The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (DVD, 2006)

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) was the final Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers picture at RKO. It's also somewhat different from the other Astaire-Rogers movies in that this is a biopic, not simply musical-comedy fluff with great dancing. In this film, Fred and Ginger portray Vernon and Irene Castle, two famous dancers who became immensely popular in the early decades of the twentieth century until WWI, when Vernon joined the military as a pilot.

The dancing and costumes recreate the artistry and styles of the Castles. Fred and Ginger turn in very good performances in their dramatic scenes and are, as usual, excellent in the musical numbers. I found it a bit funny seeing Fred dressed in his military flight suit, accustomed as we all are to seeing Astaire in top hat and tails and other civilian attire.

The subject matter, especially toward the end of the movie, is more weighty than in most musicals, but the picture is quite good and entertaining. If you've not seen many Astaire-Rogers films before, you should probably start with one of their more representative outings, like The Gay Divorcee or Top Hat. Fans of Fred and Ginger will enjoy The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle very much, though they may be troubled by the ending.