Charles Herold (cherold) I wasn't sure what to expect after reading some IMDb user reviews. Many were disappointed that this wasn't an Astaire-Rogers vehicle, as they played second fiddle to Irene Dunn, while others said it was delightful. I fall into the second camp.Regardless of the billing, this is very much in the style of Astaire musicals, with a silly story, romance fueled by misunderstandings and second-character manipulations, and wacky characters. While Dunne has top billing, there is a lot of Astaire and Rogers, showing off their chemistry on and off the dance floor. The songs are first-rate and the dancing is excellent.The Dunne/Scott seems fine to me. It's dumb, like most musical romances of the time, but the pair is fairly likable. I could do without Dunne's operatic-ish version of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, but that opera-ish thing is something fans of 30s musicals either like or have learned to live with. It's glossy, there are some surprisingly witty lines for this genre, and I was happy to discover an Astaire movie I had somehow never seen before. Recommended.

vert001 RKO seems to have come up with two basic plots for Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. In one, whose template is THE GAY Divorcée, they are the romantic protagonists caught in a plot of misunderstandings which keep them apart while they are surrounded by comical eccentrics. ROBERTA is an example of the other type of plot, initiated accidentally by FLYING DOWN TO RIO, in which Ginger and Fred play old friends (or lovers) reunited after a period of separation (in ROBERTA and FOLLOW THE FLEET) who rather smoothly re-solidify and strengthen the old feelings mostly by way of dance. In these movies they themselves serve the role of comic relief and they are accompanied by another couple who serve as the romantic protagonists of the story. The bad thing about this is that it takes away from their screen time; the good thing is that it gives them a chance to relax and just have a lot of fun. ROBERTA is about as much fun as a movie can be when they're on the screen, but unfortunately Fred and Ginger are off screen more than in any of their movies other than RIO. It's a film perfectly designed for DVD's and their fast-forwarding option.By my standards, ROBERTA is the first of 5 straight Astaire/Rogers films that are blessed with great, not excellent but great, musical scores, this one by Jerome Kern with some fabulous new lyrics from Dorothy Fields. Unique in the series (and pretty much in film history from 42nd STREET on), the dances are recorded live, which was made possible because they were performed on a hard maple-wood floor (as opposed to the hard plastic that RKO's designers otherwise pushed on them) which enabled the sound of the taps to come through, if not as clearly as when they were dubbed, clearly enough. Perhaps because of this, the routines, always notable for their seeming spontaneity, come across as the most seemingly spontaneous of any routines that I've ever seen. The great 'Hard to Handle' number, interspersed with Fred's growling ejaculations and Ginger's giggling, is supreme in this respect, and is my favorite musical number of all. And as a side note, if you ever wanted to hear Ginger Rogers actually tapping, this and the metal staircase number in ROXIE HART are the two places where you definitely can. Other than in ROBERTA, the dance numbers were dubbed, and since this was a rather tedious process, Hermes Pan famously did the dubbing for Ginger's taps. Sometimes it's concluded from this that Ginger is not actually tap dancing in these routines, but that demonstratively is not the case.The other musical numbers are all of the highest level. 'I Won't Dance' presents Astaire with an opportunity to show just how musically talented he really was. He plays a blazing piano to begin it, charmingly sings the duet with Ginger, then delivers one of his finest dance solos, a veritable tour de force. Then they close the film with an explosive 45 second dance to this song that leaves the audience drooling for more. Before that has come the beautiful, simple duet to 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes', a particular favorite of Astaire's. The dances of ROBERTA are about as good as any that Fred and Ginger ever did.ROBERTA also gives Ginger Rogers a chance to show off her comical abilities, something that was somewhat squelched in the other musicals with Astaire (Carefree being another exception). Her Countess Scharvenka seems to have been inspired by the idiosyncrasies of its stage originator, Lyda Roberti, and is a wondrous creation.The actual star of ROBERTA, of course, is Irene Dunne, a wonderful actress in her own right. In retrospect, taking time away from Fred and Ginger makes pretty much any role a thankless one, but it did give Irene a chance to sing with her fine operatic voice and also gave her some practice with comical line readings. Her career to this point had mostly consisted of melodramas. In an amazing career twist, it would soon be discovered that Dunne was one of the finest comediennes in Hollywood, and in my opinion the best partner that Cary Grant would ever have. ROBERTA may oh-so-slightly have pointed her in that direction.As for Randolph Scott, one of the greatest of western stars, 'nuff said.

clanciai This is in some ways the most interesting Astaire-Rodgers film, particularly because for once they don't dominate the whole film, which instead has some very different aspects to offer than just glittering show entertainment. It's really the story of a fashion centre in Paris, Roberta being the old legendary proprietress, who unexpectedly exits, leaving Fred and others to take over the business, which they can't handle. But the real story is something else: in the centre Irene Dunne represents an exiled Russian princess with an interesting circle of other Russian aristocrats, one of them being heir to the throne. The atmosphere of Russian exiles in Paris is intimately conveyed with warming conviction, at the heart of which complications the song "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" makes a lasting impact, involving the Princess' tragic love affair with a good-for-nothing American standing in the bar getting drunk and rude (Randolph Scott in a pathetic and almost vulgar performance - how Irene Dunne could love him and with continuity is a mystery.)The music pervades the whole film weaving it into a web of beauty, nostalgia and magic, enhanced by the overwhelming beauty of the mannequins parading now and then with dream haute-coutures out of this world. It's a very singular film, completely out of the ordinary for Ginger and Fred, but still of course gilded by their performances, here highlighted by some of their very finest momentums. Grossly neglected, underrated, almost forgotten and misunderstood, this is one of their films to never forget but always return to.

utgard14 Football player Randolph Scott and his dancer friend Fred Astaire go to Paris where Scott winds up running a ritzy dress shop and Fred reunites with old flame Ginger Rogers passing herself off as a countess. Scott also finds himself torn between two women -- fashion designer Irene Dunne and his snobbish ex-girlfriend Claire Dodd.It's not a bad movie; it's actually pretty good with nice songs and some likable characters. Unfortunately, for Fred & Ginger fans, this isn't a showcase for them. They take a back seat to Randolph Scott and Irene Dunne. Irene even sings some songs but be warned it's that operatic style that was popular in movies of the period that not everybody will be crazy about today. Scott does fine and isn't nearly as stiff as I've seen some reviewers describe him. His character is pretty corny ("Gee, you're swell") but intentionally so. Fish out of water and all that. Whenever they are on screen, Fred and Ginger sparkle. They're the highlight of the movie, whether it's their dance routines or just their playful banter. They had such wonderful chemistry. Songs include "I Won't Dance," "Lovely to Look At," and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes". That last one is butchered by Irene Dunne due to her aforementioned singing style. Despite that and some other flaws, it's an enjoyable movie. Not one of Fred & Ginger's best but good. Oh and, for those interested in that sort of thing, there's a fashion show at the end. Pay attention and you'll notice Lucille Ball is one of the models.