Ginger Rogers

Actresses

Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer, and singer. She is best remembered for performing during the 1930s in RKO’s musical films (partnered with Fred Astaire). Her career continued on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century.

Born in Independence, Missouri, and raised in Kansas City, Rogers and her family moved to Fort Worth, Texas, when she was nine years old. After winning a 1925 Charleston dance contest that launched a successful vaudeville career, she gained recognition as a Broadway actress for her debut stage role in Girl Crazy. This led to a contract with Paramount Pictures, which ended after five films. One of her earliest roles was in Young Man of Manhattan (1930), starring Claudette Colbert; Rogers repeated line in the film “Cigarette me, big boy” became a catchphrase during the 1930s. She had her first successful film role as a supporting actress in 42nd Street (1933).

Rogers made nine films in the 1930s with Astaire, which were some of her biggest successes such as Swing Time (1936) and Top Hat (1935). After two commercial failures with Astaire, Rogers began to branch out into dramatic and comedy films. Her acting was well received by critics and audiences as she became one of the biggest box-office draws and highest paid actresses of the 1940s. Her performance in Kitty Foyle (1940) won her the Academy Award for Best Actress. Other notable roles during this period include Change of Heart (1934), with Janet Gaynor and James Dunn; Roberta (1935), with Irene Dunne, Astaire, Randolph Scott; Stage Door (1937), with Katharine Hepburn, Adolphe Menjou, Gail Patrick, Lucille Ball; Having a Wonderful Time (1938), with Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Ball, Red Skelton; Vivacious Lady (1938), with James Stewart, Charles Coburn, Hattie McDaniel; Tales of Manhattan (1942), with Henry Fonda, Cesar Romero, Rita Hayworth, Gail Patrick; Billy Wilder‘s debut American feature The Major and the Minor (1942), with Ray Milland; and Leo McCarey‘s Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942), with Cary Grant.

Rogers’ popularity had peaked by the end of the decade. She reunited with Astaire in 1949 in the commercially successful The Barkleys of Broadway. Other notable films during this period included Monkey Business (1952), with Grant, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn; Forever Female (1953), with William Holden; Black Widow (1955), with Gene Tierney; and Tight Spot (1955), with Edward G. Robinson. After an unsuccessful period in the 1950s, Rogers returned to Broadway in 1965, playing the lead role in Hello, Dolly! More lead roles on Broadway followed, along with her stage directorial debut in 1985 on an off-Broadway production of Babes in Arms. Rogers also made television acting appearances until 1987. In 1992, Rogers was recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors. She died of a heart attack in 1995, at the age of 83.

Each review will be linked to the title below.

(*seen originally in theaters)

(**seen rereleased in theaters)

