The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle

The box set is made up of clear plastic thin cases and measures 3 7/8" wide x 7 7/8" high x 5½" deep, which is a real space saver for 12 discs (10 movie DVDs, 1 bonus DVD, and 1 audio CD). (If you purchase Volume I and the Partial Ultimate Collector's Edition separately, you transfer the five discs from the old DVD cases to the new thin ones. The wider ones do not fit.) Among the five DVDs, each comes with the feature film, a comedy/musical/vintage short, and a classic cartoon. Two have a radio promo; three have a theatrical trailer. The Gay Divorcee DVD comes with two vintage shorts, so you get six shorts on five discs. Unlike the first volume, there are no featurettes. Below are brief review/descriptions of the five feature films, vintage shorts, radio promos, classic cartoons, bonus material, and run times for each.FEATURE FILMSTheir first film together, FLYING DOWN TO RIO is the only Fred and Ginger (F&G) movie where they play supporting roles. The studio executives and the public did not yet know this couple's dance potential and powerhouse future. They only dance together once 43 minutes into the film (The Carioca). The movie is filled with several post-card quality shots of Rio de Janeiro and has more choreographed group dance routines and vocalists than you can shake a stick at. My favorite is all those girls dancing on biplanes while in flight, which is very creative. The romantic plot of the main characters, Belhina De Rezende (Dolores del Rio) and Roger Bond (Gene Raymond) and the subplot of the Greek investors are a little light but still held my interest.F&G's second film and their first as leading characters together, THE GAY DIVORCEE is the initial series of boy-chases-girl movies with comic misunderstandings, misgivings, and mistaken identity. F&G do the dancing, but Rodolfo Tonetti (Erik Rhodes) with his accent has the best one liners and password mispronunciations. The forgetful Hortense Ditherwell (Alice Brady) is a hoot. The musical number "Let's K-nock K-nees" is very fun and playful, even though it does not have F&G in it. Its tune is repeated in whistling near the beginning by a bellhop and near the end by canaries. In their previous movie "Rio" the dance craze was the Carioca; in "Divorcee" it's the Continental, which has a spectacular song, F&G dance, dance ensemble, and finale.If you want to see Paris fashions in 1935, F&G's third film, ROBERTA, is the place to see it. Among all F&G movies, the plot is more sophisticated and dramatic and less comedic. Ginger plays an act within her role: not just the sassy American blonde but also the sophisticated Russian Comtess. She even sings "I'll Be Hard to Handle" with a Russian accent. In that same number, F&G communicate with each other not with words but by taps on their feet. Almost every speaking actor/actress has a three-dimensional personality especially Roberta/Aunt Minnie (Helen Westley) and Johnny (Candy) Candido with his voice performances. However, Stephanie (Irene Dunn) has an excellent singing voice but is overrated and should not have been top billed. As a side note, if you pay attention, look for Lucille Ball as one of the fashion models (uncredited).In this eighth installment of F&G films, CAREFREE, Ginger displays her talents not only as a dancer but also as an actress and a singer. She performs all three simultaneously in The Yam. She causes mischief while under the hypnotic influence of Tony Flagg (Fred Astaire), throwing sticks and dinner rolls, breaking glass, driving erratically, and shooting skeet. The psychiatry is definitely unconventional, but it is a comedy after all. The slow motion dancing in the dream sequence is very smooth and kind of cool. A running joke where Aunt Cora (Luella Gear) keeps telling Judge Joe Travers (Clarence Kolb) to sit down adds a couple of more laughs. Typecasting prevails here; look for Hattie McDaniel (Gone with the Wind) playing a maid here, too.Their ninth film together and the last for RKO, F&G play real life characters VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE. Since the story is set in the 1910s, which is comparably a more "innocent" era, the dancing is not as sophisticated but just as elegant, because it's F&G. A typical biographical account, it takes you through various trials and conflicts throughout their lives. The movie has more comedy in the beginning but becomes more serious at the end, especially when Vernon joins the Royal Air Corps during World War I. All the characters are lovable, and you wish you could be there. It's also the only F&G movie where the principles are concerned about having enough money to make ends meet.VINTAGE SHORTSEven without F&G, these film shorts are consistent with the genre and were made close to the times of the feature films they accompany."Beer and Pretzels" is a very early three stooges short with Ted Healy still with the comedy team. The slapping-of-the-face sound effects have not yet even entered the soundtrack. Just like F&G in Rio, Moe, Larry and Curly are in supporting roles. The four men cause havoc as waiters in a high class restaurant. Most of this short consists of song and dance routines of people I have never heard of. (1933, B&W, Run time 20:33)In "Show Kids" the proprietor of a dying vaudeville theater turns it over to his 12-year-old son, who invites a children's dance company to perform. It has some really cute dance numbers, and some of these kids have real talent and acrobatic skills. The picture has excellent