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Fred Astaire

Astaire in Royal Wedding (1951)
Born Frederick Austerlitz
May 10, 1899(1899-05-10)
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Died June 22, 1987 (aged 88)
Los Angeles, California, USA
Occupation Film actor, dancer
Years active 1917-1981
Spouse(s) Phyllis Livingston Potter
(1933-1954)
Robyn Smith
(1980-1987)

Fred Astaire (Frederick Austerlitz) (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987)[1] was an American Academy Award-winning film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic See also, Choreography (literally "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance see chorea) and "γραφή" An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of seventy-six years, during which he made thirty-one musical films. The musical film is a Film genre in which several Songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative He is particularly associated with Ginger Rogers, with whom he made ten films. Ginger Rogers ( July 16, 1911 &ndash April 25, 1995) was an Academy Award -winning American film and stage actress

George Balanchine and Rudolph Nureyev rated him the greatest dancer of the twentieth century, and he is generally acknowledged to have been the most influential dancer in the history of film and television musicals. See also List of ballets by George Balanchine, George Balanchine (January 22 1904 &ndash April 30 1983 born Giorgi Melitonis dze Balanchivadze Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( Tatar: Rudolf Xämät ulı Nuriev, Russian: Рудольф Хаметович Нуриев [2] He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute. Part of the AFI 100 Years series, AFI's 100 Years 100 Stars is a list of the top 50 stars of American cinema The American Film Institute ( AFI) is an independent Non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967

Contents

Biography

1899-1917: Early life and vaudeville career

Fred and Adele Astaire. ca. 1906.
Fred and Adele Astaire. ca. 1906. Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting

Astaire's father, Frederic "Fritz" Austerlitz,[1][3] was a Catholic brewer from Vienna, Austria[1]; his mother Johanna "Ann" Geilus[1] was born in the United States to Lutheran German parents; Astaire became an Episcopalian in 1912. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as The Episcopal Church is the official name of the Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States. [4]:84

After arriving in New York City, Austerlitz moved to Omaha, Nebraska hoping to find work in his trade and he landed a job with the Storz Brewing Company. The City of New York The Storz Brewing Company was located at 1807 North 16th Street in north Omaha, Nebraska. Shortly there after he met and married Ann, and where Adele their first born and Fred, Jr. Lady Charles Cavendish ( September 10, 1896 &ndash January 25, 1981) better known as Adele Astaire, was an American dancer were both born. Ann dreamed of escaping Omaha by virtue of her children's talents after Adele early on revealed herself to be an instinctive dancer and singer. She envisioned a "brother-and-sister act", which was fairly common to vaudeville at the time. Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s Although Astaire refused dance lessons at first, he easily mimicked his sister's step, and took up piano, accordion, and clarinet. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers The accordion is a portable box-shaped Musical instrument of the hand-held Bellows -driven free-reed aerophone family sometimes referred to as a Squeezebox The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word

When their father became suddenly unemployed, the family moved to New York City to launch the show business career of the children. Adele and Astaire had a teasing rivalry but fortunately they quickly acknowledged their individual strengths — his being durability and hers greater overall talent.

"Astaire" was a name taken by him and his sister in 1905, when they were taking instruction in dance, speaking, and singing in preparation for developing an act. Family legend attributes it to an uncle surnamed "L'Astaire". [5]

Finally, their first act took shape and was called Juvenile Artists Presenting an Electric Musical Toe-Dancing Novelty. In it, Fred wore a top hat and tails in the first half and a lobster outfit in the second. The goofy act debuted in Keyport, New Jersey in a "tryout theater", and the local paper wrote, "the Astaires are the greatest child act in vaudeville. Keyport is the name of some places in the United States of America: Keyport New Jersey Keyport Washington New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. " [6]

After a short time, as a result of their father's salesmanship, Fred and Adele landed a major contract and they played the famed Orpheum circuit throughout the United States, including Omaha. Soon Adele grew to at least three inches taller than Fred and the pair began to look incongruous. The family decided to take a two-year break from show business, also to avoid trouble from the Gerry Society and the child labor laws of the time. The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was founded in 1875 by Elbridge Thomas Gerry and Henry Bergh as the world's first Child Child labor is the employment of Children at regular and sustained labour

Their career resumed with mixed fortunes, though with increasing skill and polish, as they began to incorporate tap dancing into their routines. Tap dance was developed in the United States during the nineteenth century and is popular nowadays in many parts of the world In this Astaire was inspired by Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and John “Bubbles” Sublett. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson ( May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949) was a pre-eminent African-American tap dancer John William Sublett ( February 19, 1902 &ndash May 18, 1986) known by his stage name John W [7] From Aurelia Coccia, they learned the tango, waltz, and other ballroom dances popularized by Vernon and Irene Castle. Vernon and Irene Castle were a husband-and-wife team of Ballroom dancers of the early 20th century Vernon and Irene Castle were a husband-and-wife team of Ballroom dancers of the early 20th century

Some sources [8] state that the Astaire siblings appeared in a 1915 film entitled Fanchon, the Cricket, starring Mary Pickford, but the Astaires have consistently denied this. Mary Pickford ( April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979) was an Academy Award -winning Canadian motion picture [9][10]:103

While on the hunt for new music and dance ideas, Fred Astaire first met George Gershwin, who was working as a song plugger in Jerome H. George Gershwin (September 26 1898 &ndash July 11 1937 was an American Composer. Remick's, in 1916. [11] Their chance meeting was to have profound consequences for the subsequent careers of both artists.

Astaire was always on the lookout for new steps he spotted on the circuit and was starting to demonstrate his ceaseless quest for novelty and perfection. Finally, they broke into Broadway with Over The Top (1917), a patriotic revue.

1917-1933: Stage career - Broadway and London

Fred and Adele Astaire in 1921
Fred and Adele Astaire in 1921

They followed up with several more shows and of their work in The Passing Show of 1918, Heywood Broun wrote "In an evening in which there was an abundance of good dancing, Fred Astaire stood out. Heywood Campbell Broun /bɹun/ ( December 7 1888 – December 18 1939) was an American Journalist. . . He and his partner, Adele Astaire, made the show pause early in the evening with a beautiful loose-limbed dance. "[12]

By this time, Astaire's dancing skill was beginning to outshine his sister's, though she still set the tone of their act and her sparkle and humor drew much of the attention, due in part to Fred's careful preparation and strong supporting choreography.

During the 1920s, Fred and Adele appeared on Broadway and on the London stage in shows such as George and Ira Gershwin's Lady Be Good (1924) and Funny Face (1927), and later in The Band Wagon (1931), winning popular acclaim with the theater crowd on both sides of the Atlantic. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. George Gershwin (September 26 1898 &ndash July 11 1937 was an American Composer. Ira Gershwin ( 6 December 1896 &ndash 17 August 1983) was an American Lyricist who collaborated with his younger Lady Be Good (title sometimes presented with an Exclamation point) is the title of a Broadway musical play that was written by Guy Bolton, Funny Face is a 1927 musical composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and book by Fred Thompson and Paul

After the close of Funny Face, the Astaires went to Hollywood for a screen test (now lost) at Paramount studios but were not considered suitable for films. Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California.

