1930s dance - Fred and Ginger

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers - only speak those five words and you have captured the essence of nostalgia for the Thirties.  Grace, style, panache, flair, wit all combined with breath-taking dance-technique and wildly inventive choreography.

Fred and Ginger were first united on-screen in 1933's Flying Down to Rio. (As the poster makes clear, the star name was Dolores del Rio). We could walk you through the plot but, let's face it, the plot doesn't really matter. What matters is this: 

That, incidentally, is the couple's first on-screen dance.

The pairing really took flight in their next film, The Gay Divorcee.  As the poster reveals, this time Fred and Ginger have top billing. Why? You, know why... Incidentally, notes on an early audition for Mr Astaire read: 'Can't sing, can't act. Balding. Can dance, a little.'  Judge for yourself:

Probably the one film everybody thinks of when the names Astaire and Rogers are mentioned is the 1935 screwball comedy musical Top Hat.

This 1930s classic no doubt deserves a page all to itself. Just let us know and we'll see what we can do... For now, how else could we finish but with Fred and Ginger where we best loved them - Cheek to Cheek:

(The Spanish lesson comes free of charge.)

We should not, of course, ignore the key role of Irving Berlin's wonderful music, nor the immense orchestration carried out by a team under the leadership of Max Steiner.