Astaire & Rogers Collection, Vol. 2 (Flying Down to Rio / The Gay Divorcee / Roberta / Carefree / The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle)

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The first volume of Astaire & Rogers has four of their best films at RKO plus one that didn't really fit in with the motif of the other Astaire & Rogers films - The Barkleys of Broadway - that was actually an MGM musical.This set of five films shows you how it all started and ended for the duo at RKO. "Flying Down to Rio" is the duo's first film, and is enjoyable enough but would probably be long forgotten were it not for the fourth and fifth billed Astaire and Rogers dancing the "The Carioca" about half-way through the film plus the witty banter of the two that goes on throughout and really spices up the movie. Also, the pre-code raciness of some of the film may surprise you with lines like "What have those girls got below the equator that we haven't got?" as uttered by one of the chorines about a Brazilian girl."Roberta" moves the pair up to second and third billing, with Irene Dunne top billed. The two have a greatly expanded screen time trading jabs that is much like what they did in "Rio", but the main emphasis is on the romance between Randolph Scott and Irene Dunne. Dunne's singing even crowds out the singing and dancing of Astaire & Rogers. Thus these first two films really have the pair as a wise cracking entertainment duo rather than involving the romantic comedy of their other films. This is the last film in which Ginger Rogers is playing her tough-girl chorine persona that she had starting in "42nd Street".With "Divorcee" and "Carefree" we finally get to see Astaire & Rogers more in classic form. Not only are they finally musically headlining, but these films feature them more as romantic leads in which comic misunderstandings work to keep them apart. These two films are the best of the five in my opinion.Many people don't like "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle". This is probably because there is virtually no romantic conflict between the two in this film. Astaire & Rogers spend practically the entire film either allied or happily married. The conflict is first economic and professional as the pair struggled to get recognized as great dancers, and then there is World War I in which Vernon Castle, as an English native, feels compelled to enlist. The film is quite good, but it is very sentimental and atypical of Astaire & Rogers' other films. This was intended to be the pair's last film together, and was their last film together at RKO. It was just a series of accidental recasting decisions that led them to reunite in "The Barkleys of Broadway" at MGM ten years later.There are shorts and cartoons included on these five films in the extra features department, but there are no mini-documentaries on Astaire and/or Rogers and no commentary track on any of the films.There are an array of Astaire & Rogers collections, so I'll try to summarize my recommendations here. If you are unfamiliar with their movies, go with Volume 1 first. It contains their best work minus "Divorcee", which is in Volume 2. If you already are a fan and for some reason never bought volume 1, you could go with "The Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collector's Edition" which contains all ten of their films, a bonus documentary DVD, and an audio CD. If you just want the films, you can go with volumes 1 and 2 individually. Plus, there is documentary material on the films in volume 1. If you buy volume one and decide you want the bonus material of the ultimate collector's edition, you can purchase "The Astaire & Rogers Partial Ultimate Collector's Edition" which has all of the bonus material of the Ultimate Collector's Edition minus the five films in Volume one.

