Swing Time Blu-ray - Fred Astaire

We have started a Patreon page with the hopes that some of our followers would be willing to donate a small amount to keep DVDBeaver alive. We are a tiny niche, so your generosity is vital to our existence.

We are talking about a minimum of $0.10 - $0.15 a day, perhaps a quarter (or more) to those who won't miss it from their budget. It equates to buying DVDBeaver a coffee once, twice or a few times a month. You can then participate in our monthly Silent auctions.

To those that are unfamiliar, Patreon is a secure/verified third-party service where users can agree to a monthly donation via credit card or PayPal by clicking the button below.

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by George Stevens
USA 1936

In this irresistible musical, the legendary dancing duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are at the pinnacle of their art as a feckless gambler and the shrewd dancing instructor in whom he more than meets his match. Director George Stevens laces their romance with humor and clears the floor for the movie’s showstopping dance scenes, in which Astaire and Rogers take seemingly effortless flight in a virtuosic fusion of ballroom and tap styles. Buoyed by beloved songs by Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern—including the Oscar-winning classic “The Way You Look Tonight”—Swing Time is an exuberant celebration of its stars’ chemistry, grace, and sheer joy in the act of performance.

***

The sixth of RKO's Fred Astaire -Ginger Rogers pairings of the 1930s, Swing Time starts off with bandleader Astaire getting cold feet on his wedding day. Astaire's bride-to-be Betty Furness will give him a second chance, providing he proves himself responsible enough to earn $25,000. Astaire naturally tries to avoid earning that amount once he falls in love with dance instructor Ginger Rogers. Numerous complications ensue, leading to the "second time's the charm" climax, with Ginger escaping her own wedding to wealthy Georges Metaxa in order to be reunited with Astaire. The film's most indelible image is that of Fred Astaire, immaculately attired in top hat and tails, hopping a freight car--a perfect encapsulation of the film's Depression-era cheekiness. The Jerome Kern-Dorothy Fields score includes such standards-to-be as "Pick Yourself Up," "A Fine Romance," "The Way You Look Tonight," "Never Gonna Dance" and "Bojangles of Harlem." The peerless supporting cast of Swing Time includes Helen Broderick, Victor Moore, Eric Blore, and Landers Stevens, the actor-father of the film's director, George Stevens.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: August 27th, 1936

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Warner - Region 1, 4 - NTSC vs. Criterion - Region 'A'/ 'B' - Blu-ray

1) Warner - Region 1, 4 - NTSC LEFT

2) Criterion - Region 'A' / 'B' - Blu-ray RIGHT

Box Cover		Also available in the UK, by Criterion on Blu-ray - July 8th, 2019
Distribution	Warner - Region 1,4 - NTSC	Criterion Spine #979 - Region 'A' / 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:43: 28	1:43:46.094
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.72 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.37:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 45,819,018,052 bytes Feature: 30,834,444,288 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.26 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate DVD:
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0)	LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English, Spanish, French, None	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Studios Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Commentary by John Mueller, author of Astaire Dancing • Featurette: The Swing of Things (14:47) • Musical short: Hotel a la Swing (21:38) • Classic cartoon: Bingo Crosbyana (7:53) • Theatrical trailer DVD Release Date: August 16th, 2005 Keep Case Chapters: 27	Release Information: Studio: Criterion 1.37:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 45,819,018,052 bytes Feature: 30,834,444,288 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.26 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Audio commentary from 1986 featuring John Mueller, author of Astaire Dancing: The Musical Films • Archival interviews with performers Fred Astaire (2:04) and Ginger Rogers (1980 - 21:06, 1982 - 4:09) and choreographer Hermes Pan (5:04) • New interview with George Stevens Jr. (7:21) • In Full Swing, a new program on the film’s choreography and soundtrack featuring jazz and film critic Gary Giddins, dance critic Brian Seibert, and Dorothy Fields biographer Deborah Grace Winer (40:56) •New interview with film scholar Mia Mask on the “Bojangles of Harlem” number (8:34) • PLUS: An essay by critic Imogen Sara Smith Blu-ray Release Date: June 11th, 2019 Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 15

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (May 2019): Criterion have transferred George Stevens' delightful Astaire/Rogers musical Swing Time to Blu-ray. It appears to be from the same master as the Warner DVD, with the same minor damage marks. This 1080P is described as a "New 2K digital restoration". The bitrate is approaching 6X that of the SD and this shows in the richer grain texture support - and contrast is better defined (the DVD image can look a shade green beside the BD.) The Blu-ray image is wonderful in-motion produces a very appealing presentation.

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. It is predictably flat with some issues regarding the age of the production but dialogue is clear if sometimes hollow. The Jerome Kern with lyricist Dorothy Fields (and uncredited Robert Russell Bennett) score includes Pick Yourself Up, The Way You Look Tonight, A Fine Romance, Bojangles of Harlem with many sang and danced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It sounds toe-tappingly clear and crisp. The Criterion BD offers optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' (In North American) and Region 'B' (in the UK) Blu-ray.

Criterion include the audio commentary from 1986 featuring John Mueller, author of Astaire Dancing: The Musical Films - it is still jammed with information and well-worth the indulgence for those keen on the film and Astaire. There are archival interviews with performers Fred Astaire hat was conducted by George Stevens Jr. in 1982. Two with Ginger Rogers from 1980 and 1982 - and another with Swing Time choreographer Hermes Pan that was conducted by George Stevens Jr. in 1982. We get a new interview with George Stevens Jr. founder of the American Film Institute and son of director George Stevens, discusses the evolution of his father's career. Also is a new interview with film scholar Mia Mask on the “Bojangles of Harlem” number and who discusses blackface used in that Swing Time. In Full Swing, is a new 40-minute program on the film’s choreography and soundtrack featuring jazz and film critic Gary Giddins, dance critic Brian Seibert, and Dorothy Fields's biographer Deborah Grace Winer discuss the making of Swing Time and the way Astaire and Rogers's films revolutionized the Hollywood dance musical. Lastly, is an liner notes essay by critic Imogen Sara Smith

Swing Time is one of the most beautiful of the early dance-musicals. It's funny, and romantic with wonderfully choreographed and performed dance sequences. It's a film I am very pleased to own on Blu-ray. Watchable any evening with the lights turned low - to step back in time when life was far more graceful, and simple yet classy - a very strong recommendation!