Swing Time

In this irresistible musical, the legendary dancing duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are at the pinnacle of their art as a feckless gambler and the shrewd dancing instructor in whom he more than meets his match. Director George Stevens laces their romance with humor and clears the floor for the movie’s showstopping dance scenes, in which Astaire and Rogers take seemingly effortless flight in a virtuosic fusion of ballroom and tap styles. Buoyed by beloved songs by Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern—including the Oscar-winning classic “The Way You Look Tonight”—Swing Time is an exuberant celebration of its stars’ chemistry, grace, and sheer joy in the act of performance.FILM INFOUnited States1936103 minutesBlack & White1.37:1EnglishSpine #979SPECIAL FEATURESNew 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-rayAudio commentary from 1986 featuring John Mueller, author of Astaire Dancing: The Musical FilmsArchival interviews with performers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and choreographer Hermes PanNew interview with George Stevens Jr.In Full Swing, a new program on the film’s choreography and soundtrack featuring jazz and film critic Gary Giddins, dance critic Brian Seibert, and Dorothy Fields biographer Deborah Grace WinerNew interview with film scholar Mia Mask on the “Bojangles of Harlem” numberEnglish subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearingPLUS: An essay by critic Imogen Sara SmithNew cover by Raphael Geroni