I recently watched a TV show that featured Ginger Rogers as a guest star, and so I was in the mood to feature one of her most famous films here. 1935's "Top Hat", starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, is considered the best of the duo's films. It also features their most iconic dance sequence. The film's supporting cast includes Edward Everett Horton, Erik Rhodes, Eric Blore, Helen Broderick, and Lucille Ball.
In London, dancer Jerry Travers is visiting his friend and show producer Horace Hardwick at his hotel. He begins to dance a rather strenuous routine around the room.
Unbeknownst to him, model Dale Tremont is asleep on the floor beneath him. She hears also this tapping, stamping, and clanging above her and wonders what is going on.
She throws on a robe, rushes upstairs, and opens the door to find Jerry dancing with a statue that has nearly toppled over. He sees her and puts the statue back on its pedestal, a bit embarrassed.
Dale tells Jerry that she wants to get some sleep. He's bedazzled by her. He promises to be quiet.
He empties an ashtray on the floor of Horace's hotel room and does some soft shoe steps as the "Sandman" to put Dale to sleep. Soon, she does fall asleep. Jerry puts Horace to sleep, too. And he does such a good job of it, that he falls asleep after finishing his dance.
The next morning, Jerry sends Dale all the flowers in the hotel flower shop, but he charges them to his friend Horace Hardwick. The hotel shop workers (one of whom is Lucille Ball in an uncredited appearance) talk about Dale. She is currently working with an Italian designer, Alberto Beddini, "who takes care of all her niceties. And her niceties are very nice."
Jerry arranges to be a cab driver who takes Dale to the stables. Jerry knows who Dale is, but she doesn't know his identity. Dale is a little bit annoyed at Jerry's persistence. "What is this strange power you have over horses?," she asks him. He smiles and says, "Horsepower."
Jerry eventually wears down Dale's defenses and the two spend a pleasant afternoon together despite a heavy downpour. The two dance under a gazebo after Jerry sings "Isn't This A Lovely Day?".
Back at the hotel, Dale is reminded by Alberto Beddini that they are due to go and visit Italy so that she can show off his latest clothes designs. She refuses. "Never again will I allow women to wear my dresses!" he exclaims as he storms off.
He comes back and reads her a telegram from her friend Madge Hardwick who is waiting for them in Italy. The telegram mentions that Madge's husband Horace is staying at Dale's hotel and she should look him up.
When Dale asks the hotel concierge about Horace, she's mistakenly directed to Jerry Travers. She's upset that she's fallen in love with a married man, and even more upset that he's gone along with it.
She confronts "Horace" and gives him a piece of her mind before slapping his face and storming off.
In her room with Alberto, Dale makes the decision that Madge needs to be told of "Horace's" behavior and decides to go to her in Venice.
Horace gets also gets a telegram from Madge that says she wants him to come and meet Miss Dale Tremont. Jerry gets excited. He finishes his show for the night, where he sings "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails", and he and Horace hurry to charter a plane for Venice.
In Venice, Madge is having a hard time believing the story that Dale is telling her. She doesn't think Horace is capable of falling in love and behaving like a schoolboy with Dale. She passes it off as innocent flirting. Dale is shocked that Madge isn't more offended at "Horace's" behavior.
Dale later gets Madge's permission to scare "Horace" so that he'll never even want to look at another woman.
Madge bumps into the real Horace who doesn't seem to know what Madge is talking about when she questions him about his flirting.
Jerry gets a call from Dale who wants to come up and see him/Horace. Horace, who is in the tub, keeps asking Jerry if he knows her. He even suggests that maybe they might've met in Paris. Jerry says he hasn't been in Paris since he was ten years old. Horace says he doesn't think Jerry should be alone with Dale, because she may be dangerous. "Well, I don't think it would be quite proper for you to receive her that way," he laughs as he closes the door, leaving Horace to finish his bath.
Dale comes in and pretends that she and "Horace" have known each other a long time, and that they used to be a hot and heavy item. She asks him to remember the house they shared and the good times they had in Paris. At first confused, now Jerry knows Dale is playing games with him once she mentions Paris, a place he hasn't been since he was ten.
He turns the tables on her and tells her that she's gained quite a bit of weight since they met. Exasperated at her idea not working, Dale leaves the room and dresses for dinner.
She tells Madge all about her encounter with "Horace". Madge isn't worried in the slightest, which puzzles Dale. When "Horace" asks her to dance later, Dale agrees, thinking that if Madge doesn't mind, why should she?
What follows is the most beautiful and iconic Astaire/Rogers dance ever. The two move effortlessly and gracefully through "Dancing Cheek to Cheek". (I'll take this moment to point out Ginger Rogers' dress, which had a lot of feathers on it. Throughout the dance, you can see the feathers come off of the dress and fly around the couple as they move swiftly around the room.)
By the end of the dance, Dale is hopelessly in love with "Horace".
Dale doesn't want to be in love with a married man, and even feels guilty when talking to Madge.
Alberto Beddini comes to Dale and tells her that he loves her. He wants to marry her. Seeing this as a way to stop "Horace's" advances, she agrees on the condition that they get married immediately. They quickly find someone to marry them.
In the honeymoon suite, just as they are getting ready to retire, Alberto and Dale can hear the sounds of tap dancing coming from the room above them. Dale knows exactly who it is. She goes to confront Jerry.
They take a gondola ride through the canals, where Jerry tells Dale the whole truth and how she's mistaken him for Horace all along.
A jealous Alberto gets Madge and Horace to help him chase Jerry and Dale. They get lost in some fog and end up in some open water, where their engine dies. "Perhaps, I'd better look at the engine. Where is it?" asks Horace. Madge very dryly says, "They may've hidden it up there under the hood."
Jerry and Dale watch a new dance being unveiled at the hotel. It's called "The Piccolino". After watching for a while, the two even get to partake in the dance.
It's a very catchy tune, too. "By the Adriatic waters, Venetian sons and daughters are strumming a new tune upon their guitars..."
All the misunderstandings are cleared up when Horace, Madge, and Alberto return. Even Dale and Alberto's marriage is cleared up. They were married by Horace's valet, who, not wanting to be recognized, turned around his collar and looked like a clergyman.
An overjoyed Jerry and Dale get together and dance "The Piccolino" as the film ends. Cast rundown:
Fred Astaire..................................Jerry Travers
Edward Everett Horton...................Horace Hardwick
Erik Rhodes..................................Alberto Beddini
Eric Blore......................................Bates
Helen Broderick.............................Madge Hardwick
Lucille Ball.....................................Flower Clerk And that's it for Top Hat. The Venice set was, at the time, the largest set built on the RKO lot, requiring two adjoining sound stages. The set was decorated in candy cane colors and the water was dyed black. Apparently, Ginger Rogers had to have several changes of shoes during this film. The dancing was so strenuous that her shoes were often filled with blood. The dress that Ginger Rogers wore during "The Piccolino" scene is on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. As always, if you wish to leave a comment, please remember our posting rules.
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