ROBERTA (1933)

A very charming musical comedy, with exquisite dancing, beautiful clothes, elegant sets, witty dialogue  and one of my favorite Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers films,   Roberta (1935). Musical. Cast: Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Randolph Scott. It was an adaptation of a 1933 Broadway theatre musical of the same name, which was based on the novel Gowns by Roberta by Alice Duer Miller.

The film kept songs "Yesterdays" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" from the play, along with a third song, "I'll Be Hard to Handle". But it replaced three others ("The Touch of Your Hand", "Something Had To Happen" and "You're Devastating") with Jerome Kern's "I Won't Dance" and "Lovely to Look At", both were nominated for the Best Song Oscar.

Roberta is the third Astaire-Rogers film, and the only one to be remade with other actors. MGM did so in 1952, entitling the new Technicolor version Lovely to Look At.

Alexander Voyda, the owner of the Cafe Russe in Paris, not knowing what to expect does not show up to his appointment with the Wabash Indianians, a jazz band led by Huck Haines.

With no work, the band follows John Kent, a college football star who is traveling with them, to Roberta's, a fancy boutique run by John's aunt, Minnie. There John meets Stephanie, an exiled Russian princess, while Huck runs into Lizzie Gatz, who thinks she is now a cabaret performer, Comtesse "Tanka" Scharwenka.

To buy Huck's silence, Lizzie arranges for the Wabash Indianian's to audition at the Russe Cafe, not knowing that Voyda has already rejected them. Even though the band gave a wonderful audition, Voyda still refuses to hire them until Lizzie threatens to sing at a rival club.

John's fiancee, Sophie Teale, broke off their engagement because of his simple country ways, is given a "make over" by Stephanie and Minnie.

Soon after, Minnie dies of a heart attack, and John inherits Roberta's.

John knows nothing about woman's fashion, but.. sparks begin to fly when he tries to learn how to run a company.

Besides the wonderful dance numbers, I really enjoyed the costume designs and beautiful art deco sets. This glamorous movie has it all: shopping at a elegant salon, serenading to balalaikas, Russian princes, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" sung by the very talented Irene Dunne, Old Russian restaurant and fashion show with Astaire and Rogers dancing.




FUN FACTS:

Lucille Ball, appears uncredited as a model in a fashion show. She wears a large feather cape, and her hair is bleached platinum blonde.

The third (of ten) dancing partnership of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Soundtracks:

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"(Back Home Again In) Indiana"
(uncredited)
Music by James F. Hanley
Lyrics by Ballard MacDonald
Performed by The Wabash Indianians

"Let's Begin"
(uncredited)
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Otto A. Harbach
Additional lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Song performed by Fred Astaire and Candy Candido
Dance performed by Fred Astaire, Candy Candido, Gene Sheldon and Ginger Rogers

"Russian Lullaby"
Written by Jerome Kern
Performed by Irene Dunne

"I'll Be Hard to Handle"
(uncredited)
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Otto A. Harbach
Additional lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Song performed by Ginger Rogers
Dance performed by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

"Yesterdays"
(uncredited)
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Otto A. Harbach
Performed by Irene Dunne

"I Won't Dance"
(uncredited)
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Otto A. Harbach
Additional lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Song performed by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
Dance performed by Fred Astaire

"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"
(uncredited)
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Otto A. Harbach
Performed by Irene Dunne

"Lovely to Look At"
(uncredited)
Music by Jerome Kern and Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Performed by Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"
(uncredited)
Instrumental reprise
Dance performed by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

"I Won't Dance"
(uncredited)
Instrumental reprise
Dance performed by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers