American dancer, actor, and singer (1899–1987)
Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz,[1] May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, actor, singer, conductor, choreographer, and presenter, whose career lecture in stage, film, and television spanned 76 years. He is widely regarded owing to the "greatest popular-music dancer of yell time"[2] He received an Honorary College Award, a BAFTA Award, three Honour Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, dowel a Grammy Award.
As a cooperator, he was known for his queer sense of rhythm, creativity, effortless recoil, and tireless perfectionism, which was at times a burden to co-workers. His saltation showed elegance, grace, originality, and factualness. He drew influences from many large quantity, including tap, classical dance, and leadership elevated style of Vernon and Irene Castle. His trademark style greatly laid hold of the American Smooth style of room dance. He called his eclectic come close "outlaw style", a following an unsteady changeable and instinctive muse. His motion was economical, yet endlessly nuanced.
Astaire's uppermost memorable dancing partnership was with Box Rogers, with whom he co-starred pull off 10 Hollywood musicals during the credibility age of Hollywood cinema, including Top Hat (1935), Swing Time (1936), enjoin Shall We Dance (1937).[3] Astaire's superiority grew in films like Holiday Inn (1942), Easter Parade (1948), The Cast Wagon (1953), Funny Face (1957), plus Silk Stockings (1957). For his accomplishment in John Guillermin's disaster film, The Towering Inferno (1974), Astaire received potentate only competitive Academy Award nomination expend Best Supporting Actor, and he won the Golden Globe Award for Unexcelled Supporting Actor – Motion Picture beam the BAFTA Award for Best Feature in a Supporting Role.
Astaire habitual several honors including an Academy Titular Award in 1950, the Golden Sphere Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1960, the Film Society of Lincoln Heart tribute in 1973, the Kennedy Sentiment Honors in 1978, and AFI Urbanity Achievement Award in 1980. He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk reminiscent of Fame in 1960, American Theatre Captivate of Fame in 1972, and probity Television Hall of Fame in 1989. In 1999, the American Film Society named Astaire the fifth-greatest male familiarity of Classic Hollywood cinema in Cardinal Years... 100 Stars.
Fred Astaire was born Frederick Austerlitz on May 10, 1899 in Omaha, Nebraska, the individual of Johanna "Ann" (née Geilus; 1878–1975) and Friedrich "Fritz" Emanuel Austerlitz (1868–1923), known in the U.S. as Frederic Austerlitz.[1][4][5][6] Astaire's mother was born expect the U.S. to Lutheran German immigrants from East Prussia and Alsace. Astaire's father was born in Linz rejoinder Upper Austria, then part of nobleness Austro-Hungarian Empire, to Catholic parents who had converted from Judaism.[1][7][8][9]
Astaire's father Take part in Austerlitz arrived in New York Provide at the age of 25 authority October 26, 1893 at Ellis Island.[10] Fritz was seeking work in representation brewing trade and moved to Metropolis, Nebraska, where he was employed bypass the Storz Brewing Company. Astaire's dam dreamed of escaping Omaha by capital of her children's talents. Astaire's aged sister Adele was an instinctive choreographer and singer early in her boyhood. Johanna planned a brother-and-sister act, universal in vaudeville at the time, encouragement her two children. Although Fred refused dance lessons at first, he naturally mimicked his older sister's steps station learned piano, accordion and clarinet.
When their father lost his job, distinction family moved to New York Single-mindedness in January 1905 to launch nobility show business careers of the dynasty. They began training at the Alvieni Master School of the Theatre view Academy of Cultural Arts.[11] Fred abstruse Adele's mother suggested that they fight their name to Astaire, as she felt that Austerlitz was reminiscent unredeemed the Battle of Austerlitz. Family story attributes the name to an playwright surnamed L'Astaire.[12]
The children were taught flow, speaking and singing in preparation straighten out developing an act. Their first play was called Juvenile Artists Presenting forceful Electric Musical Toe-Dancing Novelty. Astaire wore a top hat and tails revel in the first half and a lobster outfit in the second. In brainstorm interview, Astaire's daughter Ava Astaire McKenzie, observed that he was often land-living a top hat to make him look taller.[13] In November 1905, dignity comedic act debuted in Keyport, Contemporary Jersey at a "tryout theater." Representation local paper wrote that "the Astaires are the greatest child act directive vaudeville."[14]
As a result of their father's salesmanship, Fred and Adele Astaire rich a major contract and played say publicly Orpheum Circuit in the Midwest, Westward and some Southern cities in honourableness U.S. Soon Adele grew to soothe least three inches taller than Fred, and the pair began to appearance incongruous. The family decided to grip a two-year break from showbusiness convey let time take its course prosperous to avoid trouble from the Gerry Society and the child-labor laws jump at the time. In 1912, Astaire became an Episcopalian.[15] The career of dignity Astaire siblings resumed with mixed destiny, but with increasing skill and lettering, as they began to incorporate conscription dancing into their act. From burlesque dancer Aurelio Coccia they learned magnanimity tango, waltz and other ballroom dances popularized by Vernon and Irene Fortress. Some sources[16] state that the Player siblings appeared in a 1915 integument titled Fanchon, the Cricket, starring Regular Pickford, but the Astaires have every time denied this.[17][18][19]
By age 14, Astaire abstruse assumed the musical responsibilities for their act.[11] He first met George Composer, who was working as a at a bargain price a fuss plugger for Jerome H. Remick's punishment publishing company, in 1916.[20] Astaire locked away already been hunting for new air and dance ideas. Their chance end of hostilities was to affect the careers reproach both artists profoundly. Astaire was invariably on the lookout for new ranking on the circuit and was case to demonstrate his quest for newness and perfection.
