The general plot style is pretty familiar to fans of the dance team of Astaire and Rogers--they meet, they hate each other, they fall in love, they hate each other again and they make up in the end and live happily ever after. Yet despite this, the film is amusing and captivating.

Historically speaking, this is a super-important film, as it was the first film to star Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the lead. While they had danced together in a prior film, FLYING DOWN TO RIO, they were only supporting actors and the film lacked the beautiful chemistry and artistry of a true Astaire and Rogers film. Amazingly enough, even though this was their first starring film together, it is among their absolute best. It's really hard to say whether this or TOP HAT is their best film. I tend to very slightly prefer TOP HAT because the songs are the best of any of their films, but this one is nearly as good and is definitely more original. And what's not to like about the film?! The acting, dancing, class, sophistication, direction and writing were all top-notch and make this among the best musicals ever made.

The Gay Divorcée is the answer to the trivia question of which of Fred Astaire's and Ginger Rogers's is one that Fred Astaire had previously done on Broadway. When Astaire did it on Broadway, the Cole Porter musical had been entitled The Gay Divorce. But that extra 'e' was added on lest anyone get the idea that divorce itself was something frivolous. Imagine anticipating Britney Spears by about 70 years.

Actually Fred had also done Funny Face and The Bandwagon on stage as well. But on stage The Bandwagon was a revue and Funny Face had an entirely different plot than the musical made by Astaire in the Fifties. Only in The Gay Divorcée was he asked to repeat a stage role.

The basic plot is still the same, the usual Astaire-Rogers case of mistaken identity. Ginger is the budding divorcée going to London to get a divorce as Aunt Alice Brady hired a professional co-respondent. Ginger mistakes Fred for that co-respondent and it takes a while for Fred to warm her up.

Fred's an American musical comedy star visiting London with his manager Edward Everett Horton who also happens to know Brady. This gives the excuse for the musical numbers.

Cole Porter's score was cut completely from the screen other than the immortal Night and Day. In it's place came four songs, three written by Harry Revel&Mack Gordon and one written by Con Conrad&Herb Magdison. Fred and Ginger dance divinely to Night and Day.

Fred does a solo dance to A Needle in a Haystack and Don't Let It Bother You. Betty Grable got her first notice from the movie going public, singing and dancing in Let's Knock Knees all of which were contributed by Revel&Gordon.

But it was The Continental number by Con Conrad and Herbert Magdison that got the first Academy Award ever given out for Best Original Song in a motion picture. It's what The Gay Divorcée is remembered for today. It's a rather long, between ten and fifteen minutes of screen time, but as magical as ever

The Gay Divorce ran for 248 performances on Broadway during the 1932- 1933 season. Sacrificed for romance are Porter's witty lyrics in the rest of the score containing their usual commentary on the social scene. Of all the American musical giants of the era, I would say that Cole Porter wins hands down as the man that Hollywood butchered the most in bringing his work to the screen. Even before The Code was in place, it seemed that the powers that be deemed that his work was way too sophisticated and naughty to be seen and heard as is.

Still with the film being frothy romance instead of social commentary, The Gay Divorcée is still great entertainment. Also repeating their roles from Broadway are supercilious waiter Eric Blore and the real co-respondent Tonetti who prefers spaghetti, Erik Rhodes.

Wit for romance, you decide if it was a fair exchange.

The plots have never come across as a strong suit in Fred and Ginger's films, however when everything else is so good it doesn't present much of a problem. That is the case with The Gay Divorcée and Fred and Ginger's other films too, if you want great escapism they provide that. In regard to Fred and Ginger's films, The Gay Divorcée is one of their best, personal ranking would be third place behind Top Hat and Swing Time(with Top Hat getting the edge, Follow the Fleet and Shall We Dance are extremely good too). The story here is thin, but one of the more cohesive and wittiest stories in their films as well. The Gay Divorcée, if not quite so much as Swing Time, is a beautiful-looking film, the sets are ingeniously delightful with the standout being the deco Brighton and the photography shows great technical skill and sensitivity. The score is lush and often romantic-sounding thanks to Max Steiner's very distinctive musicality and arranging. And the songs are just wonderful, Night and Day is timeless but as a whole scene, visually, choreographically and song-wise, while long The Continental was the highlight. The script has plenty of warmth, wit and heart, Erik Rhodes' line about Tornetti and spaghetti raises a big chuckle. The choreography merges so well with the music and looks so athletic and poised even now, and it's matched perfectly by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers', both giving endearing performances, dancing. The supporting cast are also spot on, Erik Rhodes like he did in Top Hat comes very close to stealing the show while Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore don't disappoint. Young Betty Grable really shines too in the number Let's K-nock K-nees. In conclusion, one of Fred and Ginger's best, a really exciting start to an iconic pairing which gave way to films that are equally as good. 10/10 Bethany Cox