watching and commenting, it's much appreciated! Have a nice weekend, Stu

[@TomoyoTatar]

IT BETTER BE!

[@jeffreysalter917]

The lyrics to this are so clever and get the point across so well that they create a bridge in the films continuity. When you remember that the lyricist Dorothy Fields also wrote "Just The Way You Look Tonight" you realize the great gift her music is to us all.

[@andyc.4387]

You can hear "The Way You Look Tonight" playing in the background in the beginning of the clip.

[@rivaridge7211]

Thank you Jeffery for mentioning the great Dorothy Fields - she was, as you know, a gifted lady-songwriter during the days of which are now referred as, "The Great American Songbook." Lady songwriters were unheard of at the time (1920's-1930s) but our Dorothy made an incredible mark. If I were somehow forced to say (with a gun to my head) what my favourite song of all time was, it would be, "I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby." Of course, written by Dorothy Fields and the great Jimmy McHugh. There are many countless and sweet versions of this song, "out here," but (for me) Judy's 1961 version, at Carnegie Hall, tops them all.

[@ellynmacgregor8210]

@@rivaridge7211Thank you and Jeffrey Salter so much for your posts! I adore Dorothy Fields and I'm glad to see her getting some recognition. Don't forget: unlike so many of her (male) contemporaries, she kept right on writing into the 1960's --and not just lyrics: Dorothy and her brother, Herbert Fields, collaborated on the libretto (book) for the incomparable *Annie Get Your Gun*. Miss Fields gracefully and graciously bowed out on penning the lyrics when she and her brother persuaded Irving Berlin to provide the songs (which included, just to name a few, "Doin' What Comes Naturally", "Anything You Can Do", "I've Got the Sun in the Morning and the Moon at Night" and the evergreen "There's No Business Like Show Business"). And although Dorothy wrote none of those songs herself, we would never have had them at all if not for her influence. :) And then to demonstrate her versatility. endurance, and flexibility, she partnered with Cy Coleman to co-write the songs for *Sweet Charity* and *Seesaw* . P.S. I (and DF herself would back me up) might take issue with the comment "Lady songwriters were unheard of at the time (1920's-1930s)," but this is neither the time nor the place. If you get the chance, you might look up Ann Ronell. ;)

[@michaelmayoh656]

There are no lyricists alive today that compare

[@normaflint9415]

JUST FABULOUS - I LOVE FRED AND GINGER!

[@aidameyer5594]

Cannot help smilling watching Fred and. Ginger

[@thierryfortier605]

My favorite little moment in all Fred and Ginger movies.

[@Rhiaanon]

I absolutely love Fred and Ginger movies!

[@tedlandres3875]

Lovely, sweet, sentimental times long ago kind of chokes me up and brings tears to my eyes

[@the1920sand30s]

Thank you for your comment, I'm glad to hear that you enjoy this as much as I have.

[@louaynsir-xo3db]

How i like this type of music it gives the true value of love and life ❤❤❤

[@CLASSICAListheWAY]

A timeless duo!

[@kennethbrady]

I've just fallen madly in love with Ginger Rogers.

[@juliag.5114]

Fred was sooo charming, that jaw line!

[@IrishEyes1989]

I can’t stop watching this, it’s so sweet. Fred and Ginger are both so young! “As we say in French, ‘La belle romance.’” “La SWELL romance!” *SWOON*

[@2getha5eva]

Exactly! I know that it's the set-up for the song, but I always get really disappointed when he kind of pushes her away. Every time. It's an amazing song, though. I can't argue with that.

[@the1920sand30s]

Dear IrishEyes, Thank you for watching and commenting, it's much appreciated! I'm glad to hear that you enjoy it as much as I do. Have a nice weekend. Best wishes, Stu

[@the1920sand30s]

Dear Xan, Thank you for watching and commenting, it's much appreciated! Have a lovely day. Best wishes, Stu

[@IrishEyes1989]

@@the1920sand30s Hey Stu! I was going through old comments and realized I'd liked your reply but never said hi. I'm sorry!! Hope you're doing well! :D

[@the1920sand30s]

@IrishEyes1989 Hey Irish, how lovey to hear from you again. I'm doing alright, I have been busy with work and haven't had much time to upload new videos , well except for today. How about you? Not a problem, you know the saying, better late than never , so hi back :-) .

