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Fred Astaire person

Fred Astaire

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Age
88 (passed away Jun. 22nd, 1987)
Birthday
May. 10th, 1899
Born in
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Height
5' 9"

Fred Astaire's Main TV Roles

Show Character(s)
American Masters TV Show
American Masters
The Hollywood Palace TV Show
The Hollywood Palace
Here's Hollywood TV Show
Here's Hollywood
Michael Parkinson's Greatest Entertainers (UK) TV Show
Michael Parkinson's Greatest Entertainers (UK)
 

Main Movie Roles

2007 - Chacun son cinema ou Ce petit coup au coeur quand la lumiere s'eteint et que le film commence
1985 - That's Dancing!
1985 - Cocoon
1981 - Ghost Story
1974 - The Towering Inferno
1968 - Finian's Rainbow
1959 - On the Beach
1957 - Silk Stockings
1957 - Funny Face
1955 - Daddy Long Legs
1953 - The Band Wagon
1952 - The Belle of New York
1951 - Royal Wedding
1950 - Three Little Words
1949 - The Barkleys of Broadway
1948 - Easter Parade
1945 - Yolanda and the Thief
1943 - The Sky's the Limit
1942 - Holiday Inn
1942 - You Were Never Lovelier
1941 - You'll Never Get Rich
1940 - Broadway Melody of 1940
1940 - Second Chorus
1939 - The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
1938 - Carefree
1937 - Shall We Dance
1936 - Follow the Fleet
1936 - Swing Time
1935 - Roberta
1935 - Top Hat
1934 - The Gay Divorcee
1933 - Flying Down to Rio
1933 - Dancing Lady

NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at IMDB


BIOGRAPHY:

The son of an Austrian immigrant, Fred Astaire entered show business at age 5. He was successful both in vaudeville and on Broadway in partnership with his sister, Adele Astaire. After Adele retired to marry in 1932, Astaire headed to Hollywood. Signed to RKO, he was loaned to MGM to appear in Dancing Lady (1933) before starting work on RKO's Flying Down to Rio (1933). In the latter film, he began his highly successful partnership with Ginger Rogers, with whom he danced in 9 RKO pictures. During these years, he was also active in recording and radio. On film, Astaire later appeared opposite a number of partners through various studios. After a temporary retirement in 1945-7, during which he opened Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Astaire returned to film to star in more musicals through 1957. He subsequently performed a number of straight dramatic roles in film and TV.


TRIVIA:
  • While all music and songs were known to be dubbed (recorded before filming), his tap dancing was dubbed also. He "over-dubbed" his taps - recording them live as he danced to the previously recorded taps.
  • After _Blue Skies (1946)_ (qv), New York's Paramount Theater generated a petition of 10,000 names to persuade him to come out of retirement.
  • Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 36-38. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999.
  • In the year 2000 the following album was released as a tribute to him: "Let Yourself Go: Celebrating Fred Astaire". All songs were performed by 'Stacey Kent' (qv).
  • He and 'Ginger Rogers' (qv) acted in 10 movies together: _The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)_ (qv), _Carefree (1938)_ (qv), _Flying Down to Rio (1933)_ (qv), _Follow the Fleet (1936)_ (qv), _The Gay Divorcee (1934)_ (qv), _Roberta (1935)_ (qv), _Shall We Dance (1937)_ (qv), _The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)_ (qv), _Swing Time (1936)_ (qv) and _Top Hat (1935)_ (qv)
  • Although he spend most of his childhood touring on the vaudeville circuit, he would occasionally settle down with his family and their neighbors and friends, who were almost all families of Austrian immigrants.
  • Is one of the many movie stars mentioned in 'Madonna' (qv)'s song "Vogue"
  • 'Don McLean (I)' (qv)'s song "Wonderful Baby" was written with Astaire in mind; Astaire reportedly loved the song, and recorded it for an album.

Fred Astaire Photos

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