Carefree (DVD, 2006)

Carefree (1938) was the eighth of ten musicals pairing the inimitable Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but this very good film is rather different from the typical Astaire-Rogers fare. This is a musical-screwball comedy, combining Fred and Ginger's great dancing with zany shenanigans. Also rare is the fact that Astaire is not playing a professional dancer or entertainer--he's a doctor, a psychiatrist who treats Ginger, a radio singer and the fiancee of Fred's friend (Ralph Bellamy).

Dr. Astaire is supposed to be helping Rogers and Bellamy straighten out the kinks in their relationship so they can be happily married, but Fred's treatment backfires when Ginger falls in love with him, not Bellamy. He uses hypnosis to make her love Bellamy and despise him but regrets this when he realizes he loves Ginger.

There are several hilarious scenes, including a drugged and hypnotized Ginger causing mayhem and chasing Fred around a country club with a loaded shotgun. This film has fewer songs than most Astaire-Rogers musicals, but the dancing is, as usual, first-rate. Ginger's rendition of Irving Berlin's "The Yam" is also fun.

Fans of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers will enjoy Carefree very much. If you haven't seen any Astaire-Rogers pictures before, you might want to start with Top Hat or Gay Divorcee, as this film is different from the others.

To learn more about Fred Astaire's movies, please check out my guide, A Fred Astaire Film Guide, which you can access by clicking above to read all reviews and guides by me, tivoli1228, or by searching eBay's reviews and guides page. Thanks.