Astaire & Rogers: The Signature Collection (1935)

Five Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films combine on this collection.

THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, whose last joint project had been made 10 years before, come together one final time for this film. The magical pair play performers Josh and Dinah Barkley, whose act -- and marriage -- break up when Dinah decides to become a "serious actress". Among the unforgettable numbers are: "They Can't Take that Away from Me" (which Astaire and Rogers first performed in 1937's "Shall We Dance"), "Shoes With Wings On", "Swing Trot" and "You'd Be So Hard to Replace."

FOLLOW THE FLEET: When he is rejected by his lady love, a song-and-dance man enlists in the navy. The estranged couple later meet again and join forces to solve the romantic difficulties of another star-crossed pair. An Astaire-Rogers musical featuring some of Irving Berlin's best songs including: "Let's Face the Music and Dance," "Let Yourself Go," "We Saw the Sea." Typical but delightful.

SHALL WE DANCE: Astaire and Rogers engage in romantic antics aboard a luxury ocean liner while dancing their way through such Gershwin tunes as "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," "They All Laughed," "They Can't Take that Away From Me" and many others. Academy Award Nominations: Best Song ("They Can't Take That Away From Me").

SWING TIME: he fifth sublime teaming of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, SWING TIME is regarded by many as their finest film. The tenuous plot, which mainly serves to connect the brilliant dance numbers, concerns John "Lucky" Garnett (Astaire), a gambler and professional dancer. When Garnett arrives late to his wedding, his prospective father-in-law implements a punishment, insisting that Garnett raise $25,000 before he can marry Margaret Watson (Betty Furness). Still in tails, he hops a freight for New York, where he gets involved in a scrape with dance instructor Penny Carrol (Rogers). After following her to the dance studio, Lucky poses as a neophyte in need of training. Penny's boss Gordon (Eric Blore), happens to witness Lucky's incompetence, in the "Pick Yourself Up" number and is about to fire the young woman for nonperformance when Lucky launches into a dazzling display of terpsichorean skill. Impressed, the studio owner offers to get them an audition at the famed Silver Sandal nightclub. Arguably the peak of the Astaire-Rogers partnership, the dancers' nearly perfect blending of song, dance, wit, and decor only improves with time. Especially memorable are the subtly erotic tempo shifts of "Never Gonna Dance" and the coruscating technical command of "Bojangles of Harlem," a tribute to the great African-American tap dancer.

TOP HAT: One of the best musicals by the Astaire-Rogers team. Features top tunes by Irving Berlin including "Cheek to Cheek," "Top Hat" and others. Academy Award Nominations: 4, including Best Picture.