Lets Face the Music and Dance - Follow the Fleet

[blowtorchacurlyfry1]

apparently part of her dress came up and hit him in the face, but they kept the take. I'm guessing it happened at 5:16.

[Bfdidc]

Not much point in a musical without sound.

[YNGR]

If these copyright holders could only GET it--every time young people watch samples like this, some of them say, "Wow, cool--I want to see the whole movie." They then buy or rent the film, or the music they hear in it, and the royalties roll in to the copyright owners. They're cutting off their own noses to spite their faces, as far as I'm concerned.

[Bfdidc]

You are 100% correct.

[verbusen]

I was thinking the same thing! Talk about greedy but killing themselves in the process! Probably coming from Time/Warner (aka Ted Turner), I think they own the film rights. Pisses me off that I didn't try to see this a week ago, oh well.

[vinylseat]

What is it about these 1030's musicals that keep you transfixed to the screen. magic!

[sebreathnach]

Great dancer, but hopeless actor...Yet it hardly takes from the overall effect!

[annalovesfilm]

Wonderful, amazing, impressive...I love them so much:)

[astaire8]

Fred Astaire did his BEST dancing with

Ginger Rogers!

They were simply MAGIC together!

[anshk83]

Just so BEAUTIFul, graceful and elegant

[Zippertheslipper]

Ginger was a babe and that Fred was a suave guy. ;)

[n2i2c2k2y]

Very true. You know the info was it this scene that the sleeve accident happened.

[tuxguys]

Epochal, with or without the socio-economic context. Humans rule!

[AshLuvsJonnyStew]

Haha you can see him trying to back away from the sleeve as it swipes him! This is one of my fave Fred and Ginger movies! He looked so damn cute in his sailor uniform!

[mca1218]

Ironic that it's a self-contained melodrama stage performance only, but it surpasses almost all the other A-R duets in glamor: the Art-Deco rooftop, the Monte Carlo evening dress of all the extras, and of course Rogers' stunning metallic gown, whose heavy sleeves actually strike Astaire's face at exactly 5:17. History dictates that this was the FIRST take of the single-take dance, and no subsequent reshoot was any better, which is why it's remained in the film.

[clocks1989]

this music is so nice for dance ...

[Choefoe]

Robbie Williams sang this as a tribute to Frank Sinatra, Well Sinatra coverd it from Fred Astaire.All the graet songwroters of his time wanted to write for Fred because he was music from his neck till hiss twinkkle toes ;)

[mca1218]

Lucille Ball's short walk, pivot, and turn at 2:05- all in a smokin' lame gown- kicks a--!!

[keleigh97]

This is elegance and grace with drama and romance. It is one of Ginger and Fred's most dramatic and romantic dances. Thanks.

[globehunter2]

Sadly in a world of Rap music and vulgar comedians and shock and horror movies, its

so refreshing to see these two wonderful legends dancing. Sadly we have lost such talent): today we have nothing to compare.

[zhveer]

True - but we still can enjoy the old.

[astaire8]

I LOVE FRED AND GINGER -

Thank you!

[followthefleet]

Probably the greatest filmed ballroom dance of all time....in competition only, with "Waltz in Swing Time" and "Never Gonna Dance". As with so many great works of art, it's all based upon a simple idea... the pull movement...as Fred first "pulls" Ginger, slightly behind tempo...indicating the weight of her depression. He literally pulls her out of her suicidal state of mind....and then she freely dances with him...and they leave the stage together. It doesn't get any better than this.

[Zippertheslipper]

Wow, so elegant they were, i am entranced.

[susislickermouse]

Dance Commentator John Mueller sums up Fred and Ginger as: "Rogers was outstanding among Astaire's partners not because she was superior to others as a dancer but because, as a skilled, intuitive actress, she was cagey enough to realize that acting did not stop when dancing began ... the reason so many women have fantasized about dancing with Fred Astaire is that Ginger Rogers conveyed the impression that dancing with him is the most thrilling experience imaginable."

So True!

susan

[munichlady]

Hi susislickermouse. Thank you for your kind comment. I suppose that I am rather biased as regards dancing. My cousins, Patsy and Michael Hull, are 10 times World Champs in Ballroom Dancing, and my Aunt Peg was the teacher of Pierre DuLaine, who was played by Antonio Banderas in "Take the Lead"!! Now you see why I am hooked on Fred Astaire..OH, to have been his partner. Romance pure on parquet. I´ll bet dancing with him was like being attached to 500 Helium Balloons. !!!!

[rkhobo]

Love this number, love the song, love the dancing...a truly GREAT oldie!

