“WHO GETS THE LAST DANCE? STEVE & NAN RANK THE ASTAIRE & ROGERS FILMS” - 8/10/2026 (152)
This week on From Beneath The Hollywood Sign, we're putting on our dancing shoes for one of classic Hollywood's greatest screen pairings: FRED ASTAIRE & GINGER ROGERS. From dazzling Art Deco ballrooms to unforgettable musical numbers, we're attempting the impossible—ranking every Astaire & Rogers film from least favorite to absolute masterpiece. Which classics soar to the top? Which ones deserve another look? And just how heated can a debate about Golden Age musicals get? Whether you're a lifelong fan of classic cinema or just discovering why Astaire and Rogers remain the gold standard for movie musicals, this episode is packed with lively discussion, hot takes, and plenty of love for Hollywood's most iconic dance duo.
SHOW NOTES:
Sources:
Fred & Ginger: The Astaire/Rogers Partnership 1934-1939 (2007), by Hannah Hyam;
“Shall We Dance?Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire’s On-Screen Romance,” August 27, 2023, by Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair;
“85 Years of Fred and Ginger,” October 15, 2019, by Aurora, Once Upon a Screen Blog;
Wikipedia.com
TCM.com;
IMDBPro.com;
Movies Mentioned:
Flying Down to Rio (1933) – staring Delores Del Rio, Gene Raymond, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Eric Blore & Franklin Pangborn
The Gay Divorcee (1934) – Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton, Erik Rhodes, Betty Grable, Eric Blore, & Alice Brady;
Roberta (1935) – starring Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott, Helen Westley, Claire Dodd & Luis Alberni;
Top Hat (1935) – starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton, Erik Rhodes, Eric Blore, Helen Broderick & Lucille Ball:
Follow the Fleet (1936) – Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott, Betty Grable, Harriet Hilliard, Lucille Ball, & Astrid Allwyn;
Swing Time (1936) – starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Victor Moore, Helen Broderick, Eric Blore, Betty Furness, & Georges Mataxa
Shall We Dance (1937) – Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, Jerome Cowan, & Ketti Gallian;
Carefree (1938) - starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Ralph Bellamy, Jack Carson, Luella Gear, & Franklin Pangborn;
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) – Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edna May Oliver, Walter Brennan, & Janet Beecher, & Lew Fields;
The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) – Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Billie Burke, Oscar Levant, Gale Robbins, Jacques Francois & George Zucco;
---------------------------------
http://www.airwavemedia.com
Please contact sales@advertisecast.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