A younger generation not familiar with the 1930's musical romances of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers should rent or buy Volume One. Volume Two is for devoted fans and film scholars. We have one genuine masterpiece, THE GAY DIVORCEE (1934), which is famous for the Oscar-winning 16 minute "The Continental" finale, the incomparable "Night and Day", and an unusually witty screenplay.The other four titles in ASTAIRE-ROGERS: VOLUME TWO are *** must-sees, if you love the duo in anything. They are not masterpieces, but they all have sparkling 1930's art deco sets, witty scripts, and incomparable dance numbers, without being as great as TOP HAT, FOLLOW THE FLEET, SWING TIME, and SHALL WE DANCE (1935-1937) in Volume One.FLYING DOWN TO RIO (1933) introduced Astaire and Rogers as a dance team to the world. They take fourth and fifth billing behind Dolores Del Rio, Gene Raymond, and someone named Raul Roulien, but own the movie as they dance "The Carioca" in the middle of the movie. This is also the movie with chorus girls dancing on airplane wings in the climax. It is a lot of fun.ROBERTA (1935) is a great Irene Dunne vehicle; she gets top billing and the chance to sing Jerome Kern's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and "Lovely to Look At". It is a lesser Astaire-Rogers vehicle because Randolph Scott is unendurable, seeing how many times he can say "swell" in 106 minutes; and because Astaire and Rogers barely seem to dance. It is a plot-heavy movie about a dress shop in Paris. Still, Dunne has a lovely singing voice for some immortal songs.CAREFREE (1938), only 83 minutes, is a neglected comedy delight spoofing psychiatry. Ginger gravitates between Astaire and Ralph Bellamy. You want her to end up with Astaire at the end, but it is close. Songs include "Change Partners and Dance". This is a marvelous little movie.Finally, Astaire-Rogers ended the decade with what they thought would be their last film, the wonderful and nostalgic THE STORY OF VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE (1939). The two actors are naturals to star as the real-life king and queen of ballroom dancing during the 1910's. In fact, Irene Castle was still alive in 1939 and served as both technical advisor and costume designer to Ginger. I adore this movie, which also has superb support from the always reliable Walter Brennan and Edna May Oliver.Since this is a Warner Home Video boxed set, each movie has been supplemented with Technicolor shorts, cartoons, and theatrical trailers. My favorites are the achingly nostalgic color musical shorts with movie stars at the Lido and the Cocoanut Grove. If you don't know Astaire-Rogers, go with Volume One. If you love them, you will want to own this Volume Two boxed set to complete your collection.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made ten musical films together. Five of them are in this set, and the remaining five are in Volume 2.Not one of the ten is bad, but several of them, Top Hat, Shall We Dance, Swing Time, to name three, rise to the level of Art. The ability of these two performers to create a mood of love and joy with dance is unique in the history of film. When they are dancing to the glorious strains of Kern, Berlin, Gershwin, and Porter, their dancing transports us to a never-never land of beauty and escape from the humdrum existence of daily life. When one recalls that these films were made during the worst economic crisis the nation has ever faced, one applauds the moguls in Hollywood who allowed Americans to escape from the sad life so many had in those parlous times. Would that today's moguls were as sympathetic to the plight of so many Americans today. Perhaps if they were, they would give less of the murder, mayhem and violence that so pervades movies today and allow us to escape for an hour or two to another fairyland where all is beautiful and happy.

Fantastic!!Beautifully posted, nice box and covers, discs etc. The films themselves are really well remastered. I used to own these on vhs and the sound was always an issue. very well cleaned up considering they're from the early 30's.Also, I think it's actually the original trailers, extra's etc that were on the original 38mm on each disc. great bonus.I'm a huge Fred fan and have bought many releses of his films recently on dvd from ebay etc but these are the best. Great quality, proper comercial release and half the price I could get them from a shop In Australia. Thanks Amazon!! (wow...what a review...I didn't mean to over do it but Im really happy)Cheers, James

With eager anticipation I opened the recently arrived package from the States.After my disappoinment at the poor quality of the UK universal release Volume 2 Fred & Ginger collection, I decided to wait for the Warner Brothers release of Volume 2 Astaire & Rogers collection.There are lots of extras included on the DVD's with this set, most of these are really not relevant to the Fred and Ginger films, But they are a welcome addition and part of the quality production values we have come to expect from Warners.My only disappointment with this DVD set, is the lack of the wonderful commentaries & insights as provided on the UK Universal/Laureate Volume 1 set by Ken Barnes & Ava Astaire McKenzie.[still we can't have everything]However, in the main the restoration of all the films included in this set is excellent, Flying Down To Rio, Carefree, The Story Of Vernon & Irene Castle, Roberta, The one dissappointmet is the soundtrack on the Gay Divorcee, which does leave a great deal to be desired, this is why I have only given four stars.I would rate the overall quality of this set as excellent good value & a vital addition to any Fred and Ginger collection.

All of the movies in this set are remastered and it shows. The quality and clarity of the DVDs was outstanding compared to watching the movies on TCM. I now have Volumes 1 and 2 and both sets are high quality as well as being more economical than purchasing each movie individually.The movies themselves are almost like comfort food. You know what you are going to get because they follow the same formula, but it works and you always end up feeling satisfied.Fred may have had other equally skilled dance partners but there was a good reason he paired up with Ginger 10 times. She complemented his style perfectly and made all their routines seem effortless and spontaneous.If you enjoy movies from the golden age of Hollywood then this set should become part of your collection.