As the host of the podcast Every Rom Com, I’ve always taken the “every” part seriously. While some people prefer to draw strict lines around the genre, I’m always delighted to find romantic comedy structures and tropes in unexpected places. Whether a rom-com is hiding out in a zombie movie, riding along with a group of storm chasers, or stowing away in a spaceship in a galaxy far, far away, I’m always glad when rom-com elements appear in other genres.
That said, it’s never been too hard to find rom-com structures and tropes in the genre of movie musicals. Growing up, most of my favorites, from Singing in the Rain to The Sound of Music, featured strong romantic storylines and swoon-worthy scenes. But it wasn’t until I began working on a “Musicals” series for our podcast that I discovered a rich vein of romantic comedy gold in the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
Most of the Astaire/Rogers musicals are just romantic comedies set to song and dance, and they contain some of the most beautiful love scenes, funniest characters, and tropey-est tropes in rom-com history. In watching these films we can see how romantic comedy stories have changed with the times, and we can also enjoy the all-too-rare treat of romance being taken seriously by men, complete with heartfelt declarations, gorgeous costumes, and elaborate sets! If you yearn for a pre-Apatow age of men in rom-coms, Fred Astaire’s got you covered!
These films do not, sadly, offer much (if any) representation for BIPOC audiences. Two of the movies also warrant content warnings. While it is often cited as “the best” of the Astaire/Rogers films, Swing Time also contains the only blackface performance of Fred Astaire’s career. And Carefree contains an instance of a white male character impersonating an Asian woman over the phone. All the movies contain instances of misogyny, but nothing that seems out of place with the social norms of the 1930’s. It’s also worth noting that Ginger Rogers nearly always portrays the type of assertive, independent woman that she was in real life.
These faults aside, there is much to enjoy in the Astaire/Rogers musical rom-coms, from their unapologetic celebration of love and romance, to their quick wit and hilarious supporting players, to the rapturous dance numbers which stand in for love scenes. With that said, let’s dig in!
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Films - The Basics
For those not yet in the know, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were a famous acting, dancing, and singing duo who appeared in 10 musicals together, most of them released by RKO in the 1930’s. Their first appearance together was in the 1933 musical Flying Down To Rio in which they played supporting characters who nearly stole the show. Astaire and Rogers had both been performing separately since their childhoods, in vaudeville and eventually on Broadway, before transitioning to the big screen. Rogers had appeared in more movies than Astaire by 1933, including in several Busby Berkeley musical spectacles. As an aside, it’s totally worth your time to watch Rogers’ trippy Pig Latin version of We’re in the Money in Berkeley’s film Gold Diggers of 1933 (check out this clip of Rogers in Gold Diggers of 1933 - the Pig Latin begins at around 1:38).
Though the Astaire/Rogers movies are primarily discussed as musicals, they are also routinely and properly labeled on IMDB under “romance” and “comedy”, and Arlene Croce author of The Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers Book calls the plots of these films “a very simple but very specialized form of love story.”
The films are also extraordinary musicals, however. Fred Astaire is acknowledged as one of the greatest dancers in film history, and Ginger Rogers is widely considered to be his greatest partner. These films also introduced some of the most popular songs in American history, including Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off and The Way You Look Tonight, standards you may recognize from the modern rom-coms When Harry Met Sally and My Best Friend’s Wedding. Astaire and Rogers are already considered vitally important to the genre of musicals; I hope I can convince you that they are also important to the romantic comedy.
I won’t be discussing all of the Astaire/Rogers films here. As mentioned, they were only supporting characters in Flying Down To Rio. Their follow-up film Roberta is an adaptation, and they are co-leads with another couple. They’re also co-leads in Follow the Fleet, though I highly recommend checking out that film for its playful musical numbers and nautical costuming. Finally, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is a biopic, and in The Barkleys of Broadway the couple are already married, so I’ll limit my discussion here to 5 films: The Gay Divorcee (1934), Top Hat (1935), Swing Time (1936), Shall We Dance (1937), and Carefree (1938). If you end up wanting to know even more about Top Hat, in particular, we cover that film in-depth on Episode 58 of Every Rom Com!
