op Hat is one of my favorite films and I'm delighted to be enrolled in Mad About Musicals. Can't live without them! In Top Hat, one of the funniest and ongoing story lines are the comments made by the wife whose husband is presumed to be having an affair with Ginger Rogers character. She's completely jaded by a man's character [or at least her husbands'], jokes about it, and presumes he'll find himself in trouble but still come back to her. Perhaps her indifference is an indication of their affluence, as the movie is completely devoid of any real-life concerns save for battle of the sexes. (Although there is little matter of the butler's arrest for his hilarious responses to the presumed-monolingual Italian policia...)
This film is vastly different from other Depression era musicals because it is completely frivolous, light-hearted, humorous, and even the [beautiful] sets are a complete removal from reality. I recall Robert Osborne introducing this movie years ago, stating that when it was released, the Italian President (?) was insulted and dissed the movie as not at all representative of the real thing. Anyone who's seen photos of/been to Venice will agree. There's even made-up verbiage in the final song: "...play the piccolino"...apparently "piccolino" means a female, not a musical instrument! "Scallopino" instead of "scallopini"... But oh, what a delightful romp!
DAILY DOSE OF DELIGHT #4 (FROM TOP HAT)
in MAD ABOUT MUSICALS: THE HISTORY OF THE HOLLYWOOD MUSICALS
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op Hat is one of my favorite films and I'm delighted to be enrolled in Mad About Musicals. Can't live without them! In Top Hat, one of the funniest and ongoing story lines are the comments made by the wife whose husband is presumed to be having an affair with Ginger Rogers character. She's completely jaded by a man's character [or at least her husbands'], jokes about it, and presumes he'll find himself in trouble but still come back to her. Perhaps her indifference is an indication of their affluence, as the movie is completely devoid of any real-life concerns save for battle of the sexes. (Although there is little matter of the butler's arrest for his hilarious responses to the presumed-monolingual Italian policia...)
This film is vastly different from other Depression era musicals because it is completely frivolous, light-hearted, humorous, and even the [beautiful] sets are a complete removal from reality. I recall Robert Osborne introducing this movie years ago, stating that when it was released, the Italian President (?) was insulted and dissed the movie as not at all representative of the real thing. Anyone who's seen photos of/been to Venice will agree. There's even made-up verbiage in the final song: "...play the piccolino"...apparently "piccolino" means a female, not a musical instrument! "Scallopino" instead of "scallopini"... But oh, what a delightful romp!