I was really lucky to catch this film when it was being shown, I only missed the first two minutes, had I of known it was the first film starring the famous dancing star couple together I wouldn't have ignored it, thank goodness I spotted it, from director Amrk Sandrich (Top Hat, Shall We Dance). Basically in Brightbourne, Brighton, England arrives Mimi Glossop (Ginger Rogers) from America who seeks a divorce from her geologist husband Cyril (William Austin) who she hasn't seen for several years. Her domineering Aunt Hortense (Alice Brady), who has been married numerous times herself, is there to give her guidance and get bumbling and slightly incompetent lawyer Egbert 'Pinky' Fitzgerald (Edward Everett Horton) to consult them, he also happens to a former fiancé. He tries to get an adulterous relationship started as they spend a night in the hotel he found them, and professional co-respondent Rodolfo Tonetti (Erik Rhodes) is who he has hired to try and make it happen. He forgets though to hire private detectives to "catch them in the act", leaving Mimi free to do whatever she wants, and coincidently she again meets American dancer Guy Holden (Fred Astaire), they met briefly on her arrival. Guy is a friend of Egbert's and is now besotted with Mimi staying in the same hotel, and he is also mistaken as the co-respondent she is meant to be caught with. They are eventually caught by Tonetti who "holds them prisoner" as they wait to clear up the mess, and Cyril also arrives to speak his mind about the situation, but in the end Guy and Mimi escape to dance the night away and live happily ever after. Also starring Eric Blore as The Waiter, Lillian Miles as Singer, Continental Number, Charles Coleman as Guy's Valet and Betty Grable as Dance Specialty. Astaire is lovable and charming, Rogers is beautiful and innocent, and together their scenes are filled with fantastic chemistry, the film is has of course wonderful songs, with the Oscar winning "The Continental", "Night and Day", "Let's K-nock K-nees" and "A Needle In A Haystack", the dialogue is witty and funny which creates most of the best jokes, overall a delightful musical comedy. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Art Direction, Best Music for Max Steiner, Best Sound and Best Picture. Fred Astaire was number 81 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, and he was number 5 on 100 Years, 100 Stars - Men, Ginger Rogers was number 14 on 100 Years, 100 Stars - Women. Very good!
Review of The Gay Divorcee
