Top Hat
Director: Mark Sandrich
Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Hooper, Eric Blore, Helen Broderick
1935
When it comes to the classic Fred and Ginger musicals, they range from good to sublime. They all share similar ingredients, but out of all of them Top Hat makes the most out of the raw materials to produce the most scrumptious soufflé of a film.
The plot, such as it is, centers around a case of mistaken identity. Jerry Travers (Astaire) meets Dale Tremont (Rogers) and they fall for each other. Things get complicated, however, when Miss Tremont is lead to believe that Jerry is actually Horace Hardwick (Hooper), who is married to one of her dearest friends (Broderick). Thinking that her friend’s husband has been hitting on her all this time, she is disgruntled and upset, and therein lies the conflict that is, of course, ultimately resolved.
One does not watch a Fred and Ginger movie for the plot. It is typically the least interesting thing about the film. Instead, it’s everything else you could think of that makes it worth watching. The music, the set, the costumes, the supporting players, the dancing… these make the films special, and make Top Hat almost perfect.
