Aren't They Romantic?

The reason why Date Night is getting buzz among the public is not because of its plot or the director. People want to see it because they want to see Steve Carell and Tina Fey. They are two of the most popular comedians working today. Together will probably be quite a treat since they are both well trained from their Second City days. From early ads, it looks like the two of them also have great romantic chemistry as well. It’s rare to see a duo like this be successful. Here’s a look at some of the ones who have pulled it off in the past.

Maurice Chevalier & Jeanette MacDonald

This is easily the most obscure couple on my list, but also one of the most fun. The two of them first were in The Love Parade together in 1929. This was an Ernst Lubitsch musical where MacDonald played the Queen of a fictional country. She falls in love with Chevalier because he was such a Casanova in Paris. The script was so witty, but what really made the relationship work was how much fun the two of them were together. It was one of the easiest relationships to ever invest in because the movie would surely suffer if they were apart. They continued this charm in a few more musicals including the very fun One Hour With You and Love Me Tonight.

Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers

Some of the couples on this list are so infatuated with each other, they can hardly contain themselves. With Astaire and Rogers, they just burst into dance. Brilliantly. These two flirt on the dance floor and unlike the kids of Step Up 2 the Streets, they make it look glamorous. The plots of their films are exchangeable but each one is worth watching. The Gay Divorcee, Top Hat, Swing Time, Shall We Dance. They are all wonderful and there are no films today that capture this spirit and energy. The only one to come close to sharing music through love would be the duo from Once.

Myrna Loy & William Powell

With the other pairs on this list, audiences went to see them regardless of the different characters they played. These two became famous from being in a franchise together. They played husband and wife, Nick and Nora Charles, who solved murders in-between martinis in the Thin Man films. All six of the mysteries aren’t anything to write home about, but each movie is worth watching because Loy and Powell. They are married couple who always enjoy the others company. They are equally intelligent despite the fact that Nick is the professional detective. Loy and Powell were together in many more movies including The Great Ziegfeld, Libeled Lady and Love Crazy.

Katherine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy

These two may have been more famous for their off-screen romance. They were obviously together but Tracy never left his wife at the time. They made nine films together and they weren’t exactly the romantic films like the ones above. These movies had more conflict between them. In their best film, Adam’s Rib, they are literally opposing lawyers in a trial despite being husband and wife. (I still don’t understand how that’s legally possible.) In all of their movies Hepburn is the more dominating partner. Even though Hepburn’s characters are sometimes too mean to Tracy, there is always this powerful level of being comfortable with each other. It is a nuanced form of screen romance that mirrored their own true love.

Woody Allen & Diane Keaton

Yes, these two were also involved together off-screen, but their relationship ended before their set of films. They were never characters that ended up being perfect fits, but their adventures together were always worth-wild. All of their films are worth watching not because of their chemistry, but because of the art that was formed. She was his muse. Together they created iconic movies and performances ranging from the silly Sleeper to the somber Interiors. However, their best creation is undeniably Annie Hall. It is incredibly creative while sticking with its emotional realism. It is an almost perfect film that could not have been created without the other.