[swissmama2000]

Lush music, incredible dancers...what a treat!!! Timeless elegance, class and beauty!!!

[Zippertheslipper]

The song and video are very stylish I say.

[munichlady]

Women WEARING clothes, who dont wag their bottoms in front of a camera. Men who are real

gentlemen and appreciate the fact that there is a lady present and conduct themselves accordingly. That was romance, that was beautiful, that is what the young girls these days wont ever have.

[susislickermouse]

You are so right...Exactly munichlady! I feel somewhat sad for these young ladies today...They will never have the joy of imagining whirling about the floor with such as Fred Astaire. The way he STILL haunts my dreams. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Darned if even I was born about 50 yrs too late... :(

susan

[jimbo161921]

top hat, top class

[carabinier68]

somehow the lyricists of the 1930s were able to capture the deepest human feelings in the simplest lyrics.

[suremate]

Max Steiner deserves a lot of credit for the success of this number. The music is just so dramatic.

[tifo316]

wow lucille ball as a platnim blonde

[Debby99999]

tifo316 : That's not Lucille Ball but Ginger Rogers

[tifo316]

i know ginger was dancing with fred but lucille ball is an extra in the scene

[tifo316]

shes the one with her hand on freds shoulder at 0:31

[astaire8]

Fabulous! What more can I say - The one and

only Fred and Ginger, WOW!

[howardyearone]

Beautiful, just beautiful. Art deco set, art deco gown, and even music that could described as art deco.

Oh, and nice pins Ginger!

[n2i2c2k2y]

how would i get the instrumental and sheet music to this tune !

[YNGR]

There seem to be some websites whence you can download and print sheet music. This music is by Irving Berlin, so type his name and the song title in Google and see if you find some of those.

[n2i2c2k2y]

tryed both, cant seem to find the sheet music its frustrating !

[astaire8]

This is excellent - they were the very best!

[Sices1]

Actually, the beaded dress in this dance was a sort of copper color. I saw it on display at the L.A. County Museum of Art about 30 years ago. I believe it was her famous "feather" dress back in their "Cheek to Cheek" routine in "Top Hat" that was light blue.

[ladyknine]

thats why i love you guys with all these snipets of info,thanks for that,what a beautiful time in life,clothes,cars men,women,where fab,

[bjp2969]

In her autobiography Ginger described the heavily beaded dress as blue. There was a takeoff of this number where the girl, I don't remember who, did wear a gold colored beaded gown. The "feathers" dress was a very pale blue.

[lucyfan1186]

you know the girl in the blonde next to astaire pointing to the table is Lucille Ball

[etwalsh]

I remember that my Mom went through her Ginger Rogers period just about 5 years before she entered her Lucille Ball period.

[paul51]

This is so frickin entertaining. Class Act.

[Zippertheslipper]

Every time I watch this video it feels so enchanting, so unreal, they matched so elegantly.

[Vampiratess]

Oh i love Ginger and Fred <3

[xBarbedWireHeartx]

A remake wouldn't be near as good as this is i'm afraid. ;)

[Juliaflo]

Who could star in a remake of a classic like this?

[KarmaKid86LVP]

i first heard this when i was about 5, 15 years later i find youtube.

[chislehurstbat]

Magical.

[stonebridgeboy86]

Nice, I enjoyed watching that and I'm only 22.

[Zippertheslipper]

Somebody should do a remake of this classic on film and in music.

[subwaysleuth]

If people asked for them (by asking for Hollywood to create musicals again, instead of letting them decide we want to watch violence), they would give them to us. The musical was just abandoned by the public in the 1960s. So we haven't had it much for a long time, on the Silver Screen.

-Sylvester, Times Square

[rivington]

There are actually 3 performers in this wonderful dance sequence - Ginger, Fred and Ginger's one of a kind translucent dress. Watch the early steps in this sad-joyous number as the dress completes multiple swirls in perfect rhythm while Ginger and Fred wait - 6:12 - 6:27.

[GretaLaughs]

I noticed it imediatly! It's wonderful.

And I may be wrong, but that dress looks positively heavy!

WONDERFUL! I just wanted to know what's that dress' colour...

[rivington]

In her 1991 autobiography Ginger confessed that the 25 pound beaded dress was so heavy it threatened to knock her off balance throughout the number. If you watch very closely, at 5:15 you can see the famous moment where the weighted sleeve catches Astaire in the face. But the rest of their performance in this take was so perfect that they decided to leave it in the film. (Ginger's hot, hot dress, designed by Bernard Newman, was a pale blue.)

[GretaLaughs]

Now, that's heavy! And I used to dance, so I know it WOULD have knocked me off balance if I was dancing with it unless I'd been rehearsing with it for sometime.

