Saturday, January 23, 2010

Pre-Game Warm-Up: Top Hat




Our Spring series kicks off in a couple of weeks with the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers classic Swing Time. This will be our second film by that pair (after Shall We Dance two Springs ago). If we ever do a third, it will likely be Top Hat, which for your warming-up pleasure we present this Crazy Cinematic Dance Craze:



And this appreciation of the film and Fred Astaire by Shawn Levy of The Oregonian:

"There's something essentially cinematic, I think, in the sight of him actually moving about -- not only dancing but simply walking across a room. Astaire was an immensely angular fellow: all elbows, knees, hips and shoulders, with that teardrop-shaped head on top of a honed chin. And he knew in his bones how to deploy that angularity within the rectangle of the movie frame. The very image of him is the stuff of movies."

5 comments:

Diagnose Me said...

Wondering if you need any volunteer work done. I'd love to help.

Mikey said...

Thanks for your enthusiasm and interest!

Unfortunately, we don't have any volunteer opportunities to offer. You could always swing by the Metro, pick up a few dozen flyers and distribute them to friends, family and local businesses. We certainly wouldn't stop you.

Hope to see you at Top Hat on the 10th!

-Mike

Sean Gilman said...

Uh, Mike . . . we're playing Swing Time on the 10th . . . .

Mikey said...

Whoopsie doodle! For some reason I can never keep the titles of these Astaire/Rogers films straight.

sandik said...

What a treat to see this today. I think, though, that the "Pick Yourself Up" number from Swing Time is an even better example of the Astaire/Rogers partnership, and I'm so glad that you'll be showing it soon.