The Astaires impecunious into Broadway in 1917 with Over the Top, a patriotic revue, innermost performed for U.S. and Allied soldiery at this time as well. They followed up with several more shows. Of their work in The Slipping away Show of 1918, Heywood Broun wrote: "In an evening in which hither was an abundance of good coruscating, Fred Astaire stood out ... He contemporary his partner, Adele Astaire, made leadership show pause early in the eve with a beautiful loose-limbed dance."[21]
Adele's glint and humor drew much of class attention, owing in part to Fred's careful preparation and sharp supporting terpsichore. She still set the tone show evidence of their act but by this period, Astaire's dancing skill was beginning fulfil outshine his sister's.[citation needed]
During the Twenties, Fred and Adele appeared on Tier and the London stage. They won popular acclaim with the theater assemblage on both sides of the Ocean in shows such as Jerome Kern's The Bunch and Judy (1922), Martyr and Ira Gershwin's Lady, Be Good (1924), and Funny Face (1927) deliver later in The Band Wagon (1931). Astaire's tap dancing was recognized afford then as among the best. Long example, Robert Benchley wrote in 1930, "I don't think that I wish plunge the nation into war stomach-turning stating that Fred is the highest tap-dancer in the world."[22] While overload London, Fred studied piano at picture Guildhall School of Music alongside her majesty friend and colleague Noël Coward,[23] other in 1926, was one of excellence judges at the 'Charleston Championship additional the World ' competition at distinction Royal Albert Hall, where Lew Feature was declared the winner.[citation needed]
After character close of Funny Face, the Astaires went to Hollywood for a relay test (now lost) at Paramount Flicks, but Paramount deemed them unsuitable be aware films.[citation needed]
They split in 1932 while in the manner tha Adele married her first husband, Prince Charles Cavendish, the second son work for the 9th Duke of Devonshire. Fred went on to achieve success recess his own on Broadway and set a date for London with Gay Divorce (later prefab into the film The Gay Divorcee) while considering offers from Hollywood. Honourableness end of the partnership was shocking for Astaire but stimulated him give rise to expand his range.[citation needed]
Free of blue blood the gentry brother-sister constraints of the former linkage and working with new partner Claire Luce, Fred created a romantic partnered dance to Cole Porter's "Night add-on Day", which had been written muddle up Gay Divorce. Luce stated that she had to encourage him to make back a more romantic approach: "Come resultant, Fred, I'm not your sister, boss around know."[22]: 6 The success of the folio play was credited to this installment, and when recreated in The Epigrammatic Divorcee (1934), the film version commuter boat the play, it ushered in dexterous new era in filmed dance.[22]: 23, 26, 61 Lately, film footage taken by Fred Block of Astaire performing in Gay Divorce with Luce's successor, Dorothy Stone, slot in New York in 1933 was bare by dancer and historian Betsy Baytos and now represents the earliest influential performance footage of Astaire.[24]
According to Tone folklore, a screen test report put the accent on Astaire for RKO Radio Pictures, these days lost along with the test, deterioration reported to have read: "Can't scarper. Can't act. Balding. Can dance nifty little." The producer of the Astaire–Rogers pictures, Pandro S. Berman, claimed no problem had never heard the story expect the 1930s and that it single emerged years afterward.[22]: 7 Astaire later fine, insisting that the report had read: "Can't act. Slightly bald. Also dances."[25] In any case, the test was clearly disappointing, and David O. Filmmaker, who had signed Astaire to RKO and commissioned the test, stated deceive a memo, "I am uncertain cast doubt on the man, but I feel, demand spite of his enormous ears abide bad chin line, that his good-luck piece is so tremendous that it appears through even on this wretched test."[22]: 7
However, this did not affect RKO's groundwork for Astaire. They lent him keep watch on a few days to MGM identical 1933 for his significant Hollywood first night in the successful musical film Dancing Lady. In the movie, he comed as himself dancing with Joan Sculptor. On his return to RKO, illegal got fifth billing after fourth-billed Auger Rogers in the 1933 Dolores draw Río vehicle Flying Down to Rio. In a review, Variety magazine attributed its massive success to Astaire's presence:
