The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)

80% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
75% of users liked it
(1,122 ratings)

The last of RKO's Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers vehicles, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is also the least typical. At their best playing carefree characters in gossamer-thin musical comedy plotlines, Fred and Ginger seem slightly ill at ease cast as the real-life dancing team of Vernon and Irene… More The last of RKO's Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers vehicles, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is also the least typical. At their best playing carefree characters in gossamer-thin musical comedy plotlines, Fred and Ginger seem slightly ill at ease cast as the real-life dancing team of Vernon and Irene Castle. The stripped-to-essentials storyline boils down to novice dancer Irene (Rogers) convincing vaudeville comic Vernon (Astaire) to give up slapstick in favor of "classy" ballroom dancing. With the help of agent Edna May Oliver, the Castles hit their peak of fame and fortune in the immediate pre-World War I years. When Vernon is called to arms, Irene stays behind in the US, making patriotic movie serials to aid the war effort. Vernon is killed in a training accident, leaving a tearful Irene to carry on alone. To soften the shock of Astaire's on-screen death (it still packs a jolt when seen today), RKO inserted a closing "dream" dancing sequence, with a spectral Vernon and Irene waltzing off into the heavens. The film's production was hampered by the on-set presence of the real Irene Castle, whose insistence upon accuracy at all costs drove everyone to distraction--especially Ginger Rogers, who felt as though she was being treated like a marionette rather than an actress. In one respect, Mrs. Castle had good reason to be so autocratic. Walter, the "severest critic servant" character played by Walter Brennan, was in reality a black man. RKO was nervous about depicting a strong, equal-footing friendship between the white Castles and their black retainer, so a Caucasian actor was hired for the role. Mrs. Castle was understandably incensed by this alteration, and for the rest of her days chastised RKO for its cowardice. As it turned out, it probably wouldn't have mattered if Walter had been black, white, Chicano or Siamese; The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle was a financial bust, losing $50,000 at the box office. Perhaps as a result, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers would not team up again for another ten years. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: H.C. Potter
Written By: Irene Castle, Oscar Hammerstein II
Genres: Drama, Romance, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics

In Theaters: Jun 1, 1939 Wide
On DVD: Oct 24, 2006
Studio: Media Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Gabe Leibowitz, Film and Felt
It's not exactly a stretch for Astaire and Rogers, but they do the old rags-to-riches angle seamlessly, and the finale is surprisingly touching.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Lesser Astaire-Rogers vehicle, but pleasant.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
The duo's most unusual film, a surprisingly effective tearjerker

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Lanning :

And they are gone: ay, ages long ago These lovers fled away into the storm. These lines, the opening of the final stanza of John Keats' The Eve of St. Agnes, come to mind as the long run of Ginger and Fred comes to an end. It's their escape into… More
And they are gone: ay, ages long ago These lovers fled away into the storm. These lines, the opening of the final stanza of John Keats' The Eve of St. Agnes, come to mind as the long run of Ginger and Fred comes to an end. It's their escape into the realm of legend. Heartbreaking. Although they would reunite through a twist of fate a decade later, this was the last intentional pairing of Rogers and Astaire, the end of their nine film run into cinematic history. Perhaps because this tragic story is based on the real lives of Vernon and Irene Castle, and, of course, the untimely death of Vernon Castle, that story and the end of the Rogers and Astaire dynasty combine for an even sadder double impact. To see them, in the end, dancing off into the distance in Ginger's/Irene's imagination heightens the melancholy of the moment. The characters and the actors are gone, ay ages long ago. The greatest dancing duo in movie history -- then, now, and forever.
jay n

Different from other Fred & Ginger movies in being a bio and probably not too factual but great dancing, their chemistry and Edna May Oliver make it a fine entertainment.

Cast

            Fred Astaire as Vernon Castle

            Ginger Rogers as Irene Castle

            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. Foote

            Douglas Walton as Student Pilot

            Clarence Derwent as Papa Louis

            Sonny Lamont as Charlie

            Frances Mercer as Claire Ford

            Victor Varconi as Grand Duke

            Donald MacBride as Hotel Manager

            Buzz Barton
            
            Joe Bordeaux
            
            Eugene Borden
            
            Lynton Brent as Mechanic

            Don Brodie as Stage Manager

            Neal Burns
            
            Marge Champion as Irene's Girl Friend

            Tom Chatterton as Announcer

            Adrienne D'Ambricourt as Landlady

            Roy D'Arcy as Actor

            Hal K. Dawson as Man in Audience

            Elspeth Dudgeon as Lady Bolton

            Dick Elliott as Conductor

            Billy Franey
            
            Wesley Giraud as Newsboy

            Eleanor Hansen as Girlfriend

            Neal Hart
            
            Russell Hicks as Colonel

            George Irving as Colonel's Aide

            Tiny Jones as Lady in Revolving Door

            Jacques Lory as Cab Driver

            Dorothy Lovett
            
            Hugh McArthur
            
            Louis Mercier as Singer

            Leonard Mudie
            
            Esther Muir
            
            Bill Patton
            
            Jack Perrin
            
            Kay Sutton
            
            Theodore von Eltz
            
            Melinda Wood Allen as Messenger at Beach

            David MacDonald
            
            Frank Mills as Stage Manager

            Bruce Mitchell as Movie Director

            Frank O'Connor
            
            John Meredith as Army Pilot

            Mary Brodel as Girlfriend

            Claire Willis
            
            Armand Cortez
            
See full cast