I don't know why so many of the reviewers here have taken such a strong dislike to CAREFREE simply because they take the characters too seriously. Sure, FRED ASTAIRE doesn't show the most ethical side of a therapist but, hey, we know this is a Fred and Ginger movie, and isn't it a nice change of pace to have him playing a professional for a change, even if he is a cad?
And how can anyone fault GINGER ROGERS for being goofy when this is a screwball comedy that gives her a chance to demonstrate what she could do with physical comedy--such as her uninhibited way with breaking glass while under hypnosis? It's all done in good-natured style, with the usual "other man" role for RALPH BELLAMY as the guy who never has a chance of getting the girl. Although "Change Partners" is clearly the best Irving Berlin song in the whole show, it definitely needed better showcasing than it gets here. It comes across as a weak, throwaway number as performed in the film.
JACK Carson has a brief comic assignment that he handles deftly, but the film puts the spotlight on Ginger's comic abilities and it's she who has the meatiest role. Astaire, when dancing with or without Ginger, is at his usual peak of perfection, particularly in the golf course number.
Summing up: Highly enjoyable, if not among the best of the pair's best films.
And how can anyone fault GINGER ROGERS for being goofy when this is a screwball comedy that gives her a chance to demonstrate what she could do with physical comedy--such as her uninhibited way with breaking glass while under hypnosis? It's all done in good-natured style, with the usual "other man" role for RALPH BELLAMY as the guy who never has a chance of getting the girl. Although "Change Partners" is clearly the best Irving Berlin song in the whole show, it definitely needed better showcasing than it gets here. It comes across as a weak, throwaway number as performed in the film.
JACK Carson has a brief comic assignment that he handles deftly, but the film puts the spotlight on Ginger's comic abilities and it's she who has the meatiest role. Astaire, when dancing with or without Ginger, is at his usual peak of perfection, particularly in the golf course number.
Summing up: Highly enjoyable, if not among the best of the pair's best films.