Romantic Comedy Structure in Astaire/Rogers Films
The structure of the romantic comedy was set long before the age of cinema, in the plays of Shakespeare and others, and in novels, especially the novels of Jane Austen. Romantic comedy movies were also more abundant than some people realize in early Hollywood, including in the silent era. Some of the most well-regarded silent films, including Buster Keaton’s The Cameraman and Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights are romantic comedies, as are some lesser-known gems like It starring Clara Bow. The 1930’s, of course, also featured non-musical movies that inspired the modern romantic comedy genre, including It Happened One Night (1934), the Katherine Hepburn/Cary Grant double-dose of Bringing Up Baby and Holiday in 1938, and many more classics starring top actors of the time. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers did not introduce these stories and tropes in early Hollywood, but they did help to popularize them, since as a duo they were one of the biggest office draws of the 1930’s.
Most of the Astaire/Rogers films include the following recognizable rom-com story points. There’s the introduction to our lead character and their single life; there’s the meet-cute;, there’s usually love at first sight. After being struck by love, Astaire’s character begins a dogged pursuit of Rogers’ character, which is often met with initial disinterest on Rogers’ part. At some point there’s an initial spark, usually expressed through dance, then the couple are struck down by obstacles and misunderstandings. Generally, those obstacles are briefly overcome with a type of symbolic consummation in the movie’s most romantic musical number. But the couple are then beset by more misunderstandings or difficulties, leading up to the final resolution of the plot, which often includes a lavish music and dance number.
In the five Astaire/Rogers movies under discussion, Astaire’s character is always introduced first. This differs from most modern romantic comedies, which generally center the woman. On the plus side, centering Astaire’s character demonstrates that love and romance are important to men, and that audiences in the 1930’s felt that romance was a serious enough topic to to be taken on by the greatest male performers. This hearkens back to Shakespeare’s time, when even plays with prominent female characters, such as Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, and As You Like It generally began with speeches by male characters. And, of course, in Shakespeare’s time, men were playing all the women characters anyway!
The disadvantage of centering Astaire’s character, of course, is that Ginger Rogers was considered a less prominent part of the film, and in the early days of their partnership she was often paid less than even some of the supporting actors in their movies. Centering the male perspective also encourages the audience to identify with Astaire’s character, even when his behavior is annoying or even harassing.
Because early musicals generally didn’t allow for ordinary characters to transcend reality by breaking out in song and dance, Astaire and Rogers’ characters were nearly always some type of performer. After Astaire’s character was established, Rogers quickly entered the film too, since any plot beyond romance in these films tended to be just a paper-thin excuse to bring the couple together.
Each Astaire/Rogers movie has a memorable and often creative “meet-cute.” In most of the movies it might be more aptly called a “meet-annoy”, since Astaire’s character often does something to upset Rogers, whether it’s ripping her dress, or even accidentally getting her fired from her job!
Top Hat might be the best and most memorable of these meet-cutes. In Top Hat, Astaire is tap-dancing late at night in a hotel room above Rogers’ room. The camera pans down from Astaire dancing, to Rogers waking from her slumber in a luxurious satiny bed. Elegant even in her annoyance, Rogers wraps a stylish robe around her nightgown and goes upstairs to confront Astaire. Seeing Rogers, Astaire immediately falls in love, and uses her visit as an opportunity to flirt with her. Rogers brushes off his seduction attempts with witty comebacks and returns to her bed. Then in a bizarre but somehow charming move, Astaire empties sand from an ashcan onto the floor of his hotel room, and performs a shuffling “sandman” dance to send Rogers to sleep. Despite her initial exasperation, Rogers falls back to sleep with a blissful smile on her face.
Having met Rogers and usually having fallen in love at first sight, Astaire’s character now begins his pursuit. This aspect of the Astaire/Rogers movies may be the most jarring to contemporary audiences, as some of his behavior in these movies would be regarded as sexual harassment or even stalking by today’s standards. All I can say is that when you’ve watched a number of these films in a row, Astaire’s character begins to seem less threatening, as if he’s just a person Rogers’ character temporarily forgot she was in love with. Perhaps this isn’t a healthy response, but it does allow you to enjoy the movies! It’s also important to note that whether Astaire is pursuing Rogers’ character in a car on a country road, taking the place of her horse-drawn carriage driver, or merely showing up at her hotel room because he saw her in a flipbook, Rogers is always portrayed as a strong woman who can hold her ground and establish her boundaries. And in Carefree, for a change, Rogers is the one pursuing Astaire!