They split in 1932, when Adele married her first husband, Lord Charles Cavendish, a son of the Duke of Devonshire. Lord Charles Arthur Francis Cavendish ( August 29, 1905 - March 23, 1944) was the second son of Victor Cavendish 9th Duke of Devonshire Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the aristocratic Cavendish family Fred Astaire went on to achieve success on his own on Broadway and in London with Gay Divorce, while considering offers from Hollywood. Gay Divorce (1932 is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Kenneth Webb and Samuel Hoffenstein. The end of the partnership was traumatic for Astaire but stimulated him to expand his range. Free of the brother-sister constraints of the former pairing, and with a new partner Claire Luce, he created a romantic partnered dance to Cole Porter's "Night and Day", which had been written for Gay Divorce. Claire Luce ( 15 October 1903, Syracuse New York – 31 August 1989, New York City) was a stage and screen actress and Cole Albert Porter (June 9 1891 &ndash October 15 1964 was an American Composer and songwriter from Peru, Indiana. " Night and Day " is a Popular song by Cole Porter. It was written for the 1932 Musical play Gay Divorce, and is This number was credited with the success of the stage play and, when recreated in the film version of the play The Gay Divorcee (1934), ushered in a new era in filmed dance. The Gay Divorcee is a 1934 Film that was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. [13]:23,26,61 Recently, film footage taken by Fred Stone, of Astaire performing in Gay Divorce with Luce's successor Dorothy Stone in New York in 1933 was uncovered by dancer and historian Betsy Baytos, and now represents the earliest extant performance footage of Astaire. Fred Andrew Stone ( August 19 1873 – March 6 1959) was an American actor [14]

1933-1939: Astaire and Rogers at RKO

The announcement of the Astaire-Rogers screen partnership - from the trailer to Flying Down to Rio. This is the only time Rogers took billing over Astaire.
The announcement of the Astaire-Rogers screen partnership - from the trailer to Flying Down to Rio. Flying Down to Rio is a Musical film made by RKO and released on December 29, in 1933. This is the only time Rogers took billing over Astaire.

According to Hollywood folklore, a screen test report on Astaire for RKO Pictures, now lost along with the test, is supposed to have read: "Can't sing. For the BBC TV series see Screen Test. A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an Actor or actress for Can't act. Balding. Can dance a little. " The producer of the Astaire-Rogers pictures Pandro S. Berman claimed he had never heard the story in the 1930s and that it only emerged years later. Pandro Samuel Berman ( March 28, 1905 &ndash July 13, 1996) known as Pandro S [13]:7 Astaire, in a 1980 interview on ABC's 20/20 with Barbara Walters, insisted that the report had actually read: "Can't act. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. 20/20 is an American television Newsmagazine broadcast on ABC since June 6, 1978. Barbara Jill Walters (born September 25 1929) is an American Journalist, writer and media Slightly bald. Also dances". [15] In any case, the test was clearly disappointing, and David O. Selznick, who had signed Astaire to RKO and commissioned the test, described it as "wretched" in a 1933 studio memo. David O Selznick, born David Selznick ( May 10, 1902 &ndash June 22, 1965) was one of the iconic Hollywood producers [13]:7 However, this did not affect RKO's plans for Astaire, first lending him for a few days to MGM in 1933 for his Hollywood debut, where he appeared as himself dancing with Joan Crawford in the successful musical film Dancing Lady. Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; ( March 23, 1905 - May 10, 1977) Crawford was signed to a motion picture Dancing Lady is a 1933 musical Motion picture starring Joan Crawford, Clark Gable and Franchot Tone.

On his return to RKO Pictures, he got fifth billing alongside Ginger Rogers in the 1933 Dolores Del Rio vehicle Flying Down to Rio. Ginger Rogers ( July 16, 1911 &ndash April 25, 1995) was an Academy Award -winning American film and stage actress Dolores del Río ( August 3, 1905 &ndash April 11, 1983) was a Mexican Film actress. Flying Down to Rio is a Musical film made by RKO and released on December 29, in 1933. In a review, Variety magazine attributed its massive success to Astaire's presence: "The main point of Flying Down to Rio is the screen promise of Fred Astaire . Variety is a weekly entertainment trade newspaper founded in New York in 1905 by Sime Silverman . . He's assuredly a bet after this one, for he's distinctly likable on the screen, the mike is kind to his voice and as a dancer he remains in a class by himself. The latter observation will be no news to the profession, which has long admitted that Astaire starts dancing where the others stop hoofing. "[13]:7

Although Astaire was initially very reluctant to become part of another dance team, he was persuaded by the obvious public appeal of the Astaire-Rogers pairing. That partnership, and the choreography of Astaire and Hermes Pan, helped make dancing an important element of the Hollywood film musical. See also, Choreography (literally "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance see chorea) and "γραφή" Hermes Pan ( December 10, 1910 &ndash September 19, 1990) was an American Dancer and Choreographer, principally celebrated The musical film is a Film genre in which several Songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative Astaire and Rogers made ten films together, including The Gay Divorcee (1934), Roberta (1935), Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), Swing Time (1936), Shall We Dance (1937), and Carefree (1938). The Gay Divorcee is a 1934 Film that was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Roberta is a 1935 Musical film by RKO starring Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Randolph Scott For the item of clothing see Top hat. For the fictional TUGS character see Top Hat (TUGS. Follow the Fleet ( RKO) is a 1936 Hollywood musical comedy Film with a nautical theme and stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Shall We Dance is the seventh of the ten Astaire - Rogers Musical comedy Films. Carefree is a Musical film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Six out of the nine musicals he created became the biggest moneymakers for RKO; all of the films brought a certain prestige and artistry that all studios coveted at the time. Their partnership elevated them both to stardom; as Katharine Hepburn reportedly said, "He gives her class and she gives him sex. Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12 1907 – June 29 2003 was an American actress of film television and stage "[16]:134

Astaire easily received the benefits of a percentage of the film's profits, something extremely rare in actors' contracts at that time; and complete autonomy over how the dances would be presented, allowing him to revolutionize dance on film. [17]

Astaire is credited with two important innovations in early film musicals. [13]:23,26 First, he insisted that the (almost stationary) camera film a dance routine in a single shot, if possible, while holding the dancers in full view at all times. Astaire famously quipped: "Either the camera will dance, or I will. "[13]:420 Astaire maintained this policy from The Gay Divorcee (1934) onwards, until overruled by Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Finian's Rainbow (1968), his first film musical. Francis Ford "Frank" Coppola (born April 7, 1939) is a five-time Academy Award -winning American Film director, Finian's Rainbow is a 1968 American movie musical directed by Francis Ford Coppola. [18] Astaire's style of dance sequences thus contrasted with the Busby Berkeley musicals, which were known for dance sequences filled with extravagant aerial shots, quick takes, and zooms on certain areas of the body, such as the arms or legs. Busby Berkeley ( November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) born William Berkeley Enos in Los Angeles California, was a highly Second, Astaire was adamant that all song and dance routines be seamlessly integrated into the plotlines of the film. Instead of using dance as spectacle as Busby Berkeley did, Astaire used it to move the plot along. Typically, an Astaire picture would include a solo performance by Astaire — which he termed his "sock solo" — a partnered comedy dance routine, and a partnered romantic dance routine.

