Month O' Musicals: Shall We Dance

(No, not the Richard Gere movie.)

Vital Stats:
Year: 1937
Director: Mark Sandrich
Stars: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton
Choreographer: Hermes Pan, Harry Losee
Music & Lyrics: George & Ira Gershwin

Summary:
Does it really matter? It's an Astaire/Rogers movie! If you must know, the plot revolves around two dancers and the problems that arise from the rumor that they are married.

Memorable Moments:
Fred singing "They Can't Take That Away From Me", the roller-skating dance in the park to "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off", and the dance with all the girls masked to look like Ginger.


What I love about it:
I have a soft spot for Gershwin music and especially like the "impromptu" dance the fabulous pair do to "They All Laughed". (I also think the little dog in the movie is pretty cute.)

Month O' Musicals: State Fair

Vital Stats:
Year: 1945
Director: Walter Lang
Stars: Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, Vivian Blaine, Fay Bainter, Charles Winninger
Choreographer: Hermes Pan
Songwriting: Rodgers & Hammerstein

Summary:
As corny as its Iowa setting, the movie follows the Frake family's trip to their great state's annual fair. Will Father Abel's prize boar Blue Boy win the grand award? Will Mother Melissa's views on liquor affect her chances of winning the mincemeat competition? Will sister Margy hear words that she has never heard from a man she's yet to meet? Will brother Wayne end up with the glamorous singer he meets at the fair or will he return to the girl back home?

Memorable Moments:
The movie has some lovely songs, including "It Might As Well Be Spring", "It's A Grand Night For Singing", and even the silly "All I Owe Ioway". There's also a great bit with Harry Morgan involving Wayne's quest to get even with the guy who cheated him at the ring toss game at the previous year's fair. ("We're having fun here!")

What I love about it:
The pig snorting along to "Our State Fair" is brilliant. I also find rather amusing the scene with Margy's really unromantic boyfriend Harry. But most of all I love watching Dana Andrews. Sometimes my family calls him "that cute little Dana Andrews" just for me. Despite his dubious choice of "bobby locks" as a pet name, he's charming and suave and very watchable as the newspaperman who sets out to investigate Margy. How's this for an invitation: "What'd be wrong with you and me sitting down over there and exchanging our ideas of life over a Coke?... I'm not saying it's a great idea, I'm just asking what's what's bad about it? What could we lose? Let's give it five minutes. What do you say?" What follows? Fun on a roller coaster, of course.