Carefree (1938)

(On Cable TV, January 2021) As the eighth of the ten Astaire/Rogers movies, Carefree is clearly not in the same class as its predecessors. More comic than musical, it features Astaire as a psychiatrist who falls for one of his hypnotized patients. Now, a near-constant in Astaire’s filmography is a dodgy concept of romantic consent: it’s not a reflection of his personal values (Astaire is one of the few Classic Hollywood stars with a mostly spotless romantic history) as much of the social mores of the time where males were supposed to be persistent. Still, even by those historical standards, Carefree is more problematic than most: not only is there the breach of professional ethics in having Astaire date a patient (an engaged one, no less!), but the hypnosis plotting device introduces all sorts of further issues—although it should be noted that many of the comic complications stem from Astaire’s character inducing feelings of hatred in his patient… with dangerous consequences for him! Merely four musical numbers pepper Carefree, many of them in dream sequences: a choice that ends up placing too much emphasis on the plotting of the film rather than its musical interludes. While the film is remembered for having the first big kiss between Astaire and Rogers, there otherwise isn’t much here to watch. Astaire is a good lead, but the plot doesn’t have him in a role that allows for much dancing, and that reflects on the rest of the film. Oh, Carefree is watchable enough, and it does have its comic moments: in particular, there’s a sustained sequence in which Rogers (under hypnosis) keeps trying to break a pane glass that’s quite funny. But it’s also a disappointment, especially for seasoned fans of the pair. It feels like a second-tier film (if not a third tier one) in their shared filmography by being merely serviceable when compared to their demonstrated potential. It’s still worth a look, but only after better examples.