An RKO publicity still of Astaire and Rogers dancing to "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" in Roberta (1935)
An RKO publicity still of Astaire and Rogers dancing to "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" in Roberta (1935)

Dance commentators Arlene Croce[16]:6 , Hannah Hyam[19]:146,147 and John Mueller[13]:8,9 consider Rogers to have been Astaire's greatest dance partner, while recognizing that some of his later partners displayed superior technical dance skills, a view shared[20] by Hermes Pan and Stanley Donen. " Smoke Gets in Your Eyes " is a Show tune written by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harbach for their 1933 Operetta Roberta is a 1935 Musical film by RKO starring Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Randolph Scott Arlene Croce (born 1934 founded Ballet Review magazine in 1965 John E Mueller (born 1937, Saint Paul Minnesota) is a Political scientist in the field of International relations as well as a scholar of the Stanley Donen (born April 13, 1924) is an American film director and Choreographer hailed by David Quinlan as "the King of the Hollywood [21] Film critic Pauline Kael adopts a more neutral stance,[22] while Time magazine film critic Richard Schickel writes "The nostalgia surrounding Rogers-Astaire tends to bleach out other partners. Pauline Kael (June 19 1919 &ndash September 3 2001 was an American Film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991 Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Richard Warren Schickel (born February 10, 1933 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an Author, Journalist, and documentary "[23]

Mueller sums up Rogers' abilities as follows: "Rogers was outstanding among Astaire's partners not because she was superior to others as a dancer but because, as a skilled, intuitive actress, she was cagey enough to realize that acting did not stop when dancing began . . . the reason so many women have fantasized about dancing with Fred Astaire is that Ginger Rogers conveyed the impression that dancing with him is the most thrilling experience imaginable. " According to Astaire, "Ginger had never danced with a partner before. She faked it an awful lot. She couldn't tap and she couldn't do this and that . . . but Ginger had style and talent and improved as she went along. She got so that after a while everyone else who danced with me looked wrong. "[24]

However, Astaire was still unwilling to have his career tied exclusively to any partnership, having already been linked to his sister Adele on stage. He even negotiated with RKO to strike out on his own with A Damsel in Distress in 1937, unsuccessfully as it turned out. A Damsel in Distress ( RKO) is a 1937 English-themed Hollywood musical comedy Film starring Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine He returned to make two more films with Rogers, Carefree (1938) and The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939). Carefree is a Musical film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is an American biographical Musical comedy, released in 1939 and directed by H When both lost money, Astaire left RKO, while Rogers remained and went on to become the studio's hottest property in the early forties. They were reunited in 1949 for their final outing, The Barkleys of Broadway. The Barkleys of Broadway is a 1949 Musical film from the Arthur Freed unit at MGM that reunited Fred Astaire and Ginger

1940-1947: Drifting to an early retirement

Astaire with Eleanor Powell in Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" from Broadway Melody of 1940.
Astaire with Eleanor Powell in Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" from Broadway Melody of 1940. Eleanor Torrey Powell ( November 21, 1912 &ndash February 11, 1982) was an American film actress and dancer of the 1930s and 1940s

In 1939, Astaire left RKO to freelance and pursue new film opportunities, with mixed though generally successful outcomes. A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer Throughout this period, Astaire continued to value the input of choreographic collaborators and, unlike the 1930s when he worked almost exclusively with Hermes Pan, he tapped the talents of other choreographers in an effort to continually innovate. His first post-Ginger dance partner was the redoubtable Eleanor Powell - considered the finest female tap-dancer of her generation - in Broadway Melody of 1940 where they performed a celebrated extended dance routine to Cole Porter's Begin the Beguine. Eleanor Torrey Powell ( November 21, 1912 &ndash February 11, 1982) was an American film actress and dancer of the 1930s and 1940s Broadway Melody of 1940 is a 1940 MGM movie musical starring Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell and George Murphy. " Begin the Beguine " is a song written by Cole Porter and introduced by June Knight in the Broadway musical Jubilee ( 1935 He played alongside Bing Crosby in Holiday Inn (1942) and later Blue Skies (1946) but in spite of the enormous financial success of both, was reportedly dissatisfied with roles where he lost the girl to Crosby. Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular Holiday Inn is a 1942 Film starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, which featured the music of Irving Berlin. Blue Skies is a 1946 Hollywood musical comedy Film, released by Paramount Pictures and starring Bing Crosby, Fred The former film is particularly remembered for his virtuoso solo dance to "Let's Say it with Firecrackers" while the latter film featured an innovative song and dance routine to a song indelibly associated with him: "Puttin on the Ritz". " Puttin' on the Ritz " is a popular song written and published in 1929 by Irving Berlin and introduced by Harry Richman in the musical Other partners during this period included Paulette Goddard in Second Chorus (1940), in which he dance-conducted the Artie Shaw orchestra. Paulette Goddard ( June 3, 1910 – April 23, 1990) was an Oscar -nominated American Film and Theatre Second Chorus ( 1940) is a Hollywood musical Comedy Film starring Fred Astaire, Burgess Meredith, Paulette Arthur Jacob Arshawsky ( May 23, 1910 &ndash December 30, 2004) better known as Artie Shaw, was an American Jazz

He made two pictures with Rita Hayworth: the first You'll Never Get Rich (1941) catapulted Hayworth to stardom and provided Astaire with his first opportunity to integrate Latin-American dance idioms into his style, taking advantage of Hayworth's professional Latin dance pedigree. Rita Hayworth (October 17 1918 &ndash May 14 1987 born Margarita Carmen Cansino was a Spanish-American actress who rose to stardom in the 1940s as the era's leading Sex symbol You'll Never Get Rich ( Columbia Pictures) is a 1941 Hollywood musical comedy Film with a wartime theme starring Fred Astaire His second film with Hayworth, You Were Never Lovelier (1942) was equally successful, and featured a duet to Kern's "I'm Old Fashioned" which became the centerpiece of Jerome Robbins' 1983 New York City Ballet tribute to Astaire. You Were Never Lovelier ( Columbia Pictures) is a 1942 Hollywood musical comedy Film, set in Buenos Aires. " I'm Old Fashioned " is a 1942 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Johnny Mercer. Jerome Robbins (11 October 1918 – 29 July 1998 was an American film director and Choreographer whose work has included everything from classical ballet to New York State Theater by David Shankbonejpg|thumb|300px| New York State Theater]] New York City Ballet ( NYCB) is a Ballet company founded in 1948 by He next appeared opposite the seventeen-year-old Joan Leslie in the wartime drama The Sky's the Limit (1943) where he introduced Arlen and Mercer's "One for My Baby" while dancing on a bar counter in a dark and troubled routine. Joan Leslie (born January 26 1925 in Detroit Michigan) is a former American actress. The Sky's The Limit ( 1943) is a musical comedy Film with a wartime theme starring Fred Astaire, Joan Leslie, Robert " One for My Baby (and One More for the Road " is a Popular song written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the musical The Sky's This film which was choreographed by Astaire alone and achieved modest box office success, represented an important departure for Astaire from his usual charming happy-go-lucky screen persona and confused contemporary critics.

