It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Fred Astaire plays a ballet dancer who falls in love with musical revue star Ginger Rogers. The two cross the Atlantic on the same ship with Fred managing to make some headway with her before rumors, misunderstandings, and publicity stunts come between them. The stars shine brightly with that wonderful chemistry they displayed in every movie. Fun support from Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, and Jerome Cowan. Great music by George and Ira Gershwin. Some of the classic musical numbers include "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," "They All Laughed (at Christopher Columbus)", "Slap That Bass," and "They Can't Take That Away from Me." Really good stuff. Not my favorite Fred & Ginger movie but it's solid fun that should put smiles on the faces of most viewers.

Shall We Dance (1937) *** 1/2 (out of 4) The seventh teaming of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers has him playing a Russian ballet and her a tap-dancer. The two of them really get to know one another while on a boat heading for America but somehow word gets out that they're married, which sets off a firestorm in New York and gives them unwanted attention. SHALL WE DANCE is without question a very good film but there's no doubt that it's lacking some originality. Previous teamings of the two stars pretty much had the same story. They meet. He annoys her. She falls for him. He falls for her. There's a mistake which causes problems. That same story structure is pretty much followed here and there's no question that it's quite predictable by now but at the same time there's no question that the two stars and their supporting players are in fine form and manage to make it work. There are several good moments here but I'd say the highlight is the roller skating sequence where the always impressive duo makes one even more aware of their genius. I'm not sure how long it took them to perfect this dance sequence but it's certainly a very impressive one that ranks among their best work. The Gershwin songs are all pretty good in their one way but "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is certainly the highlight. As I said, both Astaire and Rogers are perfect together as there's never a doubt that their chemistry seems real. Edward Everett Horton is on hand and offers up his usual nice comic timing. SHALL WE DANCE is certainly going to appeal to those fans of Astaire and Rogers even though it does fall short of TOP HAT and SWING TIME.

The story is rather thin and silly and Ketti Gallian's performance came across as vapid; the rest however is sheer pleasure. The film is beautifully shot with extravagant, if not quite as sophisticated as Top Hat and particularly Swing Time, production values, particularly apparent in Let's Call the Whole Thing Off. George and Ira Gershwin's score and songs don't disappoint either, really quite wonderful actually. Standing out were the catchy Let's Call the Whole Thing Off and the touchingly melancholic They Can't Take That Away From Me. The choreography dazzles and shows great energy and poise, just seeing Fred and Ginger in roller skates for Let's Call the Whole Thing Off makes one envious of how they were able to do that and make it seem so easy. The dialogue has a real warmth and wit, the dialogue during the jail scene is just hilarious and that scene came across as the best from a comedic point of view, and the gags and such are good-natured and enjoyably daft. Shall We Dance is not without heart either, it is very difficult not to be moved by You Can't Take That Away From Me. Fred Astaire is immensely charming and likable and dances a dream as always, it more than makes up for that he's not all that convincing as a Russian. Ginger Rogers looks gorgeous and interacts and dances with Astaire wonderfully, you are not quite as emotionally invested in Linda Keene as you are with some of her other characters but Rogers still gives everything she's got. In supporting roles, Eric Blore was a joy and provided some of the film's funniest moments(the aforementioned jail scene), though Edward Everett Horton and Jerome Cowan are very enjoyable as well. To conclude, a great piece of escapism. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Fun Astaire-Rogers musical, directed by Mark Sandrich with a Gershwin songbook. This confection has the usual slight plot of the team's films, but the musical numbers and the charisma of the two stars more than make up for the implausibilities. The supporting players Eric Blore and Edward Everett Horton are a hoot as ever. My favourite number was the classic "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off", which is concluded by Fred and Ginger doing their famous roller skate dance. I can't even skate properly, let alone dance in them! While it is great entertainment, it is overlong (the dog gag is cute, but gets tired quickly) and pales in comparison to "Swing Time" and the wonderful, wonderful "Top Hat".