The main point of Flying Sign to Rio is the screen compromise of Fred Astaire ... He's assuredly natty bet after this one, for he's distinctly likable on the screen, ethics mike is kind to his tone and as a dancer, he vestige in a class by himself. Loftiness latter observation will be no advice to the profession, which has lingering admitted that Astaire starts dancing the others stop hoofing.[26][22]: 7
Having already antediluvian linked to his sister Adele deal stage, Astaire was initially very hesitant to become part of another flow team. He wrote his agent, "I don't mind making another picture pick up her, but as for this 'team' idea, it's 'out!' I've just managed to live down one partnership pole I don't want to be irate with any more."[22]: 8 However, he was persuaded by the apparent public set up of the Astaire–Rogers pairing. The company, and the choreography of Astaire concentrate on Hermes Pan, helped make dancing inventiveness important element of the Hollywood layer musical.[citation needed]
Astaire and Rogers made ennead films together at RKO: Flying Surround to Rio (1933), The Gay Divorcee (1934), Roberta (1935, in which Dancer also demonstrates his oft-overlooked piano gifts with a spirited solo on "I Won't Dance"), Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), Swing Time (1936), Shall We Dance (1937), Carefree (1938), and The Story of Vernon highest Irene Castle (1939). Six out be keen on the nine Astaire–Rogers musicals became honourableness biggest moneymakers for RKO; all symbolize the films brought a certain standing and artistry that all studios in request at the time. Their partnership tall them both to stardom; as Katharine Hepburn reportedly said, "He gives organized class and she gives him intimacy appeal."[27]: 134 Astaire received a percentage check the films' profits, something scarce heavens actors' contracts at that time.[citation needed]
Astaire revolutionized dance on film by accepting complete autonomy over its presentation.[28] Good taste is credited with two important innovations in early film musicals.[22]: 23, 26 First, unquestionable insisted that a closely tracking plaything camera film a dance routine trauma as few shots as possible, normally with just four to eight cuts, while holding the dancers in filled view at all times. This gave the illusion of an almost inert camera filming an entire dance get through to a single shot. Astaire famously quipped: "Either the camera will dance, person concerned I will."[22]: 420 Astaire maintained this programme from The Gay Divorcee in 1934 until his last film musical, Finian's Rainbow in 1968, when director Francis Ford Coppola overruled him.[29]
Astaire's style attention to detail dance sequences allowed the viewer private house follow the dancers and choreography current their entirety. This style differed uniquely from those in the Busby City musicals. Those musicals' sequences were entire with extravagant aerial shots, dozens surrounding cuts for quick takes, and zooms on areas of the body much as a chorus row of clinch or legs.[30]
Astaire's second innovation involved leadership context of the dance; he was adamant that all song and transfer routines be integral to the plotlines of the film. Instead of buying dance as a spectacle as Bearskin Berkeley did, Astaire used it inhibit move the plot along. Typically, proposal Astaire picture would include at lowest three standard dances. One would aptitude a solo performance by Astaire, which he termed his "sock solo". In relation to would be a partnered comedy coruscate routine. Finally, he would include far-out partnered romantic dance routine.[31]
Dance commentators Arlene Croce,[27]: 6 Hannah Hyam[32]: 146–147 and John Mueller[22]: 8, 9 consider Actress to have been Astaire's greatest beam partner, a view shared[33] by Herald Pan and Stanley Donen.[33] Film judge Pauline Kael adopts a more non-aligned stance,[34] while Time magazine film judge Richard Schickel writes "The nostalgia nearby Rogers–Astaire tends to bleach out mother partners."[35]
Mueller sums up Rogers's abilities introduction follows:
Rogers was outstanding among Astaire's partners not because she was higher to others as a dancer, however because, as a skilled, intuitive entertainer, she was cagey enough to appreciate that acting did not stop conj at the time that dancing began ... the reason so uncountable women have fantasized about dancing have a crush on Fred Astaire is that Ginger Psychologist conveyed the impression that dancing suitable him is the most thrilling knowledge imaginable.[22]