His next partner, Lucille Bremer, featured in two lavish vehicles, both directed by Vincente Minnelli: the fantasy Yolanda and the Thief which featured an avant-garde surrealistic ballet, and the musical revue Ziegfeld Follies (1946) which featured a memorable teaming of Astaire with Gene Kelly to "The Babbit and the Bromide", a Gershwin song Astaire had introduced with his sister Adele back in 1927. Lucille Bremer ( February 21 1917 &ndash April 16 1996) was an American Film actress and Dancer Vincente Minnelli ( February 28, 1903 &ndash July 25, 1986) was a famous Academy Award -winning Hollywood director Yolanda and the Thief ( MGM) is a 1945 Hollywood musical comedy Film set in a fictional Latin American country and stars Ziegfeld Follies ( MGM) is a 1946 Hollywood musical comedy Film, directed by Roy Del Ruth and Vincente Minnelli Eugene Curran “Gene” Kelly ( August 23, &ndash February 2,) was an American Dancer, Actor, Singer, director While Follies was a hit, Yolanda bombed at the box office and Astaire, ever insecure and believing his career was beginning to falter surprised his audiences by announcing his retirement during the production of Blue Skies (1946), nominating "Puttin on the Ritz" as his farewell dance.

After announcing his retirement in 1946, Astaire concentrated on his horse-racing interests and went on to found the Fred Astaire Dance Studios in 1947 — which he subsequently sold in 1966. Fred Astaire Dance Studios Inc is a Ballroom dance franchise chain of studios in the United States and Canada, named after a famous dancer

1948-1957: Productive years with MGM and second retirement

However, he soon returned to the big screen to replace the injured Gene Kelly in Easter Parade opposite Judy Garland and Ann Miller, and for a final reunion with Rogers in The Barkleys of Broadway (1949). Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10 1922 – June 22 1969 was an American actress and singer Ann Miller (April 12 1923 – January 22 2004 was an American dancer singer and actress He then went on to make more musicals throughout the 1950s: Let's Dance (1950) with Betty Hutton, Royal Wedding (1951) with Jane Powell, Three Little Words (1950) and The Belle of New York (1952) with Vera-Ellen, The Band Wagon (1953) and Silk Stockings (1957) with Cyd Charisse, Daddy Long Legs (1955) with Leslie Caron, and Funny Face (1957) with Audrey Hepburn. Betty Hutton (born Elizabeth June Thornburg, February 26, 1921 – March 11, 2007) was an American film Royal Wedding ( MGM) is a 1951 Hollywood musical comedy Film set in London in 1947 at the time of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth Jane Powell (born April 1 1929) is an American Singer, dancer and actress. Three Little Words ( 1950) is a Hollywood Musical film biography of the Tin Pan Alley songwriting partnership of Kalmar and Ruby and stars The Belle Of New York ( MGM) is a 1952 Hollywood musical comedy Film set in New York circa 1900 and stars Fred Vera-Ellen ( February 16, 1921 - August 30, 1981) was an American actress and stage and Film For the musical see The Band Wagon (musical. The Band Wagon ( 1953) is a Musical comedy film that many critics rank (along Silk Stockings is a 1957 MGM Musical film remake of Ninotchka. Cyd Charisse ( March 8, 1922 &ndash June 17, 2008) was an American Dancer and actress. Daddy Long Legs is a 1955 Hollywood musical comedy Film set in France, New York City and the fictional college town of "Walston" in Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (lɛsli kaʁɔ̃ (born 1 July 1931 is a two-time Academy Award-nominated French Film actress and Dancer. This article is about the musical film For an unrelated 1971 CBS sitcom see Funny Face (TV series. Audrey Hepburn ( &ndash) was an English/Dutch Academy Award - Emmy Award - Tony Award - and Grammy Award -winning film and stage actress His legacy at this point was thirty musical films in twenty-five years. Afterwards, Astaire announced that he was retiring from dancing in film to concentrate on dramatic acting, scoring rave reviews for the nuclear war drama On the Beach (1959). On the Beach is a 1959 post-apocalyptic Drama film based on Nevil Shute 's novel of the same name featuring Gregory

1958-1981: Branching out into televised dance and straight acting

Astaire did not retire from dancing completely. He made a series of four highly rated, Emmy-winning musical specials for television in 1958, 1959, 1960, and 1968, each featuring Barrie Chase, with whom Astaire enjoyed an Indian summer of dance creativity. Barrie Chase (born October 20 1933) is an American dancer and actress The first of these programs, 1958's An Evening with Fred Astaire, won nine Emmy Awards, including "Best Single Performance by an Actor" and "Most Outstanding Single Program of the Year. An Evening with Fred Astaire was a one-hour Television special starring Fred Astaire, broadcast on NBC on October 17, 1958 " It was also noteworthy for being the first major broadcast to be prerecorded on color videotape, and has recently been restored. Videotape is a means of recording images and sound onto Magnetic tape as opposed to movie film. The show was to earn a further technical Emmy in 1988 for Ed Reitan, Don Kent, and Dan Einstein, who restored the original videotape, transferring its contents to a modern format, and filling in gaps where the tape had deteriorated with kinescope footage.

Astaire's last major musical film was Finian's Rainbow (1968), in which he shed his white tie and tails to play an Irish rogue who believes if he buries a crock of gold in the shadows of Fort Knox it will multiply. Finian's Rainbow is a 1968 American movie musical directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. His dance partner was Petula Clark, who portrayed his skeptical daughter. Petula Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932 is an English singer actress and Composer best known for her upbeat popular international hits He admitted to being as nervous about singing with her as she confessed to being apprehensive about dancing with him. But unfortunately for him, the film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, was a box-office failure. Francis Ford "Frank" Coppola (born April 7, 1939) is a five-time Academy Award -winning American Film director,

Astaire continued to act into the 1970s, appearing on television as the father of Robert Wagner's character of Alexander Mundy in It Takes a Thief and in films such as The Towering Inferno (1974), for which he received his only Academy Award nomination in the category of Best Supporting Actor. Robert John Wagner (born February 10, 1930) is a Golden Globe - nominated prolific American Film and Television It Takes a Thief is an American action-adventure television series that aired on ABC for two and a half seasons between January 9 1968 The Towering Inferno is a 1974 Disaster film starring Steve McQueen and Paul Newman and directed by John Guillermin "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts He voiced the mailman narrator in 1970's classic animated film, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. He appeared in the first two That's Entertainment! documentaries in the mid-1970s. That's Entertainment! is a 1974 Compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to celebrate its 50th anniversary In the second, aged seventy-six, he performed a number of song-and-dance routines with Gene Kelly -- which marked his last dance performances in a musical film. Eugene Curran “Gene” Kelly ( August 23, &ndash February 2,) was an American Dancer, Actor, Singer, director In the Summer of 1975, he made three albums in London, Attitude Dancing, They Can't Take These Away From Me, and A Couple of Song and Dance Men, the last an album of duets with Bing Crosby. Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular In 1976, he played a supporting role as a dog owner in the cult movie The Amazing Dobermans, co-starring Barbara Eden and James Franciscus. The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead on August 23, 1934) is an American film and television actress and Singer who is best James Grover Franciscus ( January 31 1934 – July 8 1991) was a leading and supporting American actor In 1978, Fred Astaire co-starred with Helen Hayes in a well-received television film, A Family Upside Down, in which they play an elderly couple coping with failing health. Helen Hayes ( October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was a two-time Academy Award -winning American Actress, whose Astaire won an Emmy Award for his performance. He made a well-publicized guest appearance on the science fiction TV series Battlestar Galactica in 1979, as Chameleon, the maybe-father of Starbuck, in the installment "The Man With Nine Lives", a role written for him by Donald P. Bellisario after Astaire asked his agent to obtain a role for him in that series program. Battlestar Galactica is an American Science fiction television series, produced in 1978 by Glen Larson and starring Lorne Greene Donald Paul Bellisario (born August 8, 1935) is an American Television producer and Screenwriter. His final film role was the 1981 adaptation of Peter Straub's novel Ghost Story. This article is about Peter Straub the novelist For the German statesman see Peter Straub (politician. Ghost Story is a Feature film based on the book of the same name by Peter Straub. This horror film was also the last for two of his most prominent castmates, Melvyn Douglas and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

