Lurking within the new Astaire / Rogers II set from Warner, and packaged with a CD of some of the most famous musical numbers from their films, is a feature length documentary entitled Astaire and Rogers - Partners in Rhythm.
Encompassing early history, along with their careers together through Barkleys, Partners is a quality work that could easily find sales on its own. While the film is a simple composite of stills, film footage and "talking head" interviews running the gamut from familiar faces like Peter Bogdanovich to more unique words from Joan Leslie and Hermes Pan, its sum is greater than the a simple composite of its parts. I found the most interesting discussion coming from Michael Feinstein, as he explains the background to some of most memorable music in the A/R pantheon.
I seldom break out an individual part of a boxed set for discussion, but in the case of Rhythm, it is not to be overlooked.
RAH
Encompassing early history, along with their careers together through Barkleys, Partners is a quality work that could easily find sales on its own. While the film is a simple composite of stills, film footage and "talking head" interviews running the gamut from familiar faces like Peter Bogdanovich to more unique words from Joan Leslie and Hermes Pan, its sum is greater than the a simple composite of its parts. I found the most interesting discussion coming from Michael Feinstein, as he explains the background to some of most memorable music in the A/R pantheon.
I seldom break out an individual part of a boxed set for discussion, but in the case of Rhythm, it is not to be overlooked.
RAH
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