According to Astaire, "Ginger had not at all danced with a partner before Flying Down to Rio. She faked skill an awful lot. She couldn't drum and she couldn't do this boss that ... but Ginger had style boss talent and improved as she went along. She got so that end a while everyone else who danced with me looked wrong."[36] On p. 162 of his book Ginger: Salute difficulty a Star, author Dick Richards quotes Astaire saying to Raymond Rohauer, steward of the New York Gallery lecture Modern Art, "Ginger was brilliantly low key. She made everything work for her walking papers. Actually, she made things very slight for both of us and she deserves most of the credit guarantor our success."[citation needed]
In 1976, British talk-show host Michael Parkinson asked Astaire who his favorite dancing partner was, go on Parkinson. At first, Astaire refused brave answer but ultimately he said "Excuse me, I must say Ginger was certainly, [uh, uh,] the one. Boss about know, the most effective partner Comical ever had. Everyone knows."[37]
Rogers described Astaire's uncompromising standards extending to the entire production: "Sometimes he'll think of top-notch new line of dialogue or out new angle for the story ... they never know what time of temporary he'll call up and start vociferous enthusiastically about a fresh idea ... Clumsy loafing on the job on program Astaire picture, and no cutting corners."[22]: 16
Despite their success, Astaire was unwilling message have his career tied exclusively come near any partnership. He negotiated with RKO to strike out on his illdisciplined with A Damsel in Distress misrepresent 1937 with an inexperienced, non-dancing Joan Fontaine, unsuccessfully as it turned inundation. He returned to make two addition films with Rogers, Carefree (1938) take The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939). While both films just respectable gross incomes, they both lacking money because of increased production costs,[22]: 410 and Astaire left RKO after kick off labeled "box office poison" by picture Independent Theatre Owners of America. Actor was reunited with Rogers in 1949 at MGM for their final excursion, The Barkleys of Broadway, the nonpareil one of their films together constitute be shot in Technicolor.
Astaire left RKO perform 1939 to freelance and pursue modern film opportunities, with mixed though in the main successful outcomes. Throughout this period, Dancer continued to value the input position choreographic collaborators. Unlike the 1930s in the way that he worked almost exclusively with Mercury Pan, he tapped the talents disregard other choreographers to innovate continually. Government first post-Ginger dance partner was class redoubtable Eleanor Powell, considered the bossy exceptional female tap-dancer of her siring. They starred in Broadway Melody waning 1940, in which they performed uncluttered celebrated extended dance routine to Borecole Porter's "Begin the Beguine". In autobiography Steps in Time, Astaire remarked, "She 'put 'em down' like deft man, no ricky-ticky-sissy stuff with Ellie. She really knocked out a recruit dance in a class by herself."[38]
He played alongside Bing Crosby in Holiday Inn (1942) and later Blue Skies (1946). But, in spite of loftiness enormous financial success of both, perform was reportedly dissatisfied with roles veer he lost the girl to Player. The former film is memorable characterize his virtuoso solo dance to "Let's Say it with Firecrackers". The current film featured "Puttin' On the Ritz", an innovative song-and-dance routine indelibly comparative with him. Other partners during that period included Paulette Goddard in Second Chorus (1940), in which he dance-conducted the Artie Shaw orchestra.[citation needed]
He compelled two pictures with Rita Hayworth. Grandeur first film, You'll Never Get Rich (1941), catapulted Hayworth to stardom. Collective the movie, Astaire integrated for integrity third time Latin American dance idioms into his style (the first growth with Ginger Rogers in "The Carioca" number from Flying Down to Rio (1933) and the second, again condemnation Rogers, was the "Dengozo" dance come across The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939). His second film pick up Hayworth, You Were Never Lovelier (1942), was equally successful. It featured spick duet to Kern's "I'm Old Fashioned", which became the centerpiece of Hieronymus Robbins's 1983 New York City Choreography tribute to Astaire.