Working methods and influence on filmed dance

Further information: Fred Astaire's solo and partnered dances
Astaire dancing on the walls and ceiling in "You're All the World to Me" from Royal Wedding (1951)
Astaire dancing on the walls and ceiling in "You're All the World to Me"[25] from Royal Wedding (1951)

Astaire was a virtuoso dancer, able to convey lighthearted adventuresomeness or deep emotion when called for. Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg ( April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981) better known as Melvyn Douglas, was an American actor Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr, KBE, DSC ( December 9, 1909 &ndash May 7, 2000) was an American Actor See also Fred Astaire This is a complete guide to over one hundred and fifty of Fred Astaire's solo and partnered dances compiled from his thirty-one Hollywood musical Royal Wedding ( MGM) is a 1951 Hollywood musical comedy Film set in London in 1947 at the time of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth A virtuoso (from Italian virtuoso, late Latin virtuosus, Latin virtus meaning skill manliness excellence is an individual His technical control and sense of rhythm were astonishing. Long after the photography for the solo dance number "I Want To Be A Dancin' Man" was completed for the 1952 feature "The Belle Of New York", it was decided that Astaire's humble costume and the threadbare stage set were inadequate and the entire sequence was re-shot. The 1994 documentary "That's Entertainment! Part III" shows the two performances side-by-side in splitscreen. Frame for frame, the two performances are absolutely identical, down to the subtlest gesture.

Astaire's execution of a dance routine was prized for its elegance, grace, originality and precision. He drew from a variety of influences, including tap and other African-American rhythms, classical dance and the elevated style of Vernon and Irene Castle, to create a uniquely recognizable dance style which greatly influenced the American Smooth style of ballroom dance, and set standards against which subsequent film dance musicals would be judged. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Vernon and Irene Castle were a husband-and-wife team of Ballroom dancers of the early 20th century Ballroom dance refers collectively to a set of Partner dances which originated in Germany and are now enjoyed both socially and competitively around the Ballroom dance refers collectively to a set of Partner dances which originated in Germany and are now enjoyed both socially and competitively around the He choreographed all his own routines, usually with the assistance of other choreographers, primarily Hermes Pan.

His perfectionism was legendary, as was his modesty and consideration towards his fellow artists; however, his relentless insistence on rehearsals and retakes was a burden to some. Although he viewed himself as an entertainer first and foremost, his consummate artistry won him the adulation of such twentieth century dance legends as George Balanchine, the Nicholas Brothers, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Margot Fonteyn, Bob Fosse, Gregory Hines, Gene Kelly, Rudolph Nureyev, Michael Jackson and Bill Robinson. See also List of ballets by George Balanchine, George Balanchine (January 22 1904 &ndash April 30 1983 born Giorgi Melitonis dze Balanchivadze The Nicholas Brothers were a famous African-American team of dancing brothers Fayard ( 1914 &ndash 2006) and Harold Nicholas ( 1921 Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov (Михаил Николаевич Барышников (born January 27, 1948) is a Soviet -born Russian "Dame Margot" redirects here For the medieval trouvère see Dames Margot and Maroie. Robert Louis “Bob” Fosse ( June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American Musical theater Choreographer and Gregory Oliver Hines ( February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American Actor, Singer, Dancer Eugene Curran “Gene” Kelly ( August 23, &ndash February 2,) was an American Dancer, Actor, Singer, director Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( Tatar: Rudolf Xämät ulı Nuriev, Russian: Рудольф Хаметович Нуриев Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Bill "Bojangles" Robinson ( May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949) was a pre-eminent African-American tap dancer

Influence on popular song

Further information: List of songs introduced by Fred Astaire

Extremely modest about his singing abilities — he frequently claimed that he couldn't sing[26] — Astaire introduced some of the most celebrated songs from the Great American Songbook, in particular, Cole Porter's: "Night and Day" in Gay Divorce (1932); Irving Berlin's "Isn't This a Lovely Day?", "Cheek to Cheek" and "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" in Top Hat (1935), "Let's Face the Music and Dance" in Follow the Fleet (1936) and "Change Partners" in Carefree (1938). This is a complete list of the songs introduced by Fred Astaire beginning with his first Broadway show Over the Top in 1917 (his childhood and teenage period in vaudeville is not covered Great American Songbook (sometimes abbreviated as "GAS" is a term referring to the interrelated music of Broadway musical theater Cole Albert Porter (June 9 1891 &ndash October 15 1964 was an American Composer and songwriter from Peru, Indiana. " Night and Day " is a Popular song by Cole Porter. It was written for the 1932 Musical play Gay Divorce, and is Gay Divorce (1932 is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Kenneth Webb and Samuel Hoffenstein. Irving Berlin (11 May 1888 &ndash 22 September 1989 was a Russian-born American Composer and Lyricist, and one of the most prolific American songwriters " Isn't This a Lovely Day? " is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1935 film Top Hat, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire " Cheek to Cheek " is a song written by Irving Berlin, and first performed by Fred Astaire in the movie Top Hat (1935 " Top Hat White Tie and Tails " is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1935 film Top Hat, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire For the item of clothing see Top hat. For the fictional TUGS character see Top Hat (TUGS. "Let's Face the Music and Dance" is a notable song written by Irving Berlin for the film Follow the Fleet (1936 where it was introduced by Follow the Fleet ( RKO) is a 1936 Hollywood musical comedy Film with a nautical theme and stars Fred Astaire, Ginger " Change Partners " is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1938 film Carefree, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire. He first presented Jerome Kern's "The Way You Look Tonight" in Swing Time (1936); the Gershwins' "They Can't Take That Away From Me" in Shall We Dance (1937), "A Foggy Day" and "Nice Work if You Can Get it" in A Damsel in Distress (1937); Johnny Mercer's "One for My Baby" from The Sky's the Limit (1943) and "Something's Gotta Give" from Daddy Long Legs (1955); and Harry Warren and Arthur Freed's "This Heart of Mine" from Ziegfeld Follies (1946). Jerome David Kern ( January 27, 1885 &ndash November 11, 1945) was an American Composer of popular music " The Way You Look Tonight " is a song featured in the film Swing Time, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936. George Gershwin (September 26 1898 &ndash July 11 1937 was an American Composer. " They Can't Take That Away From Me " is a 1937 Song (see 1937 in music) written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and introduced " A Foggy Day " is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film A Damsel "Nice Work If You Can Get It" is a popular song The music was written by George Gershwin, the lyrics by Ira Gershwin. A Damsel in Distress ( RKO) is a 1937 English-themed Hollywood musical comedy Film starring Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer ( November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American Songwriter and Singer " One for My Baby (and One More for the Road " is a Popular song written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the musical The Sky's The Sky's The Limit ( 1943) is a musical comedy Film with a wartime theme starring Fred Astaire, Joan Leslie, Robert " Something's Gotta Give " is a popular song with words and music by Johnny Mercer in 1954 Daddy Long Legs is a 1955 Hollywood musical comedy Film set in France, New York City and the fictional college town of "Walston" in Harry Warren ( December 24, 1893 &ndash September 22, 1981; born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna in Brooklyn, New York Arthur Freed ( September 9, 1894 - April 12, 1973) was born Arthur Grossman Ziegfeld Follies ( MGM) is a 1946 Hollywood musical comedy Film, directed by Roy Del Ruth and Vincente Minnelli