Oh, a pale blue... must have been lovely!

Thank you so much for all the information!

Hugs!

[rivington]

You're welcome Greta - and hey, that's my first youtube hug - thanks!

Could you tell us what kind of dancing you did - might we have seen you perform?

[GretaLaughs]

Oh, you're welcome! I'm a hug waiting to happen, so whenever you need one I'm here!

I doubt you've ever seen me. I'm not famous or anything. Just a dance/music lover.

Quite young (mid 20s) I did a bit of everything. Ballet, tap, ballroom...

Just a hyperactive girl! heehee

[BernardProfitendieu]

I had watched it twice and couldn't find the moment until you pinpointed it - thanks! was just barely perceptible (but Fred's grimace gives it away!!)  LOL

[saltybroad]

hard to see here, but the woman in white at 2:07 is actually lucille ball.

[bigred997]

she's in there at least a couple of times. once she walks away from the crap table, the second time she comes back with a man.

[thesundress]

Wonderful song and I completely agree with the person before me.

[samgracesmom]

This is one of my favorite Fred and Ginger dances. There is just something so incredibly sexy about it, especially the finish. *sigh*

[Zippertheslipper]

Fred and Ginger are tops and they did swell together, peace to them forever. ;)

[lilypondlane]

A magnificent dance! Fred and Ginger are perfect dancers and the embodiment of the Art Deco age. Ginger's feminine elegance is breathtaking. Fred's impeccable technique is

graceful, but masculine. Just look how he takes command when he grabs her around the waist and executes those quick turns. The whole dance is pure romance.

[mithol]

Follow the Fleet is an underrated Fred and Ginger movie. This song and dance number is very famous but it has nothing to do with the rest of the movie, and it is such an adorable movies. It's almost never mentioned in abridged lists of Astaire/Rogers movies.

[ekeebatang]

Possibly the best dance ever danced.

[ekeebatang]

Finally, proof that Fred really was the greatest dancer who ever lived, and this was probably his best dance, making one of the best dances in th history of human civilisation.

[sammyb334]

you can really tell how heavy the dress is at 6:49. she hardly has time to get back her momentum to cross her legs in the other direction.

[LadyMordred2030]

Absolutely magnificent. No one equals them.

You can see Fred pulling his head back to avoid

getting smacked with her 35 pound sleeve.

No one mentioned it....but the blond in the

beginning scene is a young Lucille Ball....

with Desi she went on to buy the studio

which became known as Desilu.....FYI

[LadyMordred2030]

oops...the whole dress was 35 pounds.....I think

the sleeve was about 5 pounds......

[moviegirly88]

So I pretty much love Fred even more after watching this and learning that he gets hit in the face. You can't even see him flinch! He is sooo cool! I love him!

[mithol]

I can't get over him! (I hope I never do) ;) He's amazingly brilliant. xD

[moviegirly88]

Yep I know what you mean! Aren't we lucky to have discovered such an incredible man! :]

[mithol]

Pity we were born too late. :(

[moviegirly88]

True True! :(

[ekeebatang]

I want the 20th century back!

[mithol]

I enjoy the technology of the 21st Century. But I miss the talent and the entertainment of the 20th. :'(

[flyagaric101]

Thanks!!!

[LunasAzules]

thanks for posting i love this scene!

[VelveteenRose]

Thank you for posting this - made me think of my lovely mum playing me her 78s when I was a kid in Bristol.

[mithol]

wtf?

[globehunter2]

Beauty..Grace..and total Harmony! they made

a perfect dance pare Ginger and Fred Astair.

Thankyou

[DakicaAshe]

could you post "Let Yourself Go" from the beginning of the movie? Thank you!!!

[mithol]

I didn't see her sleeve hit him in the face. Unless... was it around 7:23?

[crocostimpy]

My guess is at about 5:15...

[mithol]

Really? But at 5:15 it looked more like her cuff came off. But she didn't hit him in the face, did she?

[crocostimpy]

Watch the three spins she does after she ditches the cuff...probably at 5:16

[mithol]

Yes. Maybe. I reckon she hit him at 5:15 as well.

[mithol]

And at 7:23

[unbrokendream]

Such a beautiful dance

[theslumsofsoftfocus]

I love this dance. It's my third favorite of their dances, after Smoke Gets In Your Eye from Roberta and Never Gonna Dance from Swing Time.

[Teach417]

Thank you so much for posting this, it's one of my very favorite Fred and Ginger dances. That little move at the end, leaning back as they go offstage, just kills me every time I watch it.

[garyopenhill]

amazing