Top Hat [Region 2] | ![Top Hat [Region 2]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517WN5SQQQL._SL500_.jpg) | Directors: Mark Sandrich, Thornton Freeland
Actors: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Dolores del Rio, Gene Raymond, Edward Everett Horton
Category: DVD
This item is no longer available
Rating:  59 reviews
Sales Rank: 293055
Format: PAL
Languages: English (Original Language), Italian (Original Language), Portuguese (Original Language), German (Subtitled)
Region: 2
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 500255
EAN: 4006680023373
ASIN: B00005LJBT
Theatrical Release Date: September 6, 1935
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Amazon.com essential video
Even the best Fred and Ginger musicals are merely lavish excuses for some of the most elegant dancing ever put on screen, and Top Hat is no exception. The story is a silly but timeless tale of mistaken identity that compounds itself to extremes. Fred Astaire is the famous American hoofer Jerry Travers, in London preparing for a new show with his befuddled producer Horace Hardwick (the always entertaining Edward Everett Horton) when he falls for Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers), a lovely, wisecracking American girl as light on her feet as Jerry. Dale believes Jerry to be Horace, the husband of her best friend Madge (Helen Broderick) and rebuffs his advances by marrying her dressmaker Alberto (Erik Rhodes), but in the best tradition of musical comedy, true love finds its own way. Practically the entire cast of the 1934 hit The Gay Divorcee reunites for this frothy confection, along with director Mark Sandrich, designer Van Nest Polglase, and choreographer Hermes Pan. Irving Berlin provides a tuneful score, including "Cheek to Cheek," which provides a classic duet for Astaire and Rogers, and "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails," which remains one of Astaire's finest solo numbers. Polglase outdoes himself with sets both elegant and outrageous and Hermes Pan's choreography is as smooth as ever, but ultimately it's the grace and chemistry of the leads that makes Top Hat top entertainment. --Sean Axmaker
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 59
 Great entertainment, mediocre sound... February 7, 2010
A. Barratt (No. Va.)
Top Hot is a wonderful story of boy meets girl. There is a misunderstanding, a few obstacles and of course lots of dancing. This is a very enjoyable movie starring some of the greatest entertainers that Hollywood has ever known. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers prance through the dance numbers flawlessly, and with a style all aspiring dancers look up to. The only problem I found with this product was the mediocre sound that is so common in old musicals. The problem being that whenever a musical number starts the sound is uncomfortably loud and the words are not understandable. However, this flaw did not reduce my enjoyment of the movie and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a classic.
 A Classic not to be missed! February 5, 2010
Michael Kotski (Mill Valley, CA)
This is a must-see classic from 1935, nominated for 4 Academy Awards, features one of the best dance team ever: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. With the wonderful music of Irving Berlin, you'll hear the famous "Dancing Cheek to Cheek" number as well as many other memorable tunes. This film ranks as perhaps the best of the 10 films Astaire and Rogers have made. The Art Deco sets, the dancing, the humor, and the romance are all top notch. The DVD features many interesting extras including an interviews with Ava Astaire, Fred's daughter, and film historian, Larry Billman's detailed explanation why this film is such a major classic. The DVD authoring was made from a pristine original in glorious B&W . The image quality is superb for such an old film. HIGHLY recommended! [...]
A shining vestige of a golden age December 9, 2009
trastevere (rome, italy)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Charming, absurd, witty, delightful. Wonderful music, fabulous decor, a dream cast. And two or three of the greatest dance numbers ever filmed. What more could you want?
Top Hat - When America was Tops August 26, 2009
Curtis Chambers (Clearwater, FL USA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
There are two theories about human evolution. One is that we are moving forward - mankind has gone from using stone tools to computers and air conditioning. The other theory is that we are going backwards - the fall of the Roman Empire idea. If you subscribe to the latter, point of view, then you may not want to watch the movie, "Top Hat." It may only confirm your worst suspicions.
Filmed in 1935, the movie is not far off from being 100 years old.
That makes it as much of a time capsule as a movie! And although it is certainly tough to skip over your "Transformers II" DVD from NetFlix, you may find yourself rewarded for having another look at this old, old movie.
Let's consider it from a cultural standpoint.
Today, where I live in Florida, the "uniform" for men is cargo shorts, flip-flops, a t-shirt (hopefully with a pocket to make it more dressy) and a baseball cap. Back then, it wasn't even a suit and tie, it was a tuxedo, and not just a tuxedo, but a tuxedo with tails. And a fancy collar for the shirt. And a vest. With a pocket watch. And pocket squares. And cuff links. And shoes that were not just polished, but were patent leather, with these cool white things that fit over the top of them that I don't even know the name for, and I have a pretty decent vocabulary, if I do say so myself. And black buttons for the shirts. With hair not just groomed but sculpted and slicked back. You get the idea.
And as for the women, well, they wore hats, and I mean hats that were designed by artists and made by craftsman. Hats that could easily be in the museum today... not as historical artifacts, mind you, but as works of art. Someone sat there and thought these hats up, then made them, then women took the time to pick them out, and wear them. Not to mention the women's hairstyles, which were quite elaborate. I can only think the effects were achieved with curlers, which of course got a bad name when housewives started wearing them to the grocery stores in the 1950s. One more loss. Oh well.
And what did men argue about after having a martini and dancing (ballroom dancing, that is) till one in the morning? Things like whether it was permissible for a bow tie to have tapered rather than squared edges! Today most of us men could not even tie a bow tie.
Men don't wear hats today, we wear "caps."
Not only did men wear real hats back then, like fedoras, they sometimes even wore top hats. And they didn't just wear top hats back then, they named movies after them. Think about that for a second. How would that go over today? Now showing, "Die Hard 4," "Transformers 2," and "Top Hat." The studio marketing guys would cringe at the thought... script writers would lose their jobs at the mere suggestion of that for a title.
And of course, less we think this is all just make believe, that it was never really like that, that it was just a movie, there is Fred Astaire, plain to see through the magic of celluloid, who could dance like no one can today. As though to say, all this is no illusion: We really were at a level of culture then that cannot be even imagined today. Any more than we can imagine naming a movie, "Top Hat."
But don't despair. Today we have all kind of wonderful new things they didn't have back then - like McDonald's, the Internet, and ... blogging. Curtis
 Putting on the Ritz to Irving Berlin tunes April 19, 2009
R. Bagula (Lakeside, Ca United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
To get the picture of why this movie was such a hit , you have to realize that 1935 was the height of the depression in America.
Here we have a picture of a life of extreme ( almost heaven like)
living by a beautiful couple who sing and dance.
Fred Astaire was one of the first musical superstars in the movies.
Some of his stomping steps are more Spanish than anything,
but he was popular for his singing as well.
Ginger Rogers was the perfectly beautiful blond bomb shell who could dance.
The acting wasn't really much, but we don't expect it to be.
Rich people hiring airplanes to fly down to the Italian Rivera
and staying in hotels
that remind one of Roman palaces?
The result is still fantastic 80 years later!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 59
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