Technicolor for its time except for a red shadow that appears in all the song and dance numbers. (1934, Color, Run Time 19:59)"Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove" takes place where the title says. A narrator takes you through celebrity introductions and various performances including a fashion show of different time periods, Rumba dance, hula dance, song by Bing Crosby, two big bands. Candy Candido's musical voice impersonations are very impressive. (1934, Color, Run Time 19:33)In "Starlit Days at the Lido" guests enjoy outdoor entertainment. Reginald Denny takes you through celebrity introductions and various performances, including one neat trick where a girl keeps pulling cigarettes from nowhere. (1935, Color, Run Time 19:16)In "Public Jitterbug No. 1" a group of "Feds" is out to catch Jitterbug Dancer #1. The tap dancing is superb. The cigarette and match-eating routine is a neat trick. (1939, B&W, Run Time 19:01)In "Happily Buried" two presidents of competing waffle iron companies want to marry each other but cannot agree on the shape of the iron in the merged company. As a publicity stunt, John Hubbard (Richard Wright) buries himself on display. Look for Tommy Bond, who played Butch in the Little Rascals. (1939, B&W, Run time 20:01)HOLLYWOOD ON THE AIR RADIO PROMOSThe "Hollywood on the Air Radio Promo" is just what it says. It is just like a theatrical trailer for a movie except it is audio only, complete with crackles, pops, and varying playing speeds. A narrator pitches the movie and introduces you to excerpts directly from it.The Gay Divorcee includes "Looking for a Needle in a Haystack," "Let's K-nock K-nees," "Night and Day," and "The Continental." (Mono, Run Time 13:43)Roberta includes "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "I'll Be Hard to Handle," "Lovely to Look At," and "I Won't Dance." (Mono, Run Time 11:55)CLASSIC CARTOONSIn "I Like Mountain Music" the characters in a department store come to life and perform. Most of them jump out from magazine and book covers and are caricatures of personalities popular at the time. (1933 B&W Run time 6:59)In "Shake Your Powder Puff" the animals of a farm put on a vaudeville show in the barn. A drunken dog causes mischief and is repeatedly thrown out. (1934, B&W, Run Time 5:59)In "The Calico Dragon" a little girl reads a fairy tale about a dragon, then falls asleep. She dreams that three of her dolls, a boy, a horse, and a terrier, enter the land of calico to slay a three-headed calico dragon. Good use of that pattern. (1935, Color, Run Time 7:57)In "September in the Rain" the labels of packaged goods in a general store come to life and perform. (1937 Color, Run Time 4:39)In "Puss Gets the Boot" a cat and mouse fight for household domination. It is a Tom & Jerry predecessor before they were called Tom & Jerry. (1940, Color, Run time 9:11)"September in the Rain" and "Puss Gets the Boot" both have a written preface commenting on how racist those cartoons are. However, the stereotyping did not bother me, and I would not have even noticed if they did not point it out. Nevertheless, I am glad they were sensitive about it.THEATRICAL TRAILER RUN TIMESFlying Down to Rio 1:29The Gay Divorcee 1:18Roberta 2:56For whatever reason, the Carefree and The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle DVDs do not include a theatrical trailer.BONUS MATERIALBonus DVD (Astaire and Rogers Partners in Rhythm) "Featuring clips from all 10 films Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made together ... this glorious salute captures the sweat, determination, inspiration, talent, and scintillating chemistry that made the team an icon of elegance in motion. Candid photos, behind-the-scene tidbits and sidelights about such famed Astaire-Rogers collaborators such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Hermes Pan, and George Stevens add to the fun ..." -excerpt from back cover. Most notable are interview snippets with Ginger from 1972 and 1987. Run Time 76:18Bonus audio CD (Timeless Songs from the Original Soundtrack) As the title describes, tracks are taken directly from dance numbers in the movies.1. Night and Day (from the Gay Divorcee) 4:292. The Continental (from the Gay Divorcee) 8:173. Top Hat, White Tie and Tails (from Top Hat) 4:304. Cheek to Cheek (from Top Hat) 5:025. I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket (from Follow the Fleet) 5:176. Let's Face the Music and Dance (from Follow the Fleet) 4:357. Pick Yourself Up (from Swing Time) 4:448. The Way You Look Tonight (from Swing Time) 1:579. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off (from Shall We Dance) 3:4610. They Can't Take That Away from Me (from The Barkleys of Broadway) 4:33Total Play Time 47:15Collectible Behind-the-Scenes Photo Cards-You get ten 5"x7" B&W glossy photo cards. Captions, associated movie, and copyright information are on the back of each card. Most are behind-the-scene looks at F&G and the people they worked with, such as Irving Berlin, Hermes Pan, and George Gershwin.The Campaign/Press Books have story line, newspaper clippings, artwork, photographs, and star biographies. Roberta is 28 pages saddle-stitched in B&W plus a throwaway. Shall We Dance has 21 sheets in B&W stapled across the top in two books plus a throwaway, a folder, and ideas for a dance remembrance contest.The slip sheet on the outside of the box holds the proofs of purchase in the upper right corner. Do not discard. You'll need it for the mail-in offer for the four Astaire and Rogers movie posters.

