Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day One: Putting on my Top Hat

A somewhat succesful hunt means that I have found the first two winners of Best Picture: Wings and The Broadway Melody which will be watched in due course.

But for now today I sat down and watched Top Hat.

The film was one of 10 nominated in the 1936 awards ceremony and is possibly one of the most famous musicals of all time. But yes I have never seen it until today. I don't know why but I think I had an aversion to the Fred and Ginger movies for some strange reason but I have to say I really enjoyed it.

You can see why the film was considered one of the best of its year. In a time where films were just coming into the age of sound this one already had it effortlessly implanted into the film the music from the very start was toe-tapping joy. Of course some of the songs are still implanted in the culture from 'Cheek to Cheek/I'm in Heaven' to 'Putting on my Top Hat' and the whole musical aspect is very well done without being overdone.

Some of the slapstick comedy and farcical nature of the film does seem archane by today's standards but its still quite funny in some places especially from Eric Blore as Bates the manservant while Fred and Ginger's chemistry is always winning and here is no different.

Overall I would say that this is a fine early sound feature with some brilliant musical numbers and a rightly Oscar-nominated set design. As the rest of these films roll in I will have to judge which one of the 1936 films was the best but Top Hat though nominated for four Oscars went home empty handed, Best Picture that year went to the original Mutiny on the Bounty.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to watch another Oscar picture and possibly a winner.