The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle

Astaire and Rogers ventured into new territory, with their "farewell film," as it was described by RKO. A biopic took the place of the narrative fantasy structures of earlier films. For the first time, professional setbacks, financial worries, war and death appeared on the cinematic horizon, serious and thoughtful tones were sounded. Astaire and Rogers play and dance their way through the lives of Vernon and Irene Castle, a husband-and-wife team of ballroom dancers, who enjoyed international stage success before World War I, and also contributed significantly to the spread of new, informal social dances with their dance school, nightclub and books. An important side effect of their activities was the democratization of dance, a breaking down of social boundaries. Playing the Castles, Rogers and Astaire also inscribed themselves in the history of the development of dance. (mg)