  • A Day of a Man of Affairs (1929) – directed by Basil Smith – short
  • A Night in a Dormitory (1930) – directed by Harry Delmar – short
  • Campus Sweethearts (1930) – directed by James Leo Meehan – short
  • Young Man in Manhattan (1930) – directed by Monta Bell
  • The Sap from Syracuse (1930) – directed by A. Edward Sutherland
  • Queen High (1930) – Fred C. Newmeyer
  • Office Blue (1930) – directed by Mort Blumenstock – short
  • Follow the Leader (1930) – Norman Taurog & Albert Parker – aka Manhattan Mary
  • Honor Among Lovers (1930) – directed by Dorothy Arzner
  • The Tip-Off (1931) – directed by Albert S. Rogell
  • Suicide Fleet (1931) – directed by Albert S. Rogell
  • Running Hollywood (1932) – directed by Charles Lamont – short
  • Carnival Boat (1932) – directed by Albert S. Rogell
  • The Tenderfoot (1932) – directed by Ray Enright
  • The Thirteenth Guest (1932) – directed by Albert Ray
  • Hat Check Girl (1932) – directed by Sidney Lanfield
  • You Said a Mouthful (1932) – directed by Lloyd Bacon
  • 42nd Street (1933) – directed by Lloyd Bacon
  • Broadway Bad (1933) – directed by Sidney Lanfield
  • Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) – directed by Mervyn LeRoy
  • Professional Sweetheart (1933) – directed by William A. Seiter
  • Don’t Bet on Love (1933) – directed by Murray Roth
  • A Shriek in the Night (1933) – directed by Albert Ray
  • Rafter Romance (1933) – directed by William A. Seiter
  • Chance at Heaven (1933) – directed by William A. Seiter
  • Sitting Pretty (1933) – directed by Harry Joe Brown
  • Flying Down to Rio (1933) – Thornton Freeland
  • Upperworld (1934) – directed by Roy Del Ruth
  • Twenty Million Sweethearts (1934) – directed by Ray Enright
  • Finishing School (1934) – directed by George Nicholls Jr. & Wanda Tuchock
  • Change of Heart (1934) – directed by John G. Blystone
  • The Gay Divorcee (1934) – directed by Mark Sandrich
  • Romance in Manhattan (1935) – directed by Stephen Roberts
  • Roberta (1935) – directed by
  • William A. Seiter
  • Star of Midnight (1935) – directed by Stephen Roberts
  • Top Hat (1935) – directed by Mark Sandrich
  • In Person (1935) – directed by William A. Seiter
  • Follow the Fleet (1936) – directed by Mark Sandrich
  • Swing Time (1936) – directed by George Stevens
  • Shall We Dance (1936) – directed by Mark Sandrich
  • Stage Door (1937) – directed by Gregory La Cava
  • Vivacious Lady (1938) – directed by George Stevens
  • Having Wonderful Time (1938) – directed by Alfred Santell
  • Carefree (1938) – directed by Mark Sandrich
  • The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) – directed by H.C. Potter
  • Bachelor Mother (1939) – directed by Garson Kanin
  • Fifth Avenue Girl (1939) – directed by Gregory La Cava
  • Primrose Path (1940) – directed by Gregory La Cava
  • Lucky Partners (1940) – directed by Lewis Milestone
  • Kitty Foyle (1940) – directed by Sam Wood
  • Tom, Dick and Harry (1941) – directed by Garson Kanin
  • Roxie Hart (1942) – directed by William A. Wellman
  • Tales of Manhattan (1942) – directed by Julien Duvivier
  • The Major and the Minor (1942) – directed by Billy Wilder
  • Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942) – directed by Leo McCarey
  • Tender Comrade (1943) – directed by Edward Dmytryk
  • Lady in the Dark (1944) – directed by Mitchell Leisen
  • I’ll Be Seeing You (1944) – directed by by William Dieterle
  • Week-End at the Waldorf (1945) – directed by Robert Z. Leonard
  • Heartbeat (1946) – directed by Sam Wood
  • Magnificent Doll (1946) – directed by Frank Borzage
  • It Had to Be You (1947) – directed by Don Hartman & Rudolph Maté
  • The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) – directed by Charles Walters
  • Perfect Strangers (1950) – directed by Bretaigne Windust
  • Storm Warning (1951) – directed by Stuart Heisler
  • The Groom Wore Spurs (1951) – directed by Richard Whorf
  • We’re Not Married! (1952) – directed by Edmund Goulding
  • Dreamboat (1952) – directed by Claude Binyon
  • Monkey Business (1952) – directed by Howard Hawks
  • Forever Female (1953) – directed by Irving Rapper
  • Twist of Fate (1954) – directed by David Miller
  • Black Widow (1954) – directed by Nunnally Johnson
  • Tight Spot (1955) – directed by Phil Karlson
  • The First Traveling Saleslady (1956) – directed by Arthur Lubin
  • Teenage Rebel (1956) – directed by Edmund Goulding
  • Oh, Men! Oh, Women! (1957) – directed by Nunnally Johnson
  • Quick, Let’s Get Married! (1964) – directed by William Dieterle
  • Cinderella (1965) – directed by Charles S. Dubin – TV movie
  • Harlow (1965) – directed by Alex Segal