For a film that had essentially no plot, Damsel in Distress was sufficiently entertaining. I kept in mind that this was a Fred Astaire film so I had to expect the typical boy-girl romance technique. I was a little disappointed that Joan Fontaine was selected to play the opposing lead of Astaire, since Fontaine was far superior in her acting abilities. This film did nothing for her career because she could not sing, nor dance. Unfortunately, it was made painfully obvious by the film, probably the lack of good direction or the lack of dancing ability on Fontaine's part. However, this was not her fault at all, her talent lied in a different direction.
The music was entertaining in different parts. I only liked selected dancing routines. For instance, when Fred Astaire dances in the streets of London to evade police, I thought this showed his great gift for tap. But I was blown away, when I saw the last routine done by Astaire, in which he taps around drums. I fast forward through the whole film just to see that clip. It's probably the only one worth watching.
George Burns and Gracie Allen are funny, but at times they tend to annoy me. They seem to be trying very hard to get a chuckle, which was also became painfully obvious by the end of the film.
If you are into an intricate plot, do not watch this film because this film has minimal plot. Watch this film only for the dancing, the dancing and the dancing.
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