This beautiful and poignant farewell from one of the most memorable and beloved of screen couples in film history was the perfect way to say goodbye. Their previous pairings had been filled with joy, grace and elegance; a delightful escapism which helped get everyone through the depression and set a tone of charm and romance no one else has ever come close to. Appropriately enough, their last in the incredible cycle is tender and sweet, faint echoes of their previous entries mixed with the melancholy of something special disappearing forever, never to pass this way again.Astaire and Rogers tell the story of Vernon and Irene Castle, who set dance and fashion trends all across Europe and America during a more innocent time in the world. Their's was a story of love, humor and dance. But when what they had always dreamed of was within their reach, the world intruded in a way which could not have been anticipated. Astaire and Rogers have never been so real as in this nostalgic and gentle ode to love and innocence.Based on Irene Castle's stories, "My Husband" and "My Memories of Vernon Castle," the adaptation by Oscar Hammerstein II and Dorothy Yost was turned into a screenplay by Richard Sherman. Ginger's costumes were created by the real Irene Castle, and the Castle's love hangs over this film like a soft velvet fog. H. C. Potter's direction is minimal, allowing Fred and Ginger to say so long through the story of Vernon and Irene.It begins in 1911, when Vernon, a second comic for Lewis Fields, is chasing after another actress. She ditches him at the beach, and a drowning little dog will bring Irene Foot and Vernon Castle together for the first time. Walter Brennen is wonderful as the crusty and protective Walter. He has practically raised Irene and calls her "Sailor" through her entire life. Vernon and Irene slowly come around to each other. A scene where both he and Irene attempt to get her dog to jump in his borrowed automobile, as an excuse to take a ride together, perfectly captures the sweet and lovely innocence of the time prior to WWI.There is a charm to scenes in the Foot's parlor as Walter, and Irene's parents, go out of their way to leave the couple alone and keep asking if there is any news yet. It will bring a warm smile to your face when Vernon finally tells Irene he loves her and proposes, and laughter at his reaction to her acceptance. There is a warmth and sense of nostalgia to everything here as the young couple try to make their dreams come true.It was Irene's belief in Vernon that pushed them forward as a dance couple, as she knew his talents were being wasted in the role of comic buffoon he was forced to play on stage. They have to leave Fields in America for Paris, in what appears to be their big break. Their springtime honeymoon in Paris, however, is plagued by financial woes when they discover they are not getting the chane to dance at all, but only for him to keep playing the comic fool for laughs.That is when Maggie Sutton (Edna May Oliver) steps in, using her influence to get them a chance to dance at the Cafe De Paris. They do it for a meal for themselves and Walter, but once they hit the dance floor, they will never go hungry again. Maggie becomes their manager, her gruff exterior hiding a heart of gold. Their popularity grows to staggering preportions, as does their bliss. They travel all over Europe and America, setting dance and fashion trends the world over.Vernon and "Sailor" set dance trends such as the "Castlewalk" and "Foxtrot," as well as the "Maxie," the "Castle Polka," and, the legendary "Tango." There are Irene Castle hats, bon bons and face cream. And Vernon Castle shoes and cigars. The montage of Fred and Ginger storming to success is graceful and joyous. Ginger is especially fetching in a memorable black tango dress designed by Irene Castle.There are dark clouds on the horizon, however, as the entire world is sucked into war for the first time. Vernon and Irene are ready to stop touring and settle down to the life they've always dreamed of having. Irene's fears finally have to take a backseat to Vernon's sense of duty, however, when he joins the fight and enlists in the Royal Flying Core. Irene waits anxiously, the couple exchanging letters until they can be together once again. A more innocent time, intruded upon by the world as never before, is captured beautifully here.There will be a reunion in France, and one more dance, before Vernon is finally transferred to Texas as a flight instructor. It seems they may have escaped WWI unscathed, but fate may be requesting some sad music, for a final dance. A bittersweet fade out of Irene and Vernon dancing forever, will bring tears not only for the Castles, but for Fred and Ginger, who were in their elegant way, trying to say goodbye.There is a sweet scent of honeysuckle and roses here, a different but equally lovely magic caught on celluloid one last time. If you love Fred and Ginger, you can not miss the graceful way they chose to exit, spinning and dancing down the lane in our hearts forever.

