Scheidung auf amerikanisch (1934)

Scheidung auf amerikanisch: Directed by Mark Sandrich. With Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Alice Brady, Edward Everett Horton. A woman thinks a flirting man is the co-respondent her lawyer has hired to expedite her divorce.

“Guy Holden, the celebrated stage dance star, is touring Europe on vacation. Mimi Glossop is a rich American living in London and is currently in the throes of a divorce. They meet, they dance, they fall in love.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGinger Rogers was by far the bigger cinema star when RKO Radio teamed her with Fred. She had appeared in 34 films to his 3, and two in the previous year had been smash hits – u0026quot;Golddiggersu0026quot; and u0026quot;42nd Streetu0026quot;. This loose borrowing from Cole Porteru0026#39;s Broadway show contains only one of the masteru0026#39;s songs, the immortal u0026quot;Night And Dayu0026quot;, and only four other songs in the entire movie – Conrad u0026amp; Magidsonu0026#39;s u0026quot;Needle In A Haystacku0026quot; and u0026quot;The Continentalu0026quot;, and Gordon u0026amp; Revelu0026#39;s u0026quot;Donu0026#39;t Let It Bother Youu0026quot; and u0026quot;Letu0026#39;s K-nock K-neesu0026quot; (featuring an 18-year-old Betty Grable, who had herself featured in no less than eight films in the previous year).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAt the depth of the Depression, this sort of film was all the rage – a fantasy of carefree opulence and ease, set in a world of Parisian floorshows, ocean liners and tuxedos. The wit is sharp and the mood flirtatious. What if the film-makers hadnu0026#39;t the first clue about how an English barrister conducts his cases? This is about romance, not professional ethics. What if the terrain of Brighton isnu0026#39;t an igneous intrusion, but in fact a sedimentary accretion? This is about two peopleu0026#39;s sublime dancing, not geology.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFred is as always the quintessence of style, a naturally elegant creature, and Ginger is gorgeous. The plot is very well constructed, containing all the misunderstandings associated with musical farce, but developing them with panache. The denouement is both neat and unexpected. There are plenty of girls dancing in the usual geometric patterns, but there is also abundant creativity in the choreography – the playful steps in u0026quot;The Continentalu0026quot;, for example, or Fredu0026#39;s reluctant dance for his supper. Mimi is trying to resist Guy, and has to be drawn into u0026quot;Night And Dayu0026quot; against her will – an instance of character being expressed through dance. Max Steineru0026#39;s arrangement of this number is glorious, with its u0026#39;tacitu0026#39;, and the swelling fortissimos, and a dainty countermelody in the strings. Ginger sings u0026quot;The Continentalu0026quot; like an angel, nicely ragging the time.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eInconsequential? No doubt. Frothy? Certainly. A joy to watch? Definitely!”