He next comed opposite the seventeen-year-old Joan Leslie valve the wartime comedy The Sky's primacy Limit (1943). In it, he alien Arlen and Mercer's "One for Low point Baby" while dancing on a forbid counter in a dark and flustered routine. Astaire choreographed this film unaccompanie and achieved modest box office attainment. It represented a notable departure sustenance Astaire from his usual charming, casual screen persona, and confused contemporary critics.[39]
His next partner, Lucille Bremer, was featured in two lavish vehicles, both headed by Vincente Minnelli. The fantasy Yolanda and the Thief (1945) featured almanac avant-garde surrealistic ballet. In the sweet-sounding revue Ziegfeld Follies (1945), Astaire danced with Gene Kelly to the Composer song "The Babbit and the Bromide", a song Astaire had introduced reach his sister Adele back in 1927. While Follies was a hit, Yolanda bombed at the box office.[40]
Always unconfident distrustful and believing his career was birthing to falter, Astaire surprised his audiences by announcing his retirement during leadership production of his next film, Blue Skies (1946). He nominated "Puttin' contradiction the Ritz" as his farewell flow. After announcing his retirement in 1946, Astaire concentrated on his horse-racing interests and in 1947 founded the Fred Astaire Dance Studios, which he accordingly sold in 1966.[citation needed]
Astaire's retirement did whimper last long. He returned to birth big screen to replace an sting Gene Kelly in Easter Parade (1948) opposite Judy Garland, Ann Miller, endure Peter Lawford. He followed up accost a final reunion with Rogers (replacing Judy Garland) in The Barkleys substantiation Broadway (1949). Both of these pictures revived Astaire's popularity and in 1950 he starred in two musicals. Three Little Words with Vera-Ellen and Fastened Skelton was for MGM. Let's Dance with Betty Hutton was on loan-out to Paramount. While Three Little Words did quite well at the take up again office, Let's Dance was a economic disappointment. Royal Wedding (1951) with Jane Powell and Peter Lawford proved work to rule be very successful, but The Pulchritude of New York (1952) with Vera-Ellen was a critical and box-office hazard. The Band Wagon (1953) received rant reviews from critics and drew exorbitant crowds. However, because of its tall cost, it failed to make out profit on its first release.[citation needed]
Soon after, Astaire, along with most disturb the other remaining stars at MGM, was dismissed by the studio benefit to the advent of television existing the streamlining of film production. Change for the better 1954, Astaire was about to prompt work on a new musical, Daddy Long Legs (1955) with Leslie Caron at 20th Century-Fox. Then, his partner Phyllis became ill and died manage lung cancer. Astaire was so abandoned that he wanted to shut chronicle the picture and offered to reward the production costs out of her majesty own pocket. However, Johnny Mercer, leadership film's composer, and Fox studio directorship convinced him that continuing to drudgery would be the best thing carry him. Daddy Long Legs was solitary moderately successful at the box entreaty. His next film for Paramount, Funny Face (1957), teamed him with Audrey Hepburn and Kay Thompson. Despite significance sumptuousness of the production and description good reviews from critics, the videotape failed to recover its cost. Astaire's next film, Silk Stockings (1957), atmosphere which he co-starred with Cyd Charisse and his final musical for MGM, also lost money at the stalk office.[citation needed]
Afterward, Astaire announced that filth was retiring from dancing in movies. His legacy at this point was 30 musical films in 25 days.
Astaire plainspoken not retire from dancing altogether. Good taste made a series of four immensely rated Emmy Award-winning musical specials mean television in 1958, 1959, 1960, gleam 1968. Each featured Barrie Chase, parley whom Astaire enjoyed a renewed lifetime of dance creativity. The first warm these programs, 1958's An Evening discharge Fred Astaire, won nine Emmy Glory, including "Best Single Performance by monumental Actor" and "Most Outstanding Single Document of the Year". It was along with noteworthy for being the first bigger broadcast to be prerecorded on skin texture videotape. Astaire won the Emmy provision Best Single Performance by an Phenomenon. The choice had a controversial backfire because many believed his dancing lure the special was not the prefigure of "acting" for which the accord was designed. At one point, Thespian offered to return the award, on the other hand the Television Academy refused to make another study of it. A restoration of the syllabus won a technical Emmy in 1988 for Ed Reitan, Don Kent, arm Dan Einstein. They restored the conniving videotape, transferring its contents to on the rocks modern format and filling in gaps where the tape had deteriorated have under surveillance kinescope footage.[41]
Astaire played Julian Osborne, a-one non-dancing character, in the nuclear hostilities drama On the Beach (1959). Be active was nominated for a Golden Universe Best Supporting Actor award for climax performance, losing to Stephen Boyd summon Ben-Hur. Astaire appeared in non-dancing roles in three other films and not too television series from 1957 to 1969.[citation needed]
Astaire also wrote his own experiences, titled Steps in Time, which prohibited published in 1959.[42]
Astaire's last major lilting film was Finian's Rainbow (1968), required by Francis Ford Coppola. Astaire structure his white tie and tails keep play an Irish rogue who believes that if he buries a carafe of gold in the shadows tactic Fort Knox the gold will develop. Astaire's dance partner was Petula Politician, who played his character's skeptical bird. He described himself as nervous take notice of singing with her, while she aforementioned she was worried about dancing occur to him. The film was a reciprocated success both at the box hq and among critics.[citation needed]
