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Post by snsurone on Apr 24, 2019 21:37:24 GMT
Born in 1899, he started out in show biz as a song-and-dance act with his older sister Adele.
When Adele married into British nobility, Fred continued alone and was a major Broadway star, and was signed to RKO as a supporting player in FLYING DOWN TO RIO.
However, when he arrived in Hollywood, filming of FDTR wasn't ready yet, so he was loaned to MGM to play himself in DANCING LADY, with Joan Crawford.
He quickly became a major star at RKO in a series of musicals with Ginger Rogers.
Although he wasn't handsome, his dancing skill was incomparable.
Unfortunately, he was named on that infamous list of stars labeled "Box Office Poison" in 1938.
After his contract with RKO expired, he made a few films for other studios, and then retired, saying that moviegoers were more interested in newcomer Gene Kelly.
However, when Kelly broke his ankle during the filming of EASTER PARADE, Astaire was coaxed out of retirement, and made a glorious comeback at MGM.
In fact, most of his best movies were for Metro.
As he aged, and his dancing skills lessened, he went into straight acting roles, such as ON THE BEACH.
In fact, he was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for THE TOWERING INFERNO.
IMHO, he was one of the greatest stars of the musical genre.
It's nothing short of pleasure to see his fluid moves, his grace, charm, and utter gentlemanliness.
I hope my fellow posters agree.
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Post by Doghouse6 on Apr 25, 2019 0:12:31 GMT
Fred always said that "Dellie" possessed the dazzling talent in the family. Although typical of his diffidence, Adele indeed got the lion's share of accolades from critics during their stage career. What a shame the only footage of them dancing together is about 20 seconds of them shuffling on and offstage with Marilyn Miller during a supposed 1930 rehearsal.
There's a well-known story about a studio executive's evaluation of Fred's screen test: "Can't act. Can't sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little." There's another about Astaire's own reaction to seeing himself onscreen for the first time, covering his eyes and groaning, "My god, I look like a knife!"
Debbie Reynolds told another, about hiding out in an empty rehearsal hall during preparation for Singin' In the Rain and crying her eyes out. Presently, Astaire came in to use the space and asked her what was wrong. Hearing of her discouraged frustration, he said, "Why don't you just relax and compose yourself while you watch me work." He then began experimenting with some steps, repeatedly stopping and cursing himself when he wasn't happy with what he was doing, and the novice Reynolds got the message: even Astaire gets frustrated, and it's all part of the game; the only thing to do is keep at it until you get it right.
Fred really didn't need much coaxing to come out of retirement. By late '47, he'd become bored, and let it be known around town that he'd be receptive to offers. And I wouldn't be at all surprised that Gene Kelly was as relieved to have to bow out of Easter Parade, injury notwithstanding, as Fred was willing to step in. As much affection as Kelly had for her, Judy Garland had made production on The Pirate earlier that year an ordeal.
It's always interesting to consider The Movie History That Might Have Been but for unforeseen events. The Barkleys Of Broadway had been planned as an Astaire/Garland follow-up on the heels of Easter Parade's success. Assuming it would have been equally successful if Kelly had been able to do it, we might have had he and Garland as the Barkleys, and would have missed out on that Astaire/Rogers reunion. And it's positively weird to imagine that, since Garland had to bail on Barkleys anyway, somebody at MGM might have gotten the idea of bringing Rogers in to dance with Kelly. Wouldn't that have been something? My personal guess, however, is that someone like Rita Hayworth or Vera-Ellen would have been approached instead.
Oh, what might have been but for a game of football and a broken ankle.
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Post by Isapop on Apr 25, 2019 0:28:17 GMT
Yes, the greatest musical star in film history. Riveting. When he's dancing, I can't take my eyes off him. I am the happy and proud owner of The World's Greatest Fred Astaire Video. "What's that?" you ask. Your curiosity is understandable. When an Astaire movie showed up on TCM, I would tape (VHS) the movie. Then, on a second machine, just copy all the dance numbers. It took a long time to get all his musicals, but when I was done, I had on two tapes (four hours) all of Astaire's dance numbers from all his musicals. Solid, unalloyed GOLD. There's just no wrong time to pop in that tape for a few minutes for the sheer jaw dropping delights he brings.
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Post by Doghouse6 on Apr 25, 2019 0:50:04 GMT
It took a long time to get all his musicals, but when I was done, I had on two tapes (four hours) all of Astaire's dance numbers from all his musicals. Solid, unalloyed GOLD. There's just no wrong time to pop in that tape for a few minutes for the sheer jaw dropping delights he brings.
Fantastic. Four hours! Reminds me of Astaire's own reaction to the film clips shown at his 1981 AFI award ceremony: "I did all that? I didn't realize I did all that stuff. I saw things up there that I don't remember doing."
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Post by snsurone on Apr 25, 2019 12:22:23 GMT
Although he was great in all his movies, my particular favorite Astaire movies are THREE LITTLE WORDS and THE BAND WAGON.
What's yours?
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Post by Doghouse6 on Apr 25, 2019 14:09:58 GMT
Although he was great in all his movies, my particular favorite Astaire movies are THREE LITTLE WORDS and THE BAND WAGON. What's yours? It's hard for me to pick favorites, at least among his musicals, but the two you name are among those I'll watch most often. I've always wished he and Skelton had done more than just the one picture. They worked very smoothly together and seemed to have natural rapport, and something took place that was rather like the alchemy Astaire achieved with Rogers, which Katharine Hepburn described as, "He gave her class; she gave him sex." Astaire brought out Skelton's sincerity; Skelton brought out a more comically unrestrained Astaire. The combination was great fun, and their voices even blended beautifully in harmony.
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Post by teleadm on Apr 25, 2019 18:24:49 GMT
 The Band Wagon 1953 is my favorite Astaire movie. It's one of my favorite musicals too. Three Little Words 1950 needs a rewatch some day.
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Post by Doghouse6 on Apr 26, 2019 0:57:14 GMT
So hard to choose, but all the early films with Ginger Rogers would have to be on my list (not really a fan of their final one); also HOLIDAY INN, EASTER PARADE and THE BAND WAGON for sure. But there are others, too, like YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER with Rita Hayworth. It's hard not to appreciate him in almost everything. It took me a while to warm up to The Barkleys Of Broadway. It simply doesn't possess the gossamer charm and elegance of their RKO pictures, and features only one knockout duet for the two of them (the rehearsal number, "Bouncin' the Blues"). I found I was able to appreciate it much more when I stopped comparing it to their earlier films, and began viewing it simply as an MGM musical - of which it's about as representative as any - rather than as an "Astaire/Rogers" picture. In place of that '30s fantasy world, it presents a more conventional if undeniably colorful one of backstage friction and domestic squabbles, and I've come to find a certain charm, if of a somewhat perverse kind, in the bickering of "the battling Barkleys'" roller-coaster relationship, which gave both players the freedom to stretch beyond the opportunities provided by the formulae of their earlier films. Like you, I'll still always prefer their RKO films, but if they were Crêpes Suzette, Barkleys serves up a commonplace but satisfying pancake (as the artist played by Hans Conried in the film has it).
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