Follow the Fleet ***** (1936, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott, Harriet Hilliard, Russell Hicks, Astrid Allwyn) – Classic Movie Review 2954

Director Mark Sandrich’s magical 1936 musical is the fifth movie of the much-loved ten film dancing partnership of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Astaire and Randolph Scott play singin’ and dancin’ sailors who have eyes for singer siblings Rogers and Harriet Hilliard in this enchanting reworking of Richard Barthelmess’s silent comedy movie Shore Leave, from an old stage play.

Based on the play Shore Leave by Hubert Osborne and Allan Scott, the story by Dwight Taylor is inconsequential and slows the fun down. But Fred and Ginger are at their magical best, as are Irving Berlin’s songs, and there are seven of them, including ‘Let’s Face the Music and Dance’, ‘Let Yourself Go’, ‘Eggs in One Basket’ and ‘We Saw the Sea’.

This is the feature film debut of natural blonde Harriet Hilliard, who wears a brunette wig not to distract attention from blonde star Rogers, who ironically was naturally dark-haired! Future stars Lucille Ball and Betty Grable are in there somewhere. Also in the cast are Russell Hicks, Astrid Allwyn, Harry Beresford, Tony Martin, Brooks Benedict, Ray Meyer, Maxine Jennings, Jane Hamilton, Kay Sutton and Doris Lloyd.

Astaire accidentally hit Scott on the nose in their fight scene, making it bleed, and Rogers returns the compliment, hitting Astaire in the face with her beaded sleeve in the final dance number. There were 23 retakes of this, but they still used the original one.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2954

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