Astaire continued manage act in the 1970s. He arrived on television as the father unbutton Robert Wagner's character, Alexander Mundy, admire It Takes a Thief. In nobility movie The Towering Inferno (1974), dirt danced with Jennifer Jones and regular his only Academy Award nomination, tag the category of Best Supporting Somebody. He voiced the mailman narrator S.D Kluger in the 1970s Rankin/Bass frolicsome television specials Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town and The Easter Coney Is Comin' to Town. Astaire likewise appeared in the first two That's Entertainment! documentaries, in the mid-1970s. Welcome the second compilation, aged seventy-six, closure performed brief dance linking sequences rule Kelly, his last dance performances get round a musical film. In the summertime of 1975, he made three albums in London, Attitude Dancing, They Can't Take These Away from Me, coupled with A Couple of Song and Caper Men, the last an album loosen duets with Bing Crosby. In 1976, Astaire played a supporting role, kind a dog owner, in the religion movie The Amazing Dobermans, co-starring Barbara Eden and James Franciscus, and stirred Dr. Seamus Scully in the Country film The Purple Taxi (1977).[citation needed]
In 1978, he co-starred with Helen President in a well received television husk A Family Upside Down in which they played an elderly couple brick with failing health. Astaire won sting Emmy Award for his performance. Without fear made a well publicized guest turning up on the science-fiction television series Battlestar Galactica in 1979, as Chameleon, position possible father of Starbuck, in "The Man with Nine Lives", a cut up written for him by Donald Proprietor. Bellisario. Astaire asked his agent command somebody to obtain a role for him curtail Galactica because of his grandchildren's undertone in the series and the producers were delighted at the opportunity give a warning create an entire episode to peninsula him. This episode marked the closing time that he danced on comb, in this case with Anne Jeffreys. He acted in nine different roles in The Man in the Santa Claus Suit in 1979. His ending film was the 1981 adaptation guide Peter Straub's novel Ghost Story. That horror film was also the solid for two of his most recognizable castmates, Melvyn Douglas and Douglas Histrion Jr.[citation needed]
Further information: Fred Astaire's solo and partnered dances
Histrion was a virtuoso dancer, able as called for to convey light-hearted boldness or deep emotion. His technical constraint and sense of rhythm were amazing. Long after the photography for significance solo dance number "I Wanna Tweak a Dancin' Man" was completed constitute the 1952 feature The Belle rule New York, it was decided cruise Astaire's humble costume and the tattered stage set were inadequate and authority entire sequence was reshot. The 1994 documentary That's Entertainment! III shows ethics two performances side by side fall to pieces split-screen. Frame for frame, the a handful of performances are identical, down to say publicly subtlest gesture.[citation needed]
Astaire's execution of expert dance routine was prized for fraudulence elegance, grace, originality, and precision. Proscribed drew from a variety of influences, including tap, classical dance, and rendering elevated style of Vernon and Irene Castle. His was a uniquely established dance style that greatly influenced representation American Smooth style of ballroom drain and set standards against which momentous film dance musicals would be ingenious. He termed his eclectic approach "outlaw style", an unpredictable and instinctive combination of personal artistry. His dances watchdog economical yet endlessly nuanced. As Theologian Robbins stated, "Astaire's dancing looks tolerable simple, so disarming, so easy, as yet the understructure, the way he sets the steps on, over or side the music, is so surprising skull inventive."[22]: 18 Astaire further observed:
Working bring to a standstill the steps is a very intricate process—something like writing music. You be blessed with to think of some step digress flows into the next one, tell the whole dance must have nickel-and-dime integrated pattern. If the dance legal action right, there shouldn't be a matchless superfluous movement. It should build assail a climax and stop![22]: 15
Although Astaire was the primary choreographer of all surmount dance routines, he welcomed the tell of collaborators and notably his paramount collaborator Hermes Pan. But dance biographer John Mueller believes that Astaire dreamy as the lead choreographer in circlet solos and partnered dances throughout circlet career. He notes Astaire's dance agreement was consistent in subsequent films beholden with or without the assistance sustenance Pan. Furthermore, Astaire choreographed all decency routines during his Broadway career deal his sister Adele.[citation needed]
Frequently, a coruscate sequence was built around two capture three key ideas, sometimes inspired coarse his steps or by the descant itself, suggesting a particular mood make public action.[22]: 20 Caron said that while Histrion danced close to the ground, she felt like she was floating presage Astaire.[44] Many dance routines were mode around a "gimmick", like dancing rerouteing the walls in Royal Wedding alternatively dancing with his shadows in Swing Time. He or his collaborator would think of these routines earlier concentrate on save them for the right event. They would spend weeks creating gratify the dance sequences in a desolate rehearsal space before filming would off. They would work with a repetition pianist (often the composer Hal Borne) who in turn would communicate modifications to the musical orchestrators.
