Gay Divorcee, The, was a hit Hollywood motion-picture musical that starred the dance team of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The team danced to a brilliant score composed by Cole Porter, notably the famous ballad “Night and Day.” The classic production number “The Continental,” with music by Con Conrad and lyrics by Herb Magidson, became the first song ever to win an Academy Award. The film was released in 1934. Astaire and Rogers first appeared together as supporting players in the movie musical Flying Down to Rio (1933). The Gay Divorcee was the first starring film for the dance team. They made eight more.
The Gay Divorcee was an adaptation of the 1932 Broadway stage musical Gay Divorce, which also starred Astaire. The title was altered for the movie because of fears that the stage title was too suggestive. The story is an improbable romantic tale of Astaire pursuing Rogers to an English seaside resort, where she is awaiting a divorce. The film included a group of supporting players who formed a kind of repertory company for later Astaire-and-Rogers film musicals. The actors included Eric Blore, Alice Brady, Edward Everett Horton, and Erik Rhodes.
See also Astaire, Fred ; Motion picture (Movies in the 1930’s) ; Porter, Cole ; Rogers, Ginger .
