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Roberta VHS Cover
ROBERTA
" A Musical Fashion Show with a bevy of beauties "

-- Synopsis: Football player John Kent (Randolph "swell" Scott) who travels to Paris to visit with his rich dressmaker Aunt Minnie (Helen Westley) and is accompanied by his friend, Huckleberry "Hunk" Haines (Fred Astaire) who is the bandleader for the Wabash Indianians Jazz Band. John meets Stephanie (Irene Dunne) a deposed Russian Princess and all goes fine until the phony Russian Countess Scharwenka (Ginger Rogers) shows up with an attitude about the clothes that she must wear but is actually recognized by Hunk as his old girlfriend from back home. The Aunt suddenly dies and leaves her fortune to John and things really get going. This film was nominated for an Oscar.

* This is not the typical Astaire-Rogers film as it centers mostly on displaying the latest fashions from Paris than on dance numbers however the ones they do are very good. Astaire and Rogers do a comedy dance routine to "I'll Be Hard to Handle," and later a duet / dance to "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and the finale "I Won't Dance". Astaire also did a solo to "I Won't Dance" as he Tap dances and shakes hands with some of the observers in the audience earlier in the film. This film was remade by M.G.M. in 1952 as LOVELY TO LOOK AT starring Kathryn Grayson, Red Skelton and Howard Keel.

 

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More Film Information below
Date: Language: Availability:
1935 English [DVD] [VHS]
Studio: Format: Genre: 
R.K.O. Black and White Musical / Comedy / Romance
Runtime: Country Made: Director:
106 minutes USA William A. Seiter
Featured Dancer  Featured Dance Films Dance Rating
Fred and Ginger Tap Dance Very Good
 
Known Dancers Choreographers Actors / Actresses
Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (Choreographer) Adrian Rosley (Professor)
Ginger Rogers Max Steiner   (Musical Dir.) Bodil Rosing (Maid)
  Hermes Pan (Ensembles) Claire Dodd (Sophie Teale)
    Ferdinand Munier (Lord Delves)
    Fred Astaire (Huckleberry Haines)
    Ginger Rogers (Countess Scharwenka)
    Helen Westley (Roberta/Aunt Minnie)
    Irene Dunne (Stephanie)
    Lucille Ball (Model)
    Luis Alberni (Alexander Voyda)
    Lynne Carver (Virginia Reid)
    Randolph Scott (John Kent)
    Sam Savitsky (Cossack)
    Torben Meyer (Albert)
    Victor Varconi (Prince Ladislaw)
 
Dances performed in this Film  Films special dance interest
Ballroom n/a Fred and Ginger
Tap Dance    
     
 
Music Titles in Film Bands / Musicians / Singers Sheet Music Covers
Back Home in Indiana Candy Candido n/a
I Won't Dance Fred Astaire  
I'll Be Hard to Handle Ginger Rogers  
Let's Begin Irene Dunne  
Lovely to Look At    
Opening Night    
Russian Folk Song    
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes    
Song of Russia    
The Touch of Your Hand    
Yesterdays    
You're Devastating    
 
Similar Films Stage versions of the film Cast Recordings / Soundtracks 
Barkleys of Broadway (F&G) 1933 - Roberta $ 1952 Cast Recording
Carefree (F&G) 1952 - Roberta  
Dancing Lady (w/ Crawford)    
Damsel In Disress (w/ Fontaine)    
Dancing Lady (F&G)    
Flying Down To Rio (F&G)    
Follow the Fleet (F&G)    
Lovely To Look At    
Shall We Dance (F&G)    
Story of Vernon & Irene Castle    
Swingtime (F&G)    
Top Hat (F&G)    
 
Books Available on this film ...
Title Author Date Publisher
Gowns by Roberta Alice Duer Miller n/a Dodd, Mead & Co
November 21, 2005 You are at: http://www.Streetswing.com/films/... Email: Streetswing.com
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