For me, New Year’s Eve means one thing: Fred Astaire. I don’t know if this is the experience of most girls who grew up babysitting in the Chicago suburbs in the 1970s, but for me the most magical part of the evening began at midnight, when one of the local networks would begin with one of four movies: The Gay Divorcee, Top Hat, Shall We Dance or Swing Time.
The kids in my care in Park Forest were always convinced that the New Year began when the ball dropped in Times Square, so the celebration took place, with confetti and banging pans and hats and tooting horns and etc, from 11:00–11:20 p.m. Central Time. They could be hustled off to bed by 11:45 and I could settle back in, completely sugared up and maybe with an additional bowl of ice cream or something to keep me going, in front of the television set.
I didn’t know anything about Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and the words “gay divorcee” were completely incomprehensible to me at age 14, when this ritual began. But the first time I saw Fred and Ginger dance to “Night and Day,” I actually cried. The combination of music and movement was so exquisite, I was unprepared.
I could never tell the movies apart, not really. Eric Blore was always butlering. Edward Everett Horton and Helen Broderick are most often the clumsy, wise-cracking counterparts to Fred and Ginger who increase their stature and status exponentially by standing beside them and/or interfering. In one, Fred tap-dances in sand in a hotel room above Ginger’s head. In another, he draws cuffs on his pant legs to force a delay of an ill-fated marriage. In one they dance in a thunderstorm in a gazebo. There are mix-ups a plenty to make Fred look like an untrustworthy cad and bring out Ginger’s spice and fire. Fred gets set up for great lines like: “Men don’t pine. Girls pine. We just– suffer!”
In the end, it is the dance that tells the truth, and the dance is love.
I searched the movie channels furiously last night for a sign of Fred and Ginger, but came up empty. If I’d wanted, I could have streamed one on Netflix. But nothing quite beats watching the films on television, ringing in the new year with so many other viewers, including just maybe some babysitters about to learn an exquisite lesson about the simple joy of being in love.
Oh my gosh, Susan, this is great. I think there is a lot to be said that you couldn’t find any Fred and Ginger last night….. “In the end, it is the dance that tells the truth, and the dance is love.” you nailed it.
Did we ever watch them together? It continued to be my routine for so many years… maybe with less sugar!
I just love your blog, Susan–what a little thrill it is to see a new entry in my inbox every once in a few days. So glad I saw a review for that wonderful HABITS book and thus found it. Thanks for such good writing and reflections.
Thank you, S. Jane! I’m so glad we got connected and to have you as a reader! I hope you’ve been sharing “Habits” with the other Sisters in your community!
I learned of Fred Astaire watching his movies with my grandparents as a kid (I must have been about 8) so they hold a special place in my heart, too. For my 16th birthday I actually asked my mom for a copy of “The Gay Divorcee” and was ecstatic to get it. I watch it frequently, but I’m with you, there is something extra magical about watching it on television.
Thanks for sharing that memory! Glad to know there are still converts out there!
Hi, Susan. Very much enjoyed your memories of watching Fred and Ginger–they’re certainly a lovely way to start the New Year and experience beauty and cheer throughout it. If I may offer one bit of correction: William Austin and Alice Brady appeared only in the one A-R film, “The Gay Divorcee,” and Austin’s part was inconsequential (Mimi’s annoying husband). I think you may mean to nod to Edward Everett Horton and Helen Broderick, their most frequent sidekicks. I’ll be sure to draw attention to your blog on Yahoo’s Astaire discussion list. Happy New Year!
Thanks so much! I’ll make the correction. Of course you’re right– I was just quickly going by the imdb page for gay divorcee for names…
Never watched them together, but after searching Netflix for them with no luck, ordered the set. Just watched The Gay Divorcee and loved it! The dialogue is so quick and witty, the dancing spectacular in that it blends so perfectly with the story. Can’t wait to watch it again with the girls! (might be able to entice the boys….?) (Plus bought the “collection”– cheap on Amazon so have 3 more to enjoy) Thanks for setting us off with a new tradition!
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An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a coworker who has been doing a little research on this.
And he actually ordered me dinner because I discovered it for
him… lol. So allow me to reword this….
Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending the time to discuss this matter here on your
web site.
Wow! That’s quite a bonus. I’m so glad you found it, shared it, and that your coworker enjoyed it as well.