A Damsel in Distress

PëRMBLEDHJE

Adapted by PG Wodehouse from a play that was based on his own novel, this was only Fred Astaire's second film without Ginger Rogers. But he's in sparkling form as a dance star who's attempting to trip the light fantastic with aristocratic Joan Fontaine. Hermes Pan's choreography won an Oscar, but every step is pure Astaire, and Fontaine (who was better known as a dramatic actress) never misses a beat. Playing themselves, George Burns and Gracie Allen show why they are so fondly remembered. And if that's not enough, there's a clutch of eminently hummable George Gershwin songs.