The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	H. C. Potter
Screenplay by	Richard Sherman; Oscar Hammerstein II; Dorothy Yost
Based on	My Husband; 1919 book; by Irene Castle
Produced by	George Haight
Starring	Fred Astaire; Ginger Rogers; Edna May Oliver; Walter Brennan
Cinematography	Robert de Grasse
Edited by	William Hamilton
Music by	Various
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures
Release date	April 28, 1939 (US);
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1,196,000 (est.)
Box office	$1,825,000

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is a 1939 American biographical musical comedy directed by H.C. Potter. The film stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edna May Oliver, and Walter Brennan. The film is based on the stories My Husband and My Memories of Vernon Castle, by Irene Castle. The movie was adapted by Oscar Hammerstein II, Dorothy Yost and Richard Sherman. This was Astaire and Rogers' ninth and last film together with RKO.^[4] Their final pairing was The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) at MGM.

Plot

The film tells of novice American dancer Irene Foote, who convinces New York-based British vaudeville comic Vernon Castle to give up slapstick comedy in favor of sophisticated ballroom dancing.

Their big break comes when they are stranded in Paris, along with their friend, Walter Ashe, with no money. They catch the eye of influential agent Maggie Sutton, who arranges a tryout for them at the prestigious Café de Paris, where they become an overnight sensation. After taking Europe by storm, the Castles return to the United States and become just as big a sensation. Their fame and fortune rises to unprecedented heights in the immediate pre-World War I years.

When World War I starts, Vernon returns to Britain and joins the Royal Flying Corps, while Irene makes patriotic movie serials to aid the war effort. However, Vernon is killed in a training accident, leaving Irene to carry on alone.

Cast

Fred Astaire as Vernon Castle
Ginger Rogers as Irene Castle (née Foote)
Edna May Oliver as Maggie Sutton
Walter Brennan as Walter Ash
Lew Fields as himself
Etienne Girardot as Papa Aubel
Janet Beecher as Mrs. Foote
Rolfe Sedan as Emile Aubel
Leonid Kinskey as Artist
Robert Strange as Dr. Hubert Foote
Douglas Walton as Student Pilot
Clarence Derwent as Papa Louis
Sonny Lamont as Charlie, Tap Dancer
Frances Mercer as Claire Ford
Victor Varconi as Grand Duke
Donald MacBride as Hotel Manager
Leyland Hodgson as British Sergeant
Lillian Yarbo as Mary, Claire's Maid (uncredited)

Production

Irene Castle acted as advisor to this film, and constantly disagreed with the director as to details of costuming and liberties taken. When informed that white actor Walter Brennan was to play the part of faithful servant Walter, she was dumbfounded: the real Walter was black.^[5]

The film marks several "firsts": the characters in it are more realistic than usual in an Astaire-Rogers film, there is none of the usual "screwball comedy" relief provided by such actors as Edward Everett Horton, Victor Moore, or Helen Broderick, it is the only Astaire-Rogers musical biography, the only one on which Oscar Hammerstein II worked, the only one of their musicals with a tragic ending, and the only one in which Astaire's character dies.

Reception

The film was popular in the US, making $1,120,000 and it also earned $705,000 elsewhere. However, due to high costs RKO accounts recorded the film as losing $50,000.^[3]

Footnotes

^ Reel Classics: The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle Retrieved 2013-01-07
^ "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c Richard Jewel, 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931-1951', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 14 No 1, 1994 p41
^ Green, Stanley (1999) Hollywood Musicals Year by Year (2nd ed.), pub. Hal Leonard Corporation ISBN 0-634-00765-3 page 86
^ The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle at AllMovie.