Swing Time was originally going to bear a title of Never Gonna Dance or I Won't Dance, but it was decided such a name would not be very enticing for a movie musical. Director George Stevens is credited with coming up with the final title.

A common criticism leveled at Swing Time is that it drags in the beginning. The first musical sequence occurs roughly 24 minutes into the picture. Actually, though, the film was to have started with a musical number. There was originally a routine by Astaire and his buddies in the magic-and-dance troupe, to a song called "It's Not in the Cards." The number was deemed weak and cut from the film. The sequence did exist in the print sent to Radio City Music Hall for its premiere, and several early New York reviews mention it. All subsequent prints deleted the scene however, and the footage is apparently lost. As the film opens now, we only see Astaire coming offstage after the number, and the viewer feels cheated as a result.

Swing Time director George Stevens cast his father, Landers Stevens, as the irate potential father-in-law who gets the movie's plot rolling. The elder Stevens had been an actor in films since 1920. Seldom playing more than bit parts, he nevertheless appeared in 90 movies before his death in 1940.

Swing Time features the first real kiss of the Astaire-Rogers series, though the audience does not see it directly. Actually, two kisses are implied. One occurs behind a door that swings open and blocks the camera's view, and the other occurs with Fred's back to the camera. It would be two more films before we see an unobstructed on-screen kiss between the pair.

George Stevens' direction and the photography by David Abel emphasized the shimmering contrasts often seen in the Astaire-Rogers films. The glittering whites and the deep blacks are constantly showing up in the sets, costumes and design. It is no mistake that snow is repeated several times as a romantic motif, and mirrored on the major club set as twinkling stars.

Helen Broderick (Mabel in Swing Time) had appeared in one other Astaire-Rogers film, Top Hat in 1935, but five years earlier she had appeared in the original Broadway production of The Band Wagon which featured Fred and Adele Astaire in their final joint appearance. She is the mother of actor Broderick Crawford, who would later win the Best Actor Oscar® for All the King's Men (1949).

George Stevens also directed the 1935 Wheeler & Woolsey comedy The Nitwits, featuring the song "Music in My Heart," co-written by Swing Time lyricist Dorothy Fields.

A year prior to Swing Time, Ginger Rogers sang several Dorothy Fields-penned lyrics, in the movie In Person. Rogers danced to "Out of Sight, Out of Mind," sang "Don't Mention Love to Me," and sang and danced to "Got a New Lease on Life." These songs were co-written by Fields and Oscar Levant.

Eric Blore, the rotund and fussy dance school instructor in Swing Time, shows up in four Astaire-Rogers movies, more than any other supporting player. His other appearances are in The Gay Divorcee (1934), Top Hat, and Shall We Dance (1937).

In 1935 Fred Astaire was signed to the Brunswick label to record new studio versions of his movie songs. Without Ginger Rogers, he released several Swing Time songs on 78rpm records. In 1936 these titles were recorded with backing by Johnny Green and His Orchestra: "The Way You Look Tonight", "Never Gonna Dance", "Pick Yourself Up", "A Fine Romance", and "Bojangles of Harlem." On the latter, we hear Fred's dancing as well.

According to author Arlene Croce in The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Book, The Silver Sandal nightclub in Swing Time "was named after The Silver Slipper on West 48th Street, one of New York's best-known night clubs. Like most of the clubs it was gone by 1932; another club with the same name was opened in the Forties. The Club Raymond was a composite of Hollywood's Clover Club, where movie people did a lot of heavy gambling, and the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center, which opened the same year that Silver Slipper closed. In the film, John Harkrider's set for "Bojangles" looks like part of the Silver Sandal."

by John Miller

Famous Quotes from SWING TIME

Margaret (Betty Furness): John Dear – you'll come back soon, won't you?
Lucky (Fred Astaire): Well, that all depends upon the stakes – er, the stocks – er, business!

Penny (Ginger Rogers): Alright, give it back.
Lucky: Uh, give what back?
Penny: The quarter you stole from my purse – hand it over or I'll call a policeman.
Lucky: I haven't got it – I gave it to you back at the cigarette machine.
Penny: Officer!
Cop (Edgar Dearing): What seems to be the trouble...Oh, good morning, Sir!
Penny: Officer, this man stole a quarter from my purse – make him give it back.
Cop: Now Miss, does he look like a man who would go around stealing quarters?
Penny: I don't care what you think he happens to look like, I know he stole my quarter.
Cop: Run along now, you're obstructing traffic...
Penny: Why you... you... Cossack!
Lucky: Officer, you know – you had no right to speak to that little girl that way.
Cop: Oh, I suppose you're gonna tell me what my duty is...
Lucky: Not at all, but I...
Cop: Listen – guys like you pay me to protect them from screwy dames!
Lucky: That's all very well, but in this instance I'm sure you were wrong.
Cop: Oh, so now I'm wrong – you ought to thank me for what I've done.
Lucky (sarcastically): Well, alright – thank you!
Cop: Alright! (Truck horn beeps repeatedly as Pop says something in cop's direction)
Cop: What did you say?
Pop (Victor Moore): I said 'Look out for the great big ditch!'

Lucky (caught gambling, he has lost his pants): Penny! Uh – listen – Penny, look – let me explain – see, the clothes that I had before...
Penny: When you're talking to a lady, you should take your hat off.
Mabel (Helen Broderick): Your petticoat's showing...

Announcer at club: This concludes "The Ricardo Romero Romantic Melody Hour."
Lucky: You know, I don't like that fellow.
Penny: Oh, he's very nice.
Lucky: WHAT?
Penny: You have no reason to dislike him – you don't even know him.
Lucky: That's true, but when I dislike someone for no reason I find it more enjoyable.

Penny: What's the name of this place we're going to?
Mabel: The new Amsterdam. I used to go there in the summers as a kid. Y'know – before the War.
Pop: Which war?

Lucky: You're not really angry...
Penny: No – disappointed.
Lucky: Aw, don't be that way – you're too nice.
Penny: You're nice too, sometimes.
Lucky: Only sometimes?
Penny: Well, there're times when I can't make you out – when you're so...aloof.
Lucky: Oh, so I'm aloof, am I? (Lucky leans in for a kiss, gets hit by a snowball from Pop).
Pop: Ohhh – C'mon and play.
Penny: He wants to play.

Lucky: Penny – oh, never mind. I just want to wish you good luck – and all that.
Penny: And all what?
Lucky: Whatever you want.
Penny: Does she dance very beautifully?
Lucky: Who?
Penny: The girl you're in love with.
Lucky: Yes. Very.
Penny: The girl you're engaged to – the girl you're going to marry.
Lucky: Oh, I don't know. I've danced with you. I'm never going to dance again.