Well, if it were 1935 all over again, then you may just be stirring up a hornet's nest on the RKO Radio Pictures set, or perhaps an Ostrich nest. (It's light blue, by the way, and has since been donated to the Smithsonian Institution.)

Ginger and Fred discuss the flowing feathers' incident many years later in each star's autobiography, and also in interview in the 1986 RKO documentary, "Hollywood: the Golden Years," a treasure with some of its greatest stars.

Fred enlisted director Mark Sandrich to attack Ginger, who designed the gown, and who enlisted her mother, Leela, to battle it out with the guys, while the crew remained silent. One crew member finally walked by Ginger at the studio exit, and then he whispered as he passed by, "Well, I liked it."

Article

Additional article

And, for what it's worth, I like it very much, too, Ginger.

Very interesting articles. Thanks for posting them.

I, too, like the feather dress very much. Definitely a classic.

Wow: Can you believe it's now 82 years old?

From the BBC Talkshow "Parkinson (1971-2007)":


Interview with Fred Astaire (14 February 1976) - video at 36:24.

Fred Astaire:

"And then there was the feather thing with Ginger, which became kind of a legend. She had a feather dress that, like a snowstorm, it took off, when we were cheek to cheek, and there were feathers in this thing, and then she, take after take, the screen was full of feathers, and it was like snowing, and then we'd have to stop, sweep up the feathers. In fact, when she moulted enough, we were able to go on with the dance and it was fine, and then of course, some people made that that was a fight. There was no fight. We were roaring with laughter by the end."