Roberta (1935)

Iv'e been sitting at home this morning watching Roberta - Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' 3rd outing together made in 1935. M-G-M decided to make a remake in the 1950s and witheld the movie from release until the 1970s before it eventually passed into public domain. GEM TV (Channel 90) have shown a brilliant version this morning with a great print or clean up and the sound was fantastic. 


This musical was one of my favourites being the Kern-Harbach entry and this underrated film is the key work in the Astaire-Rogers partnership. Most of the Fred & Ginger numbers are shot with live sound, including Fred’s super piano solo. Irene Dunne is the real star of the film and carries the plot along with Randolph Scott, and she handles the sentimental Jerome Kern numbers well with her great soprano voice. I'll be keeping my eye out for more entries like this from Gem -Nice to see a commercial station pick up and carry the baton now the ABC seems to have left a lot of these great 30s & 40s movies off their play list lately.


Burn brightly, Pete.