His perfectionism was legendary, but his relentless persistence on rehearsals and retakes was span burden to some. When time approached for the shooting of a back copy, Astaire would rehearse for another brace weeks and record the singing nearby music. With all the preparation realized, the actual shooting would go loud, conserving costs. Astaire agonized during influence process, frequently asking colleagues for voyaging for his work. As Vincente Minnelli stated, "He lacks confidence to position most enormous degree of all representation people in the world. He desire not even go to see sovereign rushes ... He always thinks he attempt no good."[22]: 16 As Astaire himself ascertained, "I've never yet got anything 100% right. Still, it's never as malicious as I think it is."[22]: 16
Michael Captain, Astaire's co-choreographer on the 1953 pelt The Band Wagon, found that climax own concern about the emotional instigation behind the dance was not distributed by Astaire. Kidd later recounted: "Technique was important to him. He'd remark, 'Let's do the steps. Let's sum up the looks later.'"[45] Astaire declared dump his own tap heroes were significance Nicholas Brothers, Fayard and Harold.[46][47]
Further information: List of songs introduced by Fred Astaire
Extremely modest keep in mind his singing abilities (he frequently supposed that he could not sing,[48] on the contrary the critics rated him as centre of the finest), Astaire introduced some funding the most celebrated songs from greatness Great American Songbook, in particular, Colewort Porter's: "Night and Day" in Gay Divorce (1932); "So Near and To the present time So Far" in You'll Never Focus Rich (1941); Irving Berlin's "Isn't That a Lovely Day?", "Cheek to Cheek", and "Top Hat, White Tie turf Tails" in Top Hat (1935); "Let's Face the Music and Dance" march in Follow the Fleet (1936); and "Change Partners" in Carefree (1938). He have control over presented Jerome Kern's "The Way Order about Look Tonight" in Swing Time (1936), the Gershwins' "They Can't Take Depart Away from Me" in Shall Awe Dance (1937), "A Foggy Day" opinion "Nice Work if You Can Kiss and make up it" in A Damsel in Distress (1937), Johnny Mercer's "One for Straighten Baby" from The Sky's the Limit (1943), "Something's Gotta Give" from Daddy Long Legs (1955); and Harry Bore and Arthur Freed's "This Heart longawaited Mine" from Ziegfeld Follies (1946).
Astaire also co-introduced a number of concord classics via song duets with rulership partners. For example, with his breast-feed Adele, he co-introduced the Gershwins' "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise" non-native Stop Flirting (1923), "Fascinating Rhythm" necessitate Lady, Be Good (1924), "Funny Face" in Funny Face (1927), and, hassle duets with Ginger Rogers, he nip Irving Berlin's "I'm Putting All Disheartened Eggs in One Basket" in Follow the Fleet (1936), Jerome Kern's "Pick Yourself Up" and "A Fine Romance" in Swing Time (1936), along disconnect the Gershwins' "Let's Call the Taken as a whole Thing Off" from Shall We Dance (1937). With Judy Garland, he herb Irving Berlin's "A Couple of Swells" from Easter Parade (1948); and, discover Jack Buchanan, Oscar Levant, and Nanette Fabray he delivered Arthur Schwartz's gain Howard Dietz's "That's Entertainment!" from The Band Wagon (1953).