The pursuit in an Astaire/Rogers film usually leads to an initial dance or song. While in a modern romantic comedy sparks might first fly during a first date, a deep conversation, or while working towards a shared goal, in Astaire/Rogers movies it is this first song or dance as a couple that marks the real beginning of their romance. The lyrics of the song will generally amount to a confession of Astaire’s feelings. In Shall We Dance Astaire sings: “I”ve got beginner’s luck/The first time that I’m in love, I’m in love with you/Gosh I’m lucky.”
In Top Hat, Astaire pursues Rogers to a gazebo on a rainy day where he sings and they dance to the song “Isn’t This A Lovely Day To Be Caught in the Rain”. This dance captures Rogers’ initial dislike for Astaire; she begins to dance next to him only to prove that she can dance as well as he can. Then, as she begins to enjoy matching his steps, she finally lets him whirl her away into a couples dance. During the dance you can feel their chemistry building, and so in one scene they go from enemies (at least on one side) to potential lovers.
To a modern audience the idea that you might fall in love over the course of one dance might seem unsophisticated or naive. This marks a major difference between early and modern rom-coms. Romantic comedies in the modern age are often concerned with psychological realism. Characters will come together (or not) because of their personality traits, neuroses, or tragic events in their past. When this is presented well, with strong characterization and subtle dialogue, it can create a deeper and more compelling love story. On the other hand, even the lightest of modern rom-coms can sometimes get too bogged down in obligatory psychobabble. Recently I watched French Kiss for the first time and I wondered why I needed to hear Meg Ryan diagnose Kevin Kline as being afraid of commitment, or Kline discussing Ryan’s fear of flying. Couldn’t they just hang out in the French countryside, be attractive, and have that be reason enough to fall in love? In an Astaire/Rogers movie, they definitely could!
Again, when modern rom-coms handle the psychology of courtship deftly they can often be just as compelling, if not more, than the Astaire/Rogers movies. But in comparison to some of the less skillful dialogue, generic backstories, or silly slapstick that forms the lead-up to love in many modern movies, the Astaire/Rogers model of dancing your way into romance can feel sophisticated and refreshing!
Of course, no romantic comedy is complete without some complications, and into every Astaire/Rogers movie misunderstandings and obstacles must fall. In The Gay Divorcee Rogers is already married and trying to get a divorce from a neglectful husband. In Swing Time, Astaire is engaged to a woman he no longer wants to marry after falling for Rogers. In Top Hat, it’s mistaken identity, as Rogers becomes convinced that Astaire is her best friend’s husband. These misunderstandings generally involve participation from a hilarious supporting cast. Top Hat is my favorite of the Astaire/Rogers movies, if only because the supporting cast of Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, Erik Rhodes, and Helen Broderick make the comic scenes just as entertaining as the musical or romantic interludes.
Astaire and Rogers in “Follow the Fleet” (1936) in an elegant, romantic dance.
Many of the Astaire/Rogers movies also feature a second romantic couples dance before the finale. This is often the most romantic number in the movie, usually set at night, with Rogers in a beautiful gown, and featuring songs like Cole Porter’s “Night and Day” or Irving Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek.” This scene often seems to take the place of what might be a fade-out to a first sexual encounter in a pre-Code movie, or an actual sex scene in many contemporary rom-coms. In The Gay Divorcee the chemistry between Astaire and Rogers is so intense that Rogers ends the dance by practically swooning back onto a bench, in a seeming state of bliss, at which point Astaire offers her a cigarette.
This consummation of love is temporary, however, as either the existing complications or new complications must be resolved. In several of the movies, the new complication leads Rogers into the arms of another man, and Astaire must find a way to stop the wedding, certainly familiar terrain for the modern rom-com audience!
Finally, in each movie, misunderstandings and complications are resolved, and whether as part of the resolution or after the resolution, there is a final dance scene, which usually involves many extra dancers, and often includes a large crowd watching the dance. Some of these numbers seem to be a holdover from earlier musical films which included musical numbers as much for spectacle as they did for story.
But in another sense, the grandeur of these numbers brings to mind the end of a Shakespeare comedy, which often saw all or most of the cast assembled to celebrate a wedding and tie up all the loose ends of the plot. At the end of some Astaire/Rogers movies it’s directly stated that their characters are now going to marry; in others it’s merely implied. But in all of the movies these large dance numbers seem to serve as a type of substitute for a wedding ceremony, bringing together the community to witness their union in the dance.
