FOLLOW THE FLEET

Evening Star, Issue 22447, 18 September 1936, Page 6

FOLLOW THE FLEET

BRILLIANT ASTAIRE-ROUERS MUSICAL AT STATE There arc no half-measures about the new h'red Astaire-Ginger Rogers musical, ‘ Follow the Fleet,’ at present at the State. It uses not one, but four, bands to present the Irving Berlin tunes composed especially for the nautical adventures and land romancing of these masters of song and dance. A wing-footed music-mad sailor in the 11KU Radio film, Astaire himself conducts one 10-piece band and presents the first of Berlin’s seven compositions with it aboard a battleship in San Francisco harbour. The piece is ‘We Saw the Sea.’ For this and other sequences on the deck of a U.S. battleship a navy band provides traditional marine music. A 12-piece dance orchestra playing in a San Francisco dance hall sets the fox-trot rhythm for Ginger Rogers in her rendition of the rollicking ‘ Let Yourself Go.’ Astaire’s band provides the background for the costars when they dance and sing to ‘ Let’s Face the Music and Dance ’ and ‘ I’m Putting All My Eggs In One Basket.’ Another large dance orchestra accompanies RKO Radio’s singing discovery of the year, Harriet Hilliard, who stops from the featured vocalist’s spot in Ozzie Nelson’s orchestra and from national broadcasting rooms to bow to filmgoers, rendering ‘ Get Thee Behind Me, Satan,’ and ‘Here Am I, But Where Are You? ’ Mark Sandrich, of ‘ Gay Divorcee ’ and ‘ Top Hat ’ fame, directed. Pandro S. Berman produced. It is as a tap-dancer that Fred Astaire is best known, and the numbers he presents with his attractive partner in the present film admirably maintain the high standard set by his excellent performances in ‘ Roberta ’ and ‘ Top Hat.’ He receives capable support from a largo cast, and the film provides thoroughly enjoyable Jight entertainment.