10 Must-See Ginger Rogers Films

Ginger Rogers was known for her elaborate dancing with Fred Astaire. But she did just fine on her own, acting in all different genres of films, not just musicals. Here are the top 10 Ginger Rogers films you should check out!

The Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

The Gold Diggers of 1933 is about aspiring actresses (Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Aline MacMahon, and Ginger Rogers) whose last Broadway show got shut down due to lack of funds. When a wealthy composer (Dick Powell) gives them money for a show, he insists that his identity is not revealed. The girls become suspicious and assume he must be a crook or something, but it ends up that he is the son of a wealthy man. His family doesn’t want him to be associated with the theater and when his brother (Warren William) finds out, he assumes the worst.

Tender Comrade (1943)

Tender Comrade is the story of a woman (Ginger Rogers) who says goodbye to her husband (Robert Ryan) who is going away to war. When her coworkers are in the same situation with their husbands gone, they decide to pool money together and rent a house. The four women have differences but will they be able to band together for the duration of the war?

Storm Warning (1950)

Storm Warning is the story of a woman (Ginger Rogers) who goes and visits her sister (Doris Day) in the South. The woman witnesses a murder committed by the KKK and works with police to try to identify who did it. This is probably one of the more serious films that Rogers was in.

Rafter Romance (1933)

Rafter Romance is about a man (Norman Foster) and a woman (Ginger Rogers) who share an apartment on a shift basis. When they realize that their “roommate” is of the opposite sex, they start to play pranks on each other, having decided they don’t like who they are sharing the apartment with. But alas, there is romance in the air and their rooming arrangement might fall apart.

Swing Time (1936)

Swing Time is about a gambler/dancer (Fred Astaire) who makes a promise to his fiancee’s father that he can raise $25,000. However, he ends up falling in love with a dance school teacher (Ginger Rogers) and does anything in his power to make sure he doesn’t raise the money.

Stage Door (1937)

Stage Door is about a group of aspiring actresses who all live in the same boarding house. With all those different personalities in one place, you know there will be some conflict! Aside from that, we watch as they go through ups and downs together, all trying to become stars.

Vivacious Lady (1938)

Vivacious Lady is the story of a professor (James Stewart) who decides to marry a nightclub singer (Ginger Rogers). His family and friends aren’t happy with the union, but his new wife tries her best to make a good impression. Does she always do the right thing? Well, no. But does she mean well? Yes.

Primrose Path (1940)

Primrose Path is about a woman (Ginger Rogers) who has a tough family life. Her father is an alcoholic and her mother is a prostitute. She tries her best to rise above her upbringing and finds a man (Joel McCrea) who she falls in love with. She keeps her family’s history from him but when he finds out, their relationship is liable to fall apart.

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Bachelor Mother (1939)

Bachelor Mother is the story of a woman (Ginger Rogers) who loses her job and then finds a baby on the doorsteps of an orphanage. When she tries to bring the baby in from the cold, she is mistaken for its mother. The orphanage finds out where she works and then contacts the son (David Niven) of the department store owner. She then gets her job back, but only if she takes care of the baby. Then there is a lot of mistaken identity that causes her headaches and laughs.

Kitty Foyle (1940)

Kitty Foyle is about a middle-class woman (Ginger Rogers) who falls in love with a high-society man (Dennis Morgan). However, when she meets his family they disapprove of her. She then runs away from him and when they are finally reunited, she has to decide between him or another man.