[@JoeHarkinsHimself]

Asa a contemporary of this piece of timeless art, I wonder about the topic references in the lyrics that mystify younger listeners but cannot be updated because they are so perfectly of their time. All these can be Googled, but here's a summary of a few. EG: "as hard to land as the Ille de France" - this was perhaps the most romantic pre-WW2 ocean liner when hat was the most romantic form or trans-Atlantic crossing. It was operated by a French company with all the luxury and elegance one would expect from the French. It was also very large and therefore, required the highest level of expertise to bring into NY/NJ Harbor, up the deep and powerful Hudson River, and slip into a midtown dock. "the crease in your blue serge pants . . " serge is a tightly woven wool fabric once common in men's better quality clothes. "The March of Time . . . " in the 30s and 40, until television kept people home, it was common for people to go to movie theaters once a week. Prior to the major feature film while people were settling in to their seats, many theater operators ran short film features, one of them being a collection of newsreels under the name of "The March of Time" framed with an MTV-like collage of general scenes, accompanied by a bombastic musical theme.

[@leahtowns386]

Never gets old.

[@chattyroz2934]

How could anyone not like this?

[@daniyalrazakazmi7249]

Witty lyrics as hells ! Simple ye beautiful! They don't write like this anymore!

[@LauraC-hq7sm]

The way they sit together is beauty.

[@OggyBleacher]

This has to be a song Cole Porter wished he wrote. With The Gershwins, Berlin, Porter, Hart & Rogers, Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael, etc. all churning out show tunes in 1936 it brought out the best in everyone. Then add the Cotton Club, The Savoy, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Bob Wills, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, Ray Noble, etc. The film Swing Time doesn't have a ton of hard swing tunes but it definitely ushered in the Swing Era in a big way. Sing, Sing, Sing by Louis Prima premiered in 1936. In my opinion the decade between 1936 and 1946 was the greatest popular musical decade. The musicianship of the instrumentalists, the arrangements and the songwriting and the performance level rivals anything Mozart or Bach produced. I mean, the lyrics "You're just as hard to land as the Île de France..." must refer to the large luxury French ocean liner the SS Île de France that was crossing the Atlantic Ocean at that time. And who knows if Dorothy Fields was aware that pants and pants cuffs were a rather large part of the movie wedding gimmick when she wrote the line about the blue serge pants?

[@alanoneill3065]

Great comment!

[@OLD_SOUL1900]

Fred and Ginger, the immortal duo. My heart feels full and mended from the emptiness and pain from the world today when I watch things from the '20s and '30s; these two are no exception. More people need to be like them: free, happy, loving, and, of course, adorably funny. Many thanks to you for posting this in great quality.😉 I love that you started the clip from the point you did...It'll be great for my playlist.😁😚

[@the1920sand30s]

Your heartfelt words truly touched me. Fred and Ginger possess a magical ability to fill our hearts with joy and nostalgia, consistently uplifting me in both blue and difficult moments. I'm pleased that this clip resonated with you, and I value your appreciation for the quality and starting point of the clip. Sharing the love for these timeless moments is truly wonderful. Thank you for not only watching but also taking the time to share your thoughts; it's genuinely appreciated! I hope you and your loved ones had a great holiday season. Best wishes, Stu

[@OLD_SOUL1900]

@@the1920sand30s Thank you very much for your words. They do possess that ability and they NEVER fail to uplift us in times of sorrow...this definitely resonated with me.😉 To a fellow "oldie", I give my up most respect to you. Our admiration for the past is special...we notice greatness in days gone by. We see that eventhough something is deemed, "old" it does not mean that it is any less wonderful. I'm glad that this is something we share!😌 Yes, I did thank you! Upon which, my sister got me Ginger Rogers' autobiography and I hear that it's a fascinatingly fun read! I hope that you and yours had a wonderful holiday as well!😁

[@pauljung3534]

"Phonetically and lyrically luscious... roller-coaster feelings, so romantically defined."

[@nicolettapasquini6614]

Film molto romantico con bellissime musiche e divertente,equivoci della coppia Astaire e Ginger Rogers ❤❤❤❤

[@annasilvestri6841]

Grazie per questo Dono Meraviglioso che ho scoperto proprio la sera del 6Gennaio 2022 Epifania del Signore. Da tempo desideravo sentire sia la prima musica che ricordo sam day ma io sono italiana e non ricordo bene le parole. GRAZIE🤩

[@cassandrakiser8594]

The best to ever act, song and dance together. I miss Fred. He was a true artist .

[@bluefire9147]

My favourite part of the picture

[@mollyscot1563]

PERFECT

[@VoodooCrab]

Too cute!

[@richardfehlmann4593]

Wonderful upload 👌 Thank you for sharing 👍🏻😃

[@lorettalane6747]

Luv this song & movie!!! & That coat Ginger is wearing is jus everything,gorgeous!!! I would sport it today in a heartbeat so pretty..Like Fred's hat too..

