Swing Time (1936)

 George Stevens' "Swing Time"


The only other film I can really compare "Swing Time" to is the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers dance musical from the previous year, "Top Hat." I can't in good conscious say that I've been enjoying the Hollywood musicals from the 1930s, as there is not a lot to grab on to save the incredible dancing performances. However, the Astaire/Rogers films are a cut above the standard. 

In comparing the two, I would say that "Top Hat" has a far more engaging storyline than "Swing Time," but "Swing Time" has far more engaging musical numbers. In this way, the two sort of cancel each other out, making both a relatively similar experience. However, the climatic moment I was waiting for with "Top Hat" occurred off-screen, rendering the whole storyline experience frustrating. For that reason, "Swing Time," although lackluster in story, doesn't leave me with any harsh feelings.

In fact, I feel as though "Swing Time" has more far iconic moments and imagery than "Top Hat." I feel as though George Stevens elevated the typical format of the Astaire/Rogers musical into something more aesthetically pleasing. I feel as though when you show a clip of Astaire/Rogers, "Swing Time" would probably satisfy the palette more. 

After watching "Swing Time," I felt that I had just watched the natural conclusion to the glitzy Hollywood musical format. It goes without saying that Hollywood would continue making musical for years to come, like its zenith with 1939's "The Wizard of Oz." However, there is a certain aesthetic to the Hollywood musical of the 1930s that evaporated in the late 1930s. I feel as though "Swing Time" closed the book on the sound age musical so that a new book could open with the incoming technicolor marvels of the next two decades.



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