Fred Astaire's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) American Masters Fred Astaire Here's Hollywood Fred Astaire Michael Parkinson's Greatest Entertainers (UK) Fred Astaire The Hollywood Palace Singer (3)

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

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:

• 'Tony Martin (I)' (qv) the husband of MGM star/dancer 'Cyd Charisse' (qv) said he could tell who she had been dancing with that day on an MGM set. If she came home covered with bruises on her, it was the very physically-demanding 'Gene Kelly (I)' (qv), if not it was the smooth and agile 'Fred Astaire' (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)
• One of the first Kennedy Center Honorees in 1978.
• Aside from starring in the film _Funny Face (1957)_ (qv), he also starred in the original 1927 Broadway version of the 'George Gershwin' (qv) & 'Ira Gershwin' (qv) musical "Funny Face". Although he was the male lead in the show, he did not play the same character he does in the film, and the storyline of the original stage musical was entirely different from the one in the film. Both play and film used many of the same songs. The studio may have felt that the original plot of "Funny Face" could not be properly adapted into a movie as it was an "ensemble" musical with people dropping out and parts changing all the time. Apparently the studio bought the rights to the title just so they could use the song. The plot of this movie is actually that of the unsuccessful Broadway musical "Wedding Bells" by 'Leonard Gershe' (qv). His character in the film is based on photographer 'Richard Avedon' (qv), who in fact, set up most of the photography shown in the film. The soggy Paris weather played havoc with the shooting of the wedding dress dance scene. Both Astaire and 'Audrey Hepburn' (qv) were continually slipping in the muddy and slippery grass.
• Famously wore a necktie around his waist instead of a belt, an affectation he picked up from his friendship with actor 'Douglas Fairbanks' (qv) but often mistakenly attributed to Astaire alone.
• Wore his trademark top hat and tails in his very first movie appearance, _Dancing Lady (1933)_ (qv).
• Good friend of actress 'Carol Lynley' (qv).
• For _Daddy Long Legs (1955)_ (qv), 'Leslie Caron' (qv) told Fred that she wanted to create her own costumes for the film. 'Fred Astaire' (qv) told her: "OK, but no feathers, please", recalling the troubles he had with one of Ginger Rogers' elaborate ostrich feathered gowns in a dance from _Top Hat (1935)_ (qv). A feather broke loose from 'Ginger Rogers' (qv) dress and stubbornly floated in mid air around Astaire's face. The episode was recreated to hilarious effect in a scene from _Easter Parade (1948)_ (qv) in which 'Fred Astaire' (qv) danced with a clumsy, comical dancer portrayed by 'Judy Garland (I)' (qv).