This was a "feel good" movie that actually made me happy. Fred Astaire plays Lucky, a broke, but talented dancer who, after being tricked into missing his own wedding, leaves for NYC to earn enough money to be again allowed to marry his fiancee. In NYC, he meets Penny (Ginger Rogers), a dance instructor, makes a terrible first impression, has her fired, and then, gets her job back by dancing with her. As they dance together, they fall in love. The storyline itself is pretty silly and predictable, it's a romantic comedy AND a musical, but there was enough substance and drama (unlike Yankee Doodle Dandy) for me to really enjoy this one. At first, I couldn't get over Astaire's look. I never would've guessed he was so goofy-looking. By the end of the movie, though, I thought he was adorable and charming.
The way show business worked back then was entirely different from now. Actors only acted in movies produced by the company they've signed with, so I think that's why movies were made almost exclusively to showcase the talent of their actors. I feel like this movie (and the other ~9 or 10 Rogers and Astaire made together) was written just for them. They're amazing to watch and had such good chemistry. I wouldn't mind seeing more of theirs.
Side note: One thing I've found completely shocking, though, is that this makes TWO movies on the list with actors performing in blackface makeup. That's something that definitely shows the movie's age.
Rating: 8/10
Big Names: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers
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