Roberta (1935)

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. To most, the names conjure up certain films: Top Hat, Swing Time, Shall We Dance. FG have a surprisingly large amount of "unknown" films, some of which arguably deserve their status, some of which arguably don't. Roberta is one of the latter. To me, it's the most undeservedly underrated of the FG films.Roberta doesn't emphasize the FG partnership. They are, like Follow the Fleet, the "second fiddle" couple. It could be called only technically a FG film; however, in the limited screen time they have, Fred and Ginger create a believable relationship, breathing life into their characters. That's the most important part of Roberta - its characters, as frothy as they may be, feel alive.Roberta is not like any of the popular FG films. It's not a silly confection brimming with antics. It has no Edward Everett Horton, Victor Moore, or Erik Blore. Of course, there isn't anything wrong with the silly confections - I enjoy them myself - but the added dimensions of Roberta give it that special life. It has poignancy, for all its fluffy subject matter. Like milk chocolate sprinkled with salt, it doesn't leave an overly sweet aftertaste; instead it leaves a sense of warmth because its happy ending feels real.On to the actors, starting with Irene Dunne. Roberta is the only film with Irene I've watched, and she impressed me. Apparently, she's known as a talented comedienne; however, her dramatic moments were what left an impact. The way she handled herself spoke volumes about her character, and never verged on the stereotypical. I sympathized with and liked her. She held her own but wasn't painted as disagreeable or illogical. Her singing was sweet, fit the songs, and didn't seem unrealistic (since it was her real voice!).Randolph Scott was also a pleasant surprise. My first exposure to him was in Follow the Fleet, where I disliked him, and so I was expecting the worst from his character in Roberta; but he was, as the script says, a big goofy Newfoundland. He played the role well! His character is a naive, somewhat sheltered man from inland America, and it shows. His opinions and behavior make sense given his background. Even in his more disagreeable moments I wasn't annoyed with him - rather, he was endearing.As a couple, John and Stephanie have more chemistry than might be expected. At their first meeting you can easily see their interest in each other. He's naive while she's sophisticated, and their personalities do clash eventually, but it's not fueled by blatant clichés. Even their reconciliation takes a bit of time. I also never got the feeling that either would control the relationship: they felt like equals.Fred plays, as he often did, a musical character, and does it with his usual aplomb. There's never much to say about his characters, but I will say that his sass comes across brilliantly - he gets many snappy lines and delivers them beautifully.Ginger is proof of how Roberta veers away from the usual storytelling clichés. At first glance, she's playing a Polish countess; very early on, Fred discovers she's an old friend of his, but this is never exploited for any hijinks. Ginger retains her persona, drops her guard around Fred, does a great job with both roles, and that's that. She has a chance to play both broad (as the countess) and subtler (as herself) comedy, which gives her more detail than the accented comedic hothead she at first appears to be.FG utilize the old-acquaintance part of their characters to great effect. One of the greatest numbers in the film is I'll Be Hard To Handle, which begins with FG chatting humorously about growing up back in the US. You feel they really did know each other, really are getting reacquainted. Both of them speak frankly about the relationship, and when things develop further, it feels entirely natural. What's more, there are no dramatic kisses or embraces - the relationship feels real. It's different than the main relationship but equally plausible.There aren't many supporting characters, outside from John's aunt Millie, his old flame the rich society girl, and a few others. None of them get much to do, but there's really only one character who stands out as being particularly stereotypical - the owner of a Parisian nightclub, who invited Fred's band over thinking they were (Native American) Indians rather than "Indianians" and yells about this almost every time he appears. But hey, the rest of the film makes up for his antics.Outside of the cast, the score is the main highlight. Jerome Kern's songs provide almost all of the film's poignancy. Even Lovely To Look At has a soft, fond edge. Yesterdays, sung by Irene in a pivotal scene, is one of the saddest songs found in an F&G movie: about the tragedies of lost youth, time, innocence and joys, it isn't at all overdramatic. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes is similar; the arrangement that plays during the penultimate FG dance number is one of my favorite instrumentals in a film. One of the weaker songs is actually an upbeat one, Let's Begin, performed by Fred; but the film doesn't lack good upbeat numbers. I'll Be Hard To Handle is catchy, cute, and leads into a lovely number, while I Won't Dance is enjoyable too.It's difficult to sum up my love for Roberta. It's like comfort food, but without that guilty-pleasure edge. It's got a witty dialogue; pretty sets given life by the acting; FG, both playful and romantic in dancing; a sympathetic main relationship that steers clear of clichés; humor balanced by poignancy, tragedy balanced by success, heartbreak balanced by romance. It's got lovely music, beautiful people, a world you want to live in. It glows. Roberta is unique and underrated.

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.

I enjoy the mainline Astaire-Rodgers musicals. They have a certain grace, shine, and wit to them that always makes for an enjoyable hour and a half, usually accompanied by great music.Roberta is somewhat different from the standard formula, though. As with Flying Down to Rio, Astaire and Rodgers aren't the lead couple here. Whereas in FDTR the main couple was not particularly interesting, however, at least for me, here they, or at least the female half of it, Irene Dunne, are outstanding. Her performances of "Yesterdays," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," and, to a lesser extent, "You're Lovely to Look At," are beautifully sung - yes, she's not dubbed - and acted, and real highlights of any movie. She was a great actress, and between her and Helen Westley, who does a great job with her small role at the beginning of the picture, the two give the movie a quality serious side that makes Astaire-Rodgers look that much better for the contrast - very much along the lines of the Silver Age Viennese operettas of Lehar and Kalman of which this is something of an echo. Dunne had played the role in the successful touring company of the show before the movie was filmed, so she knew the part and how to play and sing it well, and that benefits the movie.And Randolph Scott is perfectly good in a very two-dimensional role as the mid-Western American who is offended by the sexier aspects of French culture - which, however, is not portrayed as in any sense too outrageous.An exceptionally good 1930s musical. Not all fluff, but the fluff too is excellent.

My take on this movie: Helen Westley great. Randolph Scott a tall hunka sweetness. Ginger Rogers has nice accent. Irene Dunne lovely singer. Fred Astaire great, especially playing those organ fingers. Indianians and Indians a nice touch tongue twister. The elevator being stuck always gets some laughs out of me.I also like the 1950s remake: "Lovely to Look At".I loved the little black "vulgar" dress, the front at least. The back I would have re-designed to have more substance around the waistline.Scott's fiancé/gf was a miserable, cold fish, cold block of ice. I am glad she got talked into getting the terrible dress. That was so funny, and an ironic comeuppance for her.A sweet movie. 10/10.