Top Hat: Evans/Top Hat

__Top Hat__ is the first volume to spotlight this classic Hollywood film, probing the musical genre, notions of romance and subjectivity, as well as the contested relations between the sexes. * Offers a detailed analysis of one of Hollywood's greatest musicals, including a comprehensive survey of the film's production, promotion and reception, all measured against the background of 1930s socio-political contexts in the USA * Explores the musical genre and questions of (gendered) national identity, romance, subjectivity and the notion of the couple * Written in a clear, accessible style, Top Hat probes text and context carefully to appeal to the student and teacher of the musical and of Hollywood film history, as well as the film-loving general reader Content: Chapter 1 The Making of Top Hat (pages 6–18): Chapter 2 Fred Astaire (pages 19–25): Chapter 3 Ginger Rogers (pages 26–34): Chapter 4 Introduction to Narrative and Number (pages 35–42): Chapter 5 The Numbers (pages 43–84): Chapter 6 Querying National and Sexual Identity (pages 85–100): The making of Top hat: production, promotion, reception Fred Astaire: 'outlaw' stylist of the dance Ginger Rogers: 'vivacious lady', confirming and defying convention Introduction to narrative and number: The bumpy road to love The numbers: 'No strings', 'Isn't this a lovely day to be caught in the rain', 'Top Hat', 'Cheek to cheek', 'The piccolino' Beddini, Bates, Horace and Madge: querying national and sexual identity Conclusion: a perfectly swell romance.