For 1936 we have ourselves another musical - the Fred Astaire / Ginger Rogers dance spectacular Swing Time, directed by George Stevens. Astaire and Rogers’ sixth film since 1933 (out of ten total), Swing Time showcases Astaire’s incredible talent as a dancer, along with his tight, technical choreography. Topics discussed include Astaire’s combination of genre-defining artistry and crowd-pleasing entertainment, trouser cuff fashion, a detour into the quirks of movie credits, and the unfortunate and unexpected use of blackface and how it impacts the film as a whole.

Song selections for this episode:

Lucas — Dancing With Myself by blink-182

Nic — I Can’t Dance by Genesis

John — Careless Whisper by George Michael

Kyle — Do You Wanna Dance? by The Beach Boys