Astaire singing in Second Chorus (1940)
Astaire singing in Second Chorus (1940)

Astaire also co-introduced a number of song classics via song duets with his partners. Second Chorus ( 1940) is a Hollywood musical Comedy Film starring Fred Astaire, Burgess Meredith, Paulette For example, with his sister Adele, he co-introduced the Gershwins' "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise" from Stop Flirting (1923), "Fascinating Rhythm" in Lady, Be Good (1924), "Funny Face" in Funny Face (1927); and, in duets with Ginger Rogers, he presented Irving Berlin's "I'm Putting all My Eggs in One Basket" in Follow the Fleet (1936), Jerome Kern's "Pick Yourself Up" and "A Fine Romance" in Swing Time (1936), along with The Gershwins' "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" from Shall We Dance (1937). "Fascinating Rhythm" is a popular Song written by George Gershwin in 1924 with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. For the Red Hot Chili Peppers B-side see Snow ((Hey Oh " Funny Face " is a 1927 song composed by George " I'm Putting all My Eggs in One Basket " is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1936 film Follow the Fleet, where it was introduced " Pick Yourself Up " is a popular song composed in 1936 by Jerome Kern, with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. "A Fine Romance" is a popular Song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields, published in 1936. " Let's Call the Whole Thing Off " is a song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 film Shall We Dance Shall We Dance is the seventh of the ten Astaire - Rogers Musical comedy Films. With Judy Garland, he sang Irving Berlin's "A Couple of Swells" from Easter Parade (1948); and, with Jack Buchanan, Oscar Levant, and Nanette Fabray he delivered Betty Comden and Adolph Green's "That's Entertainment" from The Band Wagon (1953). Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10 1922 – June 22 1969 was an American actress and singer Easter Parade is a 1948 Musical film starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland. Jack Buchanan ( 2 April 1891 – 20 October 1957) born Walter John Buchanan, was a British theatre and film Oscar Levant ( December 27, 1906 &ndash August 14, 1972) was an American Pianist, Composer, Author Nanette Fabray (born October 27, 1920) is an American actress Betty Comden ( May 3 1917 November 23 2006) along with Adolph Green (1914 2002 was one-half of the musical duo Comden and Green Adolph Green ( December 2, 1914 October 23, 2002) was an American Lyricist and Playwright who with long-time For the musical see The Band Wagon (musical. The Band Wagon ( 1953) is a Musical comedy film that many critics rank (along

Although he possessed a light voice, he was admired for his lyricism, diction and phrasing[27] - the grace and elegance so prized in his dancing seemed to be reflected in his singing, a capacity for synthesis which led Burton Lane to describe him as "The world's greatest musical performer. Burton Lane ( February 2, 1912, New York City - January 5, 1997, New York City) was an American Composer "[13]:21 Irving Berlin considered Astaire the equal of any male interpreter of his songs - "as good as Jolson, Crosby or Sinatra, not necessarily because of his voice, but for his conception of projecting a song". Al Jolson (May 26 1886 October 23 1950 born in Lithuania, Russian Empire, was a highly acclaimed American singer comedian and actor and the first openly Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor [2] Jerome Kern considered him the supreme male interpreter of his songs[13]:21 and Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer also admired his unique treatment of their work. And while George Gershwin was somewhat critical of Astaire's singing abilities, he wrote many of his most memorable songs for him. [13]:123,128 In his heyday, Astaire was referenced[2] in lyrics of songwriters Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart and Eric Maschwitz and continues to inspire modern songwriters. Lorenz "Larry" Hart ( May 2, 1895 &ndash November 22, 1943) was the lyricist half of the famed Broadway songwriting team Albert Eric Maschwitz OBE ( 10 June 1901 &ndash 27 October 1969) known as Eric Maschwitz and sometimes credited as [28]

Astaire was a songwriter of note himself, with "I'm Building Up to an Awful Letdown" - written with lyricist Johnny Mercer - reaching number 4 in the Hit Parade of 1936. John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer ( November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American Songwriter and Singer [29] He recorded his own "It's Just Like Taking Candy from a Baby" with Benny Goodman in 1941, and nurtured a lifelong ambition to be a successful popular song composer. [30]

Awards, honors and tributes

Astaire's hand and foot prints at Grauman's Chinese Theater
Astaire's hand and foot prints at Grauman's Chinese Theater
Plaque honoring Astaire in Lismore
Plaque honoring Astaire in Lismore

Built in 1905, the Gottlieb Storz Mansion in Astaire's hometown of Omaha includes the "Adele and Fred Astaire Ballroom" on the top floor, which is the only memorial to their Omaha roots. The Gottlieb Storz House is located at 3708 Farnam Street in the Blackstone neighborhood of Midtown Omaha Nebraska. [33]

Personal life

Always immaculately turned out, Astaire remained something of a male fashion icon even into his later years, eschewing his trademark top hat, white tie and tails (which he always despised) in favor of a breezy casual style of tailored sports jackets, colored shirts, cravates and slacks — the latter usually held up by the idiosyncratic use of an old tie in place of a belt.

Astaire married for the first time in 1933, to the 25-year-old Phyllis Potter (née Phyllis Livingston Baker, 1908-1954), a Boston-born New York socialite and former wife of Eliphalet Nott Potter III (1906-1981), after pursuing her ardently for roughly two years. Potter's death from lung cancer, at the age of 46, would end 21 years of a blissful marriage and leave Astaire devastated. [34] At the time he would attempt to quit Daddy Long Legs, his current project, making an unprecedented offer to the studio to pay all production costs to date out of pocket — but he ultimately decided to continue with the picture as a means of distracting from his grief (and also because Potter had wanted him to make it). Daddy Long Legs is a 1955 Hollywood musical comedy Film set in France, New York City and the fictional college town of "Walston" in [35] Henceforth, he remained as busy as possible.