Good old fashioned entertaining.

The movie is great! Had to research the Castles further. Amazing couple and individuals. They really are the grandparents of modern ballroom. Fred Astaire Dance Studios are all o er the world - so who better to portray the Castles but Fred and Ginger!

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers star in this adaptation of the true-life story of Vernon and Irene Castle, a husband-and-wife dance team who revolutionised and popularised ballroom dancing in the early part of the twentieth century.Ginger Rogers appears fresh-faced (reminiscent of a young Doris Day), playing Irene with charm and naivete, while Fred Astaire (bearing a remarkable resemblance to the real Vernon Castle) displays a boyish and vulnerable demeanour - no mean feat when you consider he was nearly 40 at the time the film was made.This is much more of a serious story compared with the more well-known Fred-and-Ginger films. It is not a musical comedy but a biography with music and dancing. The dances are somewhat different to what we have come to expect from F&G but they are no less entertaining and wondrous for that. It is interesting to see the kind of dances in vogue at the turn of the 19th/20th century and it adds another dimension to Fred and Ginger's repertoire for us to see them perform them. One of my favourites is the Tango, with F&G in Spanish flamenco-type costumes.There are humorous touches in the film, not just from the two leads but also from Walter Brennan, who plays a crusty but kindly uncle-type figure, and Edna Mae Oliver, who plays the Castles' formidable but motherly dance manager. It is interesting - if somewhat painful - to see Fred perform slapstick in the barber-shop sketch; it is also, in the scene with the benefit concert for the troops, great fun to watch him do a song-and-dance routine with a man in drag!However, there are many poignant moments too and both Fred and Ginger get to display their talent for serious roles. This is most ably portrayed when the First World War is declared and Vernon (Fred) decides to enlist in the Royal Flying Corps (Vernon was British by birth). Irene (Ginger) is of course anxious about what may happen to him and both actors play these scenes with great tenderness and sensitivity.The main problem I found with this DVD production (not the film itself) is that the lighting is dark in places. Whether this is due to the Italian production process or whether it is meant to re-create the atmosphere of the early twentieth century, I don't know. The other minor irritation is that the DVD instructions are in Italian, so it meant a bit of juggling around with the DVD control to get the film to play in English. (From the main menu, choose "audio e sottotitoli", then "inglese").But by no means should you allow these glitches to stop you from buying this DVD or enjoying the film. From its optimistic first scenes to its heart-rending finale, this is one Fred-&-Ginger film that deserves to be better known - and better loved.

the picture is ok but the dvd keeps stopping hesitating and starting again and missing out parts of the film not very pleased with it at all .We only discovered this problem this week as we played for the first time as we have been away .All our other dvd s play perfectly in out dvd player very disappointing .Will be contacting the supplier with the problem

I loved it all. The music, fashions, cars, interiors, planes but best of all the magic dancing of Fred and Ginger. Irene Castle's dresses designed for Ginger are stunning and although back in the day are still very now.Unusual for musicals of the time, the story is very believable. Perhaps, because it was written by Irene Castle and not a Broadway/Hollywood team of writers.

I thought there would be more explanation on your original description in your catalogue about English subtitles, nevertheless, still pleased to have a copy of the film.

This was bought as a present for a friend so am not able to comment on her opinion and have not been in touch. However,I saw this film many years ago and thought it was one of their best. I would recommend it if you are an F & G fan