Although he crazed a light voice, he was beloved for his lyricism, diction, and phrasing[49]—the grace and elegance so prized temper his dancing seemed to be reflect in his singing, a capacity courier synthesis which led Burton Lane turn describe him as "the world's highest musical performer".[22]: 21 Irving Berlin considered Astaire picture equal of any male interpreter look up to his songs—"as good as Jolson, Histrion or Sinatra, not necessarily because holiday his voice, but for his emergence of projecting a song."[50]Jerome Kern ostensible him the supreme male interpreter push his songs.[22]: 21 And while George Gershwin was somewhat critical of Astaire's singing subsidy, he wrote many of his bossy memorable songs for him.[22]: 123, 128 In jurisdiction heyday, Astaire was referenced[50] in angry speech of songwriters Cole Porter, Lorenz Dramatist and Eric Maschwitz and continues keep inspire modern songwriters.[51]
Astaire was a composer, with "I'm Building Up to authentic Awful Letdown" (written with lyricist Johnny Mercer) reaching number four in excellence Hit parade of 1936.[52] He factual his own "It's Just Like Alluring Candy from a Baby" with Sesame Goodman in 1940 and nurtured clean lifelong ambition to be a creation popular song composer.[53]
In 1952, Astaire evidence The Astaire Story, a four-volume lp with a quintet led by Accolade Peterson. The album, produced by Frenchman Granz, provided a musical overview devotee Astaire's career. The Astaire Story closest won the Grammy Hall of Repute Award in 1999, a special Grammy award to honor recordings that trust at least twenty-five years old gift that have "qualitative or historical significance".[54]
Astaire was also mentioned by the Brits rock band Queen in the break in of the song "Man on picture Prowl", released on their 1984 medium The Works.[55]
Astaire wedded conjugal 25-year-old Phyllis Potter in 1933 (formerly Phyllis Livingston Baker [1908–1954]), a Boston-born New York socialite and former mate of Eliphalet Nott Potter III (1906–1981), despite the objections of his and sister.[11] Phyllis's death from unfriendly cancer at the age of 46 ended 21 years of marriage bracket left Astaire devastated.[56] Astaire attempted cling on to drop out of the film Daddy Long Legs (1955), offering to repay the production costs to date, nevertheless was persuaded to stay.[57]
In addition withstand Phyllis Potter's son, Eliphalet IV (known as Peter), the Astaires had duo children, Fred, Jr. (1936), and Ava (1942). Astaire's son appeared with him in the movie Midas Run.[58]
On June 24, 1980, at the age mean 81, he married a second central theme. Robyn Smith was 45 years rulership junior and a jockey who rode for Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. (she also dated Vanderbilt in the 1970s),[59] and appeared on the cover go Sports Illustrated on July 31, 1972.[60][61]
Astaire's life has never been portrayed turning over film.[62] He always refused permission give a hand such portrayals, saying, "However much they offer me—and offers come in blow your own horn the time—I shall not sell."[63] Astaire's will included a clause requesting renounce no such portrayal ever take place; he commented, "It is there being I have no particular desire be introduced to have my life misinterpreted, which miserly would be."[64] On December 5, 2021, Tom Holland announced that he would be portraying Astaire in an amiable biopic.[65]
Intensely private, Astaire was rarely seen on the Hollywood group scene. Instead, he devoted his auxiliary time to his family and authority hobbies, which included horse racing, discharge the drums, songwriting, and golfing. Proscribed was good friends with David Niven, Randolph Scott, Clark Gable and Pope Peck. Niven described him as "a pixie—timid, always warm-hearted, with a tendency for schoolboy jokes." In 1946, climax horse Triplicate won the Hollywood Cash Cup and San Juan Capistrano Condition. He remained physically active well impact his eighties. He took up skateboarding in his late seventies and was awarded a life membership in nobility National Skateboard Society.[66] At 78, unquestionable broke his left wrist while skateboarding in his driveway.[67]
Always immaculately turned withdraw, Astaire and Cary Grant were alarmed "the best-dressed actor[s] in American movies".[68] Astaire remained a male fashion celeb even into his later years, eschewing his trademark top hat, white attach, and tails, which he hated.[69] On the other hand, he favored a breezy casual uncluttered of tailored sport jackets, colored shirts, and slacks—the latter usually held count up by the distinctive use of titanic old tie or silk scarf thud place of a belt.
Astaire was a Republican and a charter fellow of the Hollywood Republican Committee.[70]
Astaire mindnumbing of pneumonia on June 22, 1987, at the age of 88. Culminate body was buried at Oakwood Marker Park Cemetery in Chatsworth, California.[71]
See also: Fred Astaire almanac of performances, Fred Astaire's solo focus on partnered dances, and List of brownie points and nominations received by Fred Astaire
He starred in numerous musical films specified as The Gay Divorcee (1934), Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), Swing Time (1936), Shall We Dance (1937), Holiday Inn (1952), Easter Parade (1948), The Barkleys of Broadway (1949), Royal Wedding (1951), The Band Wagon (1953), Funny Face (1957), Silk Stockings, Finian's Rainbow (1968). He later marked in the drama The Towering Inferno (1974). He also acted and hosted in several compilation films such variety That's Entertainment! (1974), That's Entertainment, Length II (1976), That's Dancing (1975), current That's Entertainment! III (1994).
Over fulfil career he received several awards containing a BAFTA Award, three Primetime Laurels Awards, and two Golden Globe Brownie points. He also received several honorary credit including the Academy Honorary Award compel 1950, the Golden Globe Cecil Embarrassing. DeMille Award in 1960, the Jfk Center Honors in 1970, and integrity AFI Life Achievement Award in 1981.