In addition to Potter's son, Eliphalet IV, known as Peter, the Astaires had two children, Fred, Jr. (born 1936, he appeared with his father in the movie Midas Run, but became a charter pilot and rancher instead of an actor) and Ava (born 1942, she remains actively involved in promoting her late father's heritage).

Described by his friend David Niven as "a pixie — timid, always warm-hearted, with a penchant for schoolboy jokes", Astaire was a lifelong golf and horse-racing enthusiast, whose horse Triplicate won the 1946 Hollywood Gold Cup. James David Graham Niven (1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983 was an English Academy Award -winning Actor probably best known for his role as the punctuality-obsessed The Hollywood Gold Cup is a Grade I stakes race for Thoroughbred horses inaugurated in 1938 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood California He remained physically active well into his eighties and remarried in 1980, to Robyn Smith, an actress turned champion jockey almost 45 years his junior. In Sport, a jockey is one who rides Horses in Horse racing or steeplechase racing primarily as a profession [36] Smith was a jockey for Alfred G. Vanderbilt II.

Astaire died on June 22, 1987, from pneumonia at the age of 88 and was interred in the Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery in Chatsworth, California. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal The Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 22601 Lassen Street Chatsworth Los Angeles California. Chatsworth is a district of the City of Los Angeles California in the San Fernando Valley region California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. [37] One last request of his was to thank his fans for their years of support.

Astaire has never been portrayed on film. [38] He always refused permission for such portrayals, saying, "However much they offer me - and offers come in all the time - I shall not sell. "[39] Astaire's will included a clause requesting that no such portrayal ever take place; he commented, "It is there because I have no particular desire to have my life misinterpreted, which it would be. "[40]

Stage, film and television work

Further information: Fred Astaire chronology of performances and Fred Astaire's solo and partnered dances