We can still see this form of plot resolution in many modern rom-coms. When contemporary romantic comedies don’t end in actual weddings, they will often end in large celebrations, such as prom nights, New Year’s parties, or large family gatherings. Whatever the specific case, happy endings in romantic comedies are often celebrated by the whole community, and the Astaire/Rogers movie dance spectacles are just one variation on the theme!
Familiar Tropes in Astaire/Rogers Movies
In addition to sharing a story structure with the modern romantic comedy, Astaire/Rogers movies also contain familiar tropes!
One obvious initial trope is the rom-com character as an aspirational figure, rather than a believable human being. For example, a modern romantic comedy character might be a magazine writer living in a large Manhattan apartment, a doctor who never seems to be on call, or a middle-aged woman who can afford to renovate an Italian villa. Astaire/Rogers characters are similarly equipped with performing jobs that never seem to require rehearsals, and unlimited budgets to rent luxury hotel rooms, engage in foreign travel at a moment’s notice, and wear the finest clothes.
Speaking of “the finest clothes”, while I don’t recall an Astaire/Rogers movie with a makeover or shopping scene, costuming plays a significant role in the Astaire/Rogers movies, serving not just as one beautiful element in a scene, but also as a symbol used in storytelling. The number “Cheek to Cheek” from Top Hat would be gorgeous regardless of Rogers’ dress, but without the flowing, feathered dress that she helped design, it might not have become one of the most iconic dance scenes in film history. The song’s lyrics begin with: “Heaven, I’m in heaven”, and the feathers that adorn Rogers’ shoulders bring home the point that she’s the angel. Another key costuming moment occurs in Carefree. As soon as Rogers realizes she’s in love with Astaire, she shows up to his office wearing a dress with a heart embroidered prominently on her chest.
Fred Astaire in Top Hat.
Unlike many modern rom-coms, the men are also concerned with clothes in Astaire/Rogers movies. The title of the movie Top Hat is in fact taken from a number Astaire sings and dances to early on in the movie, “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails.” The lyrics are entirely about the joys of getting dressed up to go out!
Costuming is a fun element in rom-coms old and new, but in Astaire/Rogers movies men also care about fashion!
Another trope found in the Astaire/Rogers movies is the best friend character. While in modern rom-coms these characters are usually the same age as the lead, in the Astaire/Rogers movies the best friend role is often portrayed by a somewhat older relative, manager, or friend. As in modern rom-coms these best friends help to advance the romantic plots while also offering comic relief. Best friend characters take many shapes in modern rom-coms from true confidantes, to wacky co-workers, to frenemies. Rogers’ best friends ranged from a calculating manager in Shall We Dance, to a scatterbrained aunt in The Gay Divorcee, to the savvy, amorous older women played by Luella Gear in Carefree and Helen Broderick in Top Hat and Swing Time.
Astaire, meanwhile, often found his best friend character in the actor Edward Everett Horton. Though I haven’t seen it discussed much in film criticism, Horton several times seems to play a very under-the-radar version of the gay best friend, though in this case he’s the best friend to the male lead rather than the female lead. In Top Hat, Horton plays Astaire’s friend and producer, Horace, and there are several scenes that suggest Horace may be in a relationship with his valet, Bates. This impression is furthered by several comments on the part of Horace’s wife. Another scene in Shall We Dance finds Horton having late night drinks with Rogers’ manager, in which scene the men make at least two comments that might serve as double entendres. Edward Everett Horton was a gay man in real life, and to the credit of these films, the double entendres never seem to be a joke on the characters, but rather a wink to audience members who might see the queer representation hiding in plain sight.
Speaking of stock rom-com characters, many of the Astaire/Rogers movies feature a potential love interest for Rogers other than Astaire. Of course this character is either a total mismatch, dull, or Rogers just isn’t in love with him. This character is so common in modern rom-coms that writer, director and actor Michael Showalter made an entire parody rom-com based on the character type called “The Baxter.” The Astaire/Rogers movies have several memorable “Baxters” for Rogers. Erik Rhodes plays the outrageous Italian designer Beddini in Top Hat. Ralph Bellamy in Carefree, meanwhile, plays Rogers’ would-be fiance, who’s so tired of Rogers rejecting his proposals that he sends her to see his psychologist friend played by Astaire. Of course, instead of agreeing to marry Bellamy, she falls in love with Astaire.