[@nickl1682]

there the best together . They dance as one person

[@ralphstone1521]

I agree with all these glowing comments-sure makes you smile and sigh...

[@the1920sand30s]

Thank you for watching and commenting, it's much appreciated! I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed it as much as I have. Have a nice weekend. Best wishes, Stu

[@sandrakenney567]

Gershwin Berlin and kern wrote some beautiful musicials like this one A Fine Romance so innoncet and beautiful. Godbless You Fred and Ginger for your beautiful dancing Amen 💃💫👠👠👞👞🎩

[@galemanning6842]

I love your description of Fred! I couldn't agree more. He could do it all. Sure, there have been plenty of other talents, especially in this age in Hollywood, but for me it's Fred all the way. Thanks for this great clip!

[@audreydaleski1067]

This is my favorite.

[@therealhellkitty5388]

Just as hard to land as the Isle de France… what a wonderful line!

[@Rzr543]

Ginger's dancing mesmerizes me. She was the epitome of femininity, elegance and grace. Absolutely beautiful.

[@josephgippert8359]

Lovely

[@the1920sand30s]

Thank you for your comment. I'm glad to read that you are enjoying this marvelous performance.

[@juliag.5114]

this number was particularly funny because Fred and Ginger almost never kissed in their movies lol

[@markvargus6519]

It was written after someone made a comment about how Fred and Ginger were always presented as a romantic couple, but they never kissed. It was somewhat known that Fred didn't want even the appearance of betraying his real life wife and tried very hard to avoid making truly romantic gestures with his movie partners.

[@juliag.5114]

⁠@@markvargus6519I didn’t know that! He was a true gentleman. And he was right, the kiss wasn’t even necessary, they had a lot of chemistry by just dancing with each other

[@paolabaroni6802]

Nessuno come loro

[@sophiahudson8434]

Wonderful song

[@chrisimbee4329]

brilliant!

[@reinholdmaximilian214]

Als Kind liebte ich die Beiden. 👍

[@googlefan7409]

Very fine

[@blacksheep1950]

What helped make the Astaire /Rogers musicals so popular ? The great orchestration by the RKO studio orchestra...not a single mention of them in these comments .

[@ZeniferJenZ]

❤

[@alanoneill3065]

I HAVE to wonder..HOW was the snow created????

[@the1920sand30s]

That is indeed a very good question. Now, if my memory serves me right, in the early days of film making, Hollywood "snowmen" creatively repurposed anything white and flaky for snow scenes. Materials like bleached cornflakes, gypsum, salt, concrete dust, asbestos, and even chicken feathers were utilized. Although falling snow was featured in films, challenges arose with Christmas scenes. During the silent era, cotton was commonly used for snow until filmmakers realized its significant fire hazard on sound stages. While the potential harm of some substances wasn't fully understood at that time, cast and crew noticed breathing difficulties. To mitigate risks, they often wore masks between takes. Bleached snowflakes remained a popular choice, with films from the 1920s and '30s showcasing what seemed like giant snowflakes descending straight down, as realistic snow blowing methods were lacking. The diverse materials had a purpose, as filmmakers needed to simulate various types of snow, from banks to footprints and snow clinging to windows or trees. Fake ice was also crucial, sometimes crafted from paper or actual ice. Although real snow was occasionally brought in, the absence of large refrigerated studios meant it would melt quickly in the sweltering back-lot. Filmmakers would shoot scenes until the snow melted away.

[@alanoneill3065]

@@the1920sand30s amazing research! The "snow"is so realistic

[@musicaltheatergeek79]

What I enjoy about watching Astaire/Rogers films is that they didn't speak in that phony Mid-Atlantic accent that many pretentious Classic Hollywood actors were wont to put-on. They sounded/acted like normal people, so their movies are more relatable now.

[@oresictihana]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@the1920sand30s]

Thank you for the 5 stars, much appreciated! So here's 👼👼👼👼👼 back to you! Have a nice weekend, Stu

[@janeleekeller]

1936 Thank You Stu 😊 JaneLee 🕊️ - in Suburban Philadelphia 1/25/21

[@the1920sand30s]

Dear Jane, You're most welcome and thank you for watching and commenting, it's much appreciated! Have a great weekend, Stu

[@janeleekeller]

the1920sand30s You're quite welcome 🙂, I feel Lucky to have This. 'JANELEE', (entire first name), in Suburban Philadelphia PA. 8/20/21

[@potdog1000]

proof that there's no timeline on class