Review of Roberta (1935) by Chris G — 18 Jan 2010

Interesting exercise in ensemble: though the film is clearly an Astaire-Rogers vehicle, the presence of a second romantic couple in Scott and Dunne provides that old comedy-tragedy counterpoint, Astaire and Rogers reprising their comic coupling from Flying Down to Rio.

Dunne sings beautifully and hauntingly, especially in Smoke Gets in Your Eye. Rogers' faux French accent is funny enough, though it gets irritating at times. She and Astaire recapture their lighthearted playfulness from Rio, especially in their prelude to the Hard to Handle dance duet where mutual teasing leads to one of their most fun of fun duets.

By contrast, their romantic dance duet to a reprise of Smoke Gets in Your Eye is one of their more haunting performances, compounded by Rogers' beautifully simple but lush black dress. The gowns throughout the film, and especially those featured in the fashion show, are quite something to ogle at and provide an interesting case of how trends change over the years; I found myself questioning some of the styling choices, but it was after all the thirties.

Overall, an interesting departure from the Astaire-Rogers formula where Astaire must pursue Rogers at length before romance blossoms - indeed, their romance in Roberta is the cycle's easiest, happening rather instantaneously and almost without incident - but nonetheless enjoyable on its own merits.