What It's About:

Seeking a divorce from her caddish hubby, Mimi Glossop (Rogers) travels to an English resort where her lawyer, Pinky (Edward Everett Horton), has arranged for her to be seen frolicking with a male escort. Unfortunately, she mistakes Guy Holden, a professional dancer whos taken a keen interest in Mimi on the boat ride over, for her assigned match-up.

Why I Love It:

Though they'd appeared together previously in "Flying Down to Rio," Sandrich's effervescent "Divorcee" was the true star-making debut of the inimitable Astaire-Rogers team, whose chemistry and footwork delighted Depression-era audiences. Fun, light-hearted, and utterly charming, this RKO vehicle boasts Dave Gould's marvelous choreography, fabulous Art Deco sets, a witty, sophisticated script, and ebullient comic turns by Horton, Alice Brady (as a serial divorcee), and even a young Betty Grable. Max Steiner's upbeat score and the Oscar-winning song "The Continental" certainly shimmer, but just watch the immortal game of seduction Astaire and Rogers pull off during the Cole Porter tune, "Night and Day." Now that's magic!