Movie #3069........................."The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" (Amazon Prime)

Movie #3069 "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" (Amazon Prime) This is a historical one, a semi truthful biography of the two dancers Vernon and Irene Castle.  They have a meet-cute both helping a dog they think is drowning, and then he tells her he is a star of the show in town, and she says she has musical talent, too.  And then as he dries out, she performs for him --- he impresses her at the train stop with his tap dancing so she assumes he is a dancer in the show, so when she sees the show, she is negatively surprised that he is playing a "clown" in a dentist comic scene --- because she so much believes in his dancing, she convinces him to go on his own, and he thinks she is talented so he says he wants her as a partner -- What an adorable love story --- there are ups and downs, with a best friend as Walter Brennan, and the tap dancing and humor are both delightful in the film.  And this is the one film out of the 10 that is very sad because it follows the truthful story line of the Castles.  What I liked about the film?  Flirting works really well in this, like whistling to the dog scene, looking out of viewfinder with their heads together, and  their first audition, which  was full of very physical "clown" steps which I had never seen them dance like that before (perhaps that was style of the Castles, at first?)  The dog is adorable in the film and a companion to them both --- used really well in the film.  The costumes were ugly and at odds with Ginger Rogers, because she always okayed the beautiful dresses she wore, and she didn't like these.  The film had Maggie, the agent, who was a lesbian, but the Hayes office okayed that.  Ginger danced in the ballroom scene with big fur ringlets on each arm, ugly and hard to dance in.  Fred was disappointed with this movie because he didn't think it got across  ragtime or jazz the way he wanted it  to.  If you know the true story here, you know the ending -- but if you don't , it is quite emotional, esp. with the final dance.  I'd give this a 5 out of 5.  It was my favorite.   But I know it probably isn't the most favored because there are few popular, academy award-nominated songs in this one that they dance to.

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle

1939
Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edna May Oliver
In the years leading up to the first World War, vaudeville performer Vernon Castle realizes he shares a love for dancing with Irene.

Available on: Amazon Prime, Vudu