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Shall We Dance Overview:

Shall We Dance (1937) was a Comedy - Musical Film directed by Mark Sandrich and produced by Pandro S. Berman.

SYNOPSIS

Astaire and Rogers pair for the seventh time as dancers (he a Russian ballet dancer, she a Broadway musical star) who feign marriage as a publicity angle and then fall head over heels. Terrific Gershwin score, including the famous duet "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," the title-song finale, and the wistful melody of "They Can't Take That Away From Me." Typically high-gloss production and haute-Deco trappings make this a high point of the classic-era musical.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Academy Awards 1937 --- Ceremony Number 10 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Music - SongMusic by George Gershwin; Lyrics by Ira GershwinNominated
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Shall We Dance BlogHub Articles:

Shall We Dance (1937): Fred, Ginger, and The Gershwins

By 4 Star Film Fan on May 7, 2020 From 4 Star Films

The name Gershwin is synonymous with “The American Songbook” and part of the draw of Shall We Dance is how it included two of them: both the brothers, George and Ira Gershwin. Ira would tragically pass away that same year. However, together they provided the compositions and lyrics for t... Read full article

Shall We Dance? (1996)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Oct 12, 2015 From 4 Star Films

Shall We Dance is a film with important ties to American culture such as the King and I and The Drifters, but it has far more important roots in its native Japan. Thus, it’s remake starring Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez undoubtedly loses some of the cultural significance of the original film... Read full article

Shall We Dance? (1996)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Oct 12, 2015 From 4 Star Films

Shall We Dance is a film with important ties to American culture such as the King and I and The Drifters, but it has far more important roots in its native Japan. Thus, its remake starring Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez undoubtedly loses some of the cultural significance of the original film. Becau... Read full article

Shall We Dance (1937)

on Jul 28, 2015 From Journeys in Classic Film

Shall We Dance, the seventh out of ten films starring Fred and Ginger, certainly proves the dancing duo had tweaked their formula since the all dancing, no plot film that was The Gay Divorcee. Featuring several legendary songs composed by the Gershwins (most famously, “Let’s Call the Who... Read full article

Happy New Year: Shall We Dance (1937)

By Christina Stewart on Jan 1, 2014 From Pretty Clever Films

Happy New Year Everyone! Let’s start the year off on a fun dancing note with Shall We Dance. This film is the seventh of Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers’ collaborations and has become one of their most loved. With sixteen songs by George and Ira Gershwin, choreography by Hermes Pan, gowns by Ir... Read full article

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Shall We Dance Quotes:

Peter P. Peters: The odds were a hundred to one against me. The world thought the heights were too high to climb. But people from Missouri never incensed me. Oh, I wasn't a bit concerned. For from hist'ry I had learned how many, many times the worm had turned... They all laughed at Christopher Columbus when he said the world was round. They all laughed when Edison recorded sound. They all laughed at Wilbur and his brother when they said that man could fly. They told Marconi Wireless was a phony. It's the same old cry. They laughed at me wanting you. Said I was reaching for the moon. But oh, you came through. Now they'll have to change their tune. They all said we never could be happy. They laughed at us and how! But ho, ho, ho! Who's got the last laugh now? They all laughed at Rockefeller Center. Now they're fighting to get in. They all laughed at Whitney and his cotton gin. They all laughed at Fulton and his steamboat, Hershey and his chocolate bar. Ford and his Lizzie kept the laughers busy. That's how people are. They laughed at me wanting you. Said it would be, "Hello, Goodbye." But oh, you came through. Now they're eating humble pie. They all said we'd never get together. Darling, let's take a bow For ho, ho, ho! Who's got the last laugh? Hee, hee, hee! Let's at the past laugh. Ha, ha, ha! Who's got the last laugh now?"
Newsboy: (shouting) Petrov and Keene: secret marriage!
Peter P. Peters: We're the only two people in New York who don't think we're married.
Linda Keene: Think? I know we're not.
Peter P. Peters: I'm beginning to have my doubts.
Peter P. Peters: I told you, I haven't even met her. But I'd kinda like to marry her... I think I will.
Peter P. Peters: Things have come to a pretty pass. Our romance is growing flat, for you like this and the other, while I go for this and that. Goodness knows what the end will be -- oh, I don't know where I'm at... It looks as if we two will never be one. Something must be done...You say either and I say eyether, you say neither and I say nyther; Either, eyether, neither, nyther! Let's call the whole thing off! You like potato and I like potatoe, You like tomato and I like tomatoe. Potato, potatoe, tomato, tomatoe! Let's call the whole thing off! But oh! If we call the whole thing off, then we must part. And oh! If we ever part, then that might break my heart! So, if you like pajamas and I like pyjahmas, I'll wear pajamas and give up pyjahmas. For we know we need each other, so we better call the calling off off. Let's call the whole thing off! You say laughter and I say lawfter. You say after and I say awfter. Laughter, lawfter, after, awfter! Let's call the whole thing off! You like vanilla and I like vanella. You, say s'parilla and I say s'parella. Vanilla, vanella, chocolate, strawberry! Let's call the whole thing off! But oh! If we call the whole thing off, then we must part. And oh! If we ever part, then that might break my heart! So, if you go for oysters and I go for ersters. I'll order oysters and cancel the ersters. For we know we need each other, so we better call the calling off off! Let's call the whole thing off!
Peter P. Peters: Our romance won't end on a sorrowful note, though by tomorrow you're gone. The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote, the melody lingers on. They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress, but though they take you from me, I'll still possess... The way you wear your hat. The way your sip your tea. The memory of all that. No, no, they can't take that away from me. The way your smile just beams. The way you sing off key. The way you haunt my dreams. No, no, they can't take that away from me. We may never, never meet again on the bumpy road to love -- still, I'll always, always keep the memory of... The way you hold your knife. The way we danced till three. The way you changed my life. No, no, they can't take that away from me. No, they can't take that away from me. We may never, never meet again on the bumpy road to love -- still, I'll always, always keep the memory of... The way you hold your knife. The way we danced till three. The way you changed my life. No, no, they can't take that away from me No, they can't take that away from me. Can't take that away from me
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Shall We Dance Facts
Cinematographer David Abel started the picture but was replaced by Joseph F. Biroc with five weeks of production left. Biroc finished the picture, uncredited.
The song, "Hi-Ho," was written for this movie as an opening number, but was dropped because of the expense of filming it. It was published in 1967. The song "Wake Up Brother and Dance" was also written for the movie and published in 1937 with the other songs, but it was dropped to make room for the title song. It appeared in the movie Kiss Me, Stupid with the title "Sophia."
The seventh (of ten) dancing partnership of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
The scene where Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance on roller skates took about 150 takes, according to one of the VHS versions of the film.
Pat Flaherty as Park Policeman and J.M. Kerrigan are in studio records/casting call lists for this movie, but they did not appear or were not identifiable.
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