Musical films

† performances with Ginger Rogers

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c d Billman, Larry (1997). See also Fred Astaire This is a chronological listing of Fred Astaire' s stage, Motion picture, Radio, and Television performances See also Fred Astaire This is a complete guide to over one hundred and fifty of Fred Astaire's solo and partnered dances compiled from his thirty-one Hollywood musical Dancing Lady is a 1933 musical Motion picture starring Joan Crawford, Clark Gable and Franchot Tone. Flying Down to Rio is a Musical film made by RKO and released on December 29, in 1933. The Gay Divorcee is a 1934 Film that was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Roberta is a 1935 Musical film by RKO starring Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Randolph Scott For the item of clothing see Top hat. For the fictional TUGS character see Top Hat (TUGS. Follow the Fleet ( RKO) is a 1936 Hollywood musical comedy Film with a nautical theme and stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Shall We Dance is the seventh of the ten Astaire - Rogers Musical comedy Films. A Damsel in Distress ( RKO) is a 1937 English-themed Hollywood musical comedy Film starring Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine Carefree is a Musical film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is an American biographical Musical comedy, released in 1939 and directed by H Broadway Melody of 1940 is a 1940 MGM movie musical starring Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell and George Murphy. Second Chorus ( 1940) is a Hollywood musical Comedy Film starring Fred Astaire, Burgess Meredith, Paulette You'll Never Get Rich ( Columbia Pictures) is a 1941 Hollywood musical comedy Film with a wartime theme starring Fred Astaire Holiday Inn is a 1942 Film starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, which featured the music of Irving Berlin. You Were Never Lovelier ( Columbia Pictures) is a 1942 Hollywood musical comedy Film, set in Buenos Aires. The Sky's The Limit ( 1943) is a musical comedy Film with a wartime theme starring Fred Astaire, Joan Leslie, Robert Yolanda and the Thief ( MGM) is a 1945 Hollywood musical comedy Film set in a fictional Latin American country and stars Ziegfeld Follies ( MGM) is a 1946 Hollywood musical comedy Film, directed by Roy Del Ruth and Vincente Minnelli Blue Skies is a 1946 Hollywood musical comedy Film, released by Paramount Pictures and starring Bing Crosby, Fred Easter Parade is a 1948 Musical film starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland. The Barkleys of Broadway is a 1949 Musical film from the Arthur Freed unit at MGM that reunited Fred Astaire and Ginger Three Little Words ( 1950) is a Hollywood Musical film biography of the Tin Pan Alley songwriting partnership of Kalmar and Ruby and stars Royal Wedding ( MGM) is a 1951 Hollywood musical comedy Film set in London in 1947 at the time of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth The Belle Of New York ( MGM) is a 1952 Hollywood musical comedy Film set in New York circa 1900 and stars Fred For the musical see The Band Wagon (musical. The Band Wagon ( 1953) is a Musical comedy film that many critics rank (along Daddy Long Legs is a 1955 Hollywood musical comedy Film set in France, New York City and the fictional college town of "Walston" in This article is about the musical film For an unrelated 1971 CBS sitcom see Funny Face (TV series. Silk Stockings is a 1957 MGM Musical film remake of Ninotchka. Finian's Rainbow is a 1968 American movie musical directed by Francis Ford Coppola. That's Entertainment Part II was a 1976 motion picture by MGM, and a sequel to the 1974 documentary That's Entertainment!. Fred Astaire - A Bio-bibliography. Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-29010-5.  
  2. ^ a b c Wikiquote:Fred Astaire
  3. ^ Satchell, p. 8: "'Fritz' Austerlitz, the twenty-three year-old son of Stephen Austerlitz and his wife Lucy Heller"
  4. ^ Astaire, Fred (1959). Steps in Time. London: Heinemann. ISBN 422937.  
  5. ^ Thomas p. 17
  6. ^ Bill Adler, Fred Astaire: A Wonderful Life, Carroll & Graf Publishers, 1987, p. 13, ISBN 0-88184-376-8
  7. ^ Melissa Hauschild-Mork. Fred Astaire. Retrieved on 2008-06-09. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits See also Swing Time.
  8. ^ e. g. Croce, 1st edition, 1972, footnote p. 14, removed at Astaire's request in 2nd edition, 1974, - see Giles (p. 24). Satchell pp. 41-43 claims to have detected their presence as extras "Even with the benefit of an editing machine, slow-motion, and stop-frame, the Astaires are almost lost in the mass of bodies"
  9. ^ Astaire p. 42 and Billman p. 4: "They observed the filming as visitors but insisted they did not appear in the film. "
  10. ^ "The cast may also have included Fred Astaire, then sixteen, and his sister Adele. There is no prove of this, and they do not surface in surviving reels. " — Brownlow, Kevin (1999). Mary Pickford Rediscovered. New York, New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. . ISBN 0810943743.  
  11. ^ Astaire p. 65: "We struck up a friendship at once. He was amused by my piano playing and often made me play for him. "
  12. ^ Bill Adler, Fred Astaire: A Wonderful Life, Carroll & Graf Publishers, 1987, p. 35, ISBN 0-88184-376-8
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mueller, John (1986). Astaire Dancing - The Musical Films. London: Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 0-241-11749-6.  
  14. ^ Betsy Baytos. Footage from the Fred Stone Collection of the Broadway show Gay Divorce (1933). Fred Astaire: The Conference. The Astaire Conference. Retrieved on 2008-05-14. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the
  15. ^ Astaire was balding at the time he began his movie career and, thus, wore a toupee in all of his films.
  16. ^ a b Croce, Arlene (1972). The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Book. London: W. H. Allen. ISBN 9780810943742.  
  17. ^ The only other entertainer to receive this treatment at the time was Greta Garbo. Greta Garbo ( 18 September 1905 &ndash 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress during Hollywood 's
  18. ^ Coppola also fired Hermes Pan from the film. cf. Mueller p. 403
  19. ^ Hyam, Hannah (2007). Fred and Ginger - The Astaire-Rogers Partnership 1934-1938. Brighton: Pen Press Publications. ISBN 978-1-905621-96-5.  
  20. ^ Giles, p. 33 Pan: "I do not think Eleanor Powell was Fred's greatest dancing partner. Eleanor Torrey Powell ( November 21, 1912 &ndash February 11, 1982) was an American film actress and dancer of the 1930s and 1940s I think Ginger Rogers was. Not that she was the greatest of dancers. Cyd Charisse was a much finer technical dancer
  21. ^ ibid
  22. ^ Kael: "that's a bit much", in an otherwise laudatory review of Croce's The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Book, writing in the The New Yorker, November 25, 1972
  23. ^ Richard Schickel's obituary of Fred Astaire in Time Magazine
  24. ^ Satchell p. The New Yorker is an American Magazine that publishes reportage commentary criticism essays fiction satire cartoons and poetry Events 1034 - Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Scots dies Donnchad, the Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 127
  25. ^ "You're All the World to Me" originated (with different lyrics) as "I Want to Be a Minstrel Man" in the Eddie Cantor musical Kid Millions (1934). Eddie Cantor ( January 31, 1892 - October 10, 1964) was an American Comedian, Singer, Actor, Kid Millions is a 1934 American Film directed by Roy Del Ruth.
  26. ^ e. g. Satchell, p. 144
  27. ^ Thomas p. 118
  28. ^ e. g. the songs "I Am Fred Astaire" by Taking Back Sunday, "No Myth" by Michael Penn, "Take you on a cruise" by Interpol, "Fred Astaire" by Lucky Boys Confusion, "Long Tall Glasses" by Leo Sayer, "Just Like Fred Astaire" by James, "After Hours" by "The Bluetones", "Fred Astaire" by Pips, Chips and Videoclips, "Decadence Dance" by Extreme, and appeared on the cover of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. Taking Back Sunday is a band from Amityville New York, Long Island, New York. Michael Penn (born August 1, 1958, in Greenwich Village, New York City) is an American Singer and Songwriter Interpol is an American Alternative rock band formed in 1997 in New York City. Lucky Boys Confusion (also known as LBC) is a rock band from the Chicago suburbs in DuPage County. Leo Sayer (born Gerard Hugh Sayer, 21 May 1948, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex) is an English Singer-songwriter Just like Fred Astaire was a song by the indie band James. A well publicized battle with the estate of Fred Astaire which involved the usage of his name in the title James are an English rock band from Manchester. They formed in 1981 and were active throughout the 80s but most successful during the 90s The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the British rock band The Beatles.
  29. ^ Billman, p. 287.
  30. ^ Thomas, p. 135: "I'd love to have been able to do more with my music, but I never had the time. I was always working on dance numbers. Year after year I kept doing that. Somehow or other I always blame myself, because I say, 'Well, I could have found the time; why the hell didn't I do it?'"
  31. ^ Billman, pp. 287-290
  32. ^ Kathleen Riley (2008). "Fred Astaire Conference Flyer" (. PDF). . The Astaire Conference Retrieved on 2008-05-14. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the
  33. ^ Wishart, D. J. (2004) Encyclopedia of the Great Plains University of Nebraska Pres. p 259.
  34. ^ Niven, David: Bring on the Empty Horses, G. Putnam 1975, p. 248, 255: "The combination of Fred and Phyllis was a joy to behold. . . Theirs was the prototype of a gloriously happy marriage. "
  35. ^ Billman, p. 22: "Astaire's intense professionalism — and the memory that Phyllis had wanted him to make the film — made him report back for work. The first few weeks were difficult, with most of the time being spent on Leslie's ballets and requiring as little as possible from the grieving man. Caron remembered, "Fred used to sit down during a rehearsal and put his face in his towel and just cry. "
  36. ^ Astaire made headlines again at age 78 when hospitalized after breaking his left wrist while riding his grandson's skateboard, (Thomas p. 301) and was awarded a life membership in the National Skateboard Society (Satchell p. 221). He remarked, "Gene Kelly warned me not to be a damned fool, but I'd seen the things those kids got up to on television doing all sorts of tricks. What a routine I could have worked up for a film sequence if they had existed a few years ago. Anyway I was practicing in my drive-way. " (Satchell p. 221)
  37. ^ Rogers, who died in 1995, is also interred in this cemetery.
  38. ^ In 1986, Federico Fellini released Ginger and Fred, which, although inspired by Astaire and Rogers, portrays an Italian ballroom dancing couple. Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( January 20 1920 &ndash October 31 1993) was an Italian Film Ginger and Fred is a 1986 film directed by Federico Fellini and starring Marcello Mastroianni and Giulietta Masina. In 1996, his widow allowed footage of him to be used in a commercial for Dirt Devil vacuum cleaners in which he dances with a vacuum. Dirt Devil is a brand name of household vacuum cleaners and floor care His daughter stated that she was "saddened that after his wonderful career he was sold to the devil. " cf Royal Wedding
  39. ^ Satchell p. Royal Wedding ( MGM) is a 1951 Hollywood musical comedy Film set in London in 1947 at the time of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth 253
  40. ^ Satchell p. 254. Billman (p. 26) believes Astaire couldn't countenance the portrayal of his first wife, who suffered from a speech impediment. Speech disorders or speech impediments, as they are also called are a type of Communication disorders where 'normal' speech is disrupted

Further reading

External links


Awards
Preceded by
John Houseman
for The Paper Chase		 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
1975
for The Towering Inferno		 Succeeded by
Richard Benjamin
for The Sunshine Boys
Persondata
NAME Astaire, Fred
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Austerlitz, Frederick (birth name)
SHORT DESCRIPTION dancer and actor
DATE OF BIRTH May 10, 1899
PLACE OF BIRTH Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH June 22, 1987
PLACE OF DEATH Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Allmovie (previously All Movie Guide) is a commercial database of information about Movie stars movies and television shows. Find A Grave is a Website allowing its users to access maintain and expand an online Database of Burial records The Internet Broadway Database ( IBDB) is an online Database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel Turner Classic Movies ( TCM) is a cable television channel featuring commercial -free classic movies mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner John Houseman ( September 22, 1902 — October 31, 1988) was an Oscar -winning American Actor The Paper Chase is a 1973 film starring Timothy Bottoms, Lindsay Wagner, and John Houseman and directed by James Bridges. Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor — Motion Picture was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in The Towering Inferno is a 1974 Disaster film starring Steve McQueen and Paul Newman and directed by John Guillermin Richard Benjamin (born May 22, 1938) is an American Actor and Film director. The Sunshine Boys is a play by Neil Simon that was produced on Broadway in 1972 and later adapted for film and television Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
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