Carefree is also perhaps the wildest example of the type of tropey “hijinks” and improbable events you might find in a modern rom-com. One Carefree scene finds Rogers “under anesthetic” and thereby freed of her inhibitions, so that she borrows a policeman’s club to gleefully shatter a glass pane on a nearby truck. In another series of scenes Astaire hypnotizes Rogers to love her fiance again, but then realizes he loves her, and must find a way to hypnotize her back before she gets married. This pursuit finds Astaire trying to sneak into the bride’s room just five minutes before the wedding, one of the most recognizable tropes of all.
Weddings, engagements, and marriages must also either be prevented or dissolved in Top Hat, The Gay Divorcee, and Swing Time. And Shall We Dance involves an even more complicated story. Near the beginning of the movie, Astaire and Rogers’ single characters are rumored to be married by the tabloids. At first Rogers tries to squash the rumors, but when her manager provides fake evidence of the marriage to the papers, Rogers and Astaire actually marry in order to get a divorce. In the meantime, however, they’ve fallen in love, and now Astaire must try to prevent his own divorce with a final grand gesture presented in a dance performance! This story then, also contains an early example of the fake dating or marriage of convenience trope.
Finally, I’ve previously mentioned the misunderstandings that occur in Astaire/Rogers movies. As in many modern rom-coms these misunderstandings often involve mistaken identity, and sometimes feature characters hiding information from each other, or temporarily taking on disguises. In The Gay Divorcee Rogers wants to hide from Astaire that she’s already been married, and is on vacation in order to arrange a fake affair which will convince her husband to give her a divorce. Because she’s hiding this information, however, she’s led to believe that Astaire is the man hired to pretend to be her lover, rather than an actual suitor with a respectable job. In Shall We Dance, Astaire briefly affects a Russian accent in order to appear to Rogers as his stage name “Petrov.”
And in Top Hat there is a whole cascade of mistaken identities and disguises. Astaire takes on the guise of Rogers’ horse-drawn cab driver in order to pursue her. Rogers mistakes Astaire for a friend’s husband. Rogers then tries to scare Astaire by pretending to be an easy woman looking to force him into marriage. Finally, Astaire’s friend Horace assigns his valet Bates to investigate Rogers. Bates puts on a series of disguises and follows her everywhere, in a bit that becomes progressively funnier throughout the movie, and plays a role in the film’s resolution. While tonally these moods perhaps shouldn’t blend, the mix of sophistication and silliness in the Astaire/Rogers movies somehow works perfectly.
I hope that my thoughts on the Astaire/Rogers movies have made you curious enough to check out one or two of their films! For my part, watching these early examples of rom-com tropes and stories has given me an even greater appreciation for our genre as a whole. Seeing how these stories are replicated throughout time tells me that romantic comedies are stories we need - to reflect our lives, to keep us company, and to inspire our dreams!
My Ranking of the 5 Films Discussed Here:
Top Hat - If you watch only one - make it the best!
The Gay Divorcee - A great double feature with Top Hat featuring many of the same cast!
Shall We Dance - There’s a dance number on roller-skates, need I say more?
Swing Time - Aside from the blackface number, a very solid romantic comedy, with some beautiful dancing.
Carefree - Maybe the least characteristic of the Astaire/Rogers rom-coms, but worth watching for Ginger Rogers’ antics when she’s “under anesthetic” or “hypnotized.”
Bonus: If you fall in love with this couple, as I did, don’t miss Follow the Fleet. Astaire looks great in uniform!
And a helpful reminder: Most of these movies are available to rent on streaming services, but don’t forget your local library as a possible resource! So many of the greatest romantic comedies and musicals of all time are available there for free!
Guest Contributor Bio
Jennifer Howell is the producer, editor, and main host of Every Rom Com, the podcast that has fun taking romantic comedies seriously! When she’s not researching an episode, Jennifer can be found working at the library, swimming in freshwater lakes, meditating, and “improving her mind by extensive reading.” Jennifer lives in Wisconsin with her husband and a cat named Dinah. She’s always excited to talk about films or books on Twitter @everyromcompod, on Instagram @everyromcom, on Blue Sky Social @everyromcom.bsky.social or on Facebook at Every Rom Com: Podcast and Blog!
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