tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125194422306151768.post8302643461232139427..comments2024-03-16T10:03:59.180-07:00Comments on The Movie Projector: Top Hat (1935)R. D. Finchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125194422306151768.post-33630685310782863512011-11-03T10:27:40.123-07:002011-11-03T10:27:40.123-07:00Kevin, I'm with you that even without the musi...Kevin, I'm with you that even without the musical numbers, "Top Hat" is a very enjoyable movie. Being such an eclecticist, I have room in my own top 10 for only one musical, and that, of course, has to be "Singin' in the Rain." But "Top Hat" is certainly near the top of my favorite musicals. One thing I noticed during the last watching of it is just how much plot there is. There are only five musical numbers--all wonderful--but the movie runs about 1 hr. 40 min. That means there's a lot more in between the songs and dances than just the filler you find in a lot of musicals of the time. The plot may be light--as well it should be in a movie of this whimsical tone--but it's well developed and unfailingly delightful. And both the musical numbers and romantic comedy certainly bring out the best in Astaire and Rogers.R. D. Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125194422306151768.post-81121814356178084222011-11-03T09:24:45.628-07:002011-11-03T09:24:45.628-07:00My 10 favorite films of all times tends to change,...My 10 favorite films of all times tends to change, but "Top Hat" is always, always, in the top five.<br /><br />What's so great about "Top Hat" is if you removed all the musical numbers, you would still have one of the brightest and funniest comedies of the era. The genuinely great musical numbers means you have one of the greatest movies ever made. <br /><br />A wonderful write-up R.D.Kevin Deanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125194422306151768.post-32069217121307026812011-11-02T22:27:20.106-07:002011-11-02T22:27:20.106-07:00Eve, thanks for your, as always, kind and insightf...Eve, thanks for your, as always, kind and insightful comments. I too went from being a kid who loved movies to a classic movie enthusiast, but along the way I took a detour into snobbery as a university student with a passion for Cinema. I never lost that fascination with the arty. But later I returned to the classic American movies that got me interested in film in the first place and have spent the past few years catching up. TCM has been my chief textbook, supplemented with the many classic titles available on home video. There are several American genres that I love and will watch just about anything from--gangster/film noir, screwball comedy, and musicals, for example. "Top Hat" is one of the best musicals ever made. Watching it again in preparation for writing this post was just pure pleasure and reminded me all over again that for me the joy of musicals like this one is what turns some people off--their enhancement of reality with their own unique brand of artifice.R. D. Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125194422306151768.post-33688187645325187012011-11-02T21:16:40.280-07:002011-11-02T21:16:40.280-07:00Who among those of us who love classic film does n...Who among those of us who love classic film does not sigh at the thought of Astaire and Rogers? And "Top Hat," possibly the best of their best. I reached the conscious realization that I was a classic film fan (vs. a kid who enjoyed "old movies," which is what I was before) the first time I saw "The Gay Divorcee." But it is "Top Hat" that transported me to the heights of Astaire/Rogers bewitchment - with the likes of "Cheek to Cheek," "Isn't it a Lovely Day" and the incredible fantasia of its Venice sequence.<br /><br />R.D., I couldn't agree more (and could not have said it as well) that "the music film is an inherently artificial genre," that "artifice, stylization, and exaggeration are the engines that drive musical films..." <br /><br />I could go on, but - not necessary, you have touched on everything, from the superb supporting cast to the art direction and everything else that makes "Top Hat" the ultimate Astaire/Rogers confection.The Lady Evehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11963115499930520653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125194422306151768.post-62541557435686875872011-11-01T10:35:54.713-07:002011-11-01T10:35:54.713-07:00HKatz, thank you for your comment, and I'm gla...HKatz, thank you for your comment, and I'm glad you enjoyed the review. It's always daunting to write about such a well-known and well-loved movie, but the sheer enjoyability factor of this one helped me along. Tony Randall and Thelma Ritter--two of the best. I'm on record as considering Ritter the greatest character actress ever. I once devoted a whole post to her. (You can find a link in the SUBJECT INDEX tab, if you're interested.) I love Ella too. Her "Songbooks" introduced me to so many of the great standards and the lesser known songs by the great songwriters.R. D. Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125194422306151768.post-11272735537316614442011-11-01T09:25:27.872-07:002011-11-01T09:25:27.872-07:00Great review. I came across Top Hat in a roundabo...Great review. I came across Top Hat in a roundabout way. After listening to (and loving) Ella Fitzgerald's version of Cheek to Cheek I went in search of other versions and found Astaire and Rogers. I love watching those two dance and banter.<br /><br /><i>And those wonderful character actors in the supporting casts are one of the great pleasures of classic movies for me.</i><br />Agreed! I recently saw a very light fluffy film, Pillow Talk, with Doris Day and Rock Hudson as the leads, and found that the people who made the movie really memorable were Tony Randall and Thelma Ritter in their supporting roles as the neurotic patron/best friend and hungover maid.HKatzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17653570160517335758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125194422306151768.post-35750075489870081662011-11-01T00:03:00.107-07:002011-11-01T00:03:00.107-07:00Christian, thanks for leaving a comment. I absolut...Christian, thanks for leaving a comment. I absolutely agree about the rewatchability of both "Top Hat" and "Swing Time." They're two of those movies that not only don't grow stale but actually seem to get better each time I watch them--the cinema equivalent of comfort food. And those wonderful character actors in the supporting casts are one of the great pleasures of classic movies for me.R. D. Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6125194422306151768.post-78186830250294236622011-10-31T22:41:42.769-07:002011-10-31T22:41:42.769-07:00Thanks for your excellent review. As with Swing Ti...Thanks for your excellent review. As with Swing Time, it is also one of the musicals you can see over and over again with just as much pleasure. You are right that the supporting cast add tremendously to the success of both films. Top Hat is a cultural treasure.Christisn Esquevinhttp://www.silverscreenmodiste.comnoreply@blogger.com