"What do dancers think of Fred Astaire?
It's no secret. We hate him. His perfection is an absurdity,
and that"s hard to face." Those were the words
of one of Fred Astaire's many competing dancers, and , oddly
enough, one of Astaire's true friends.
It really is hard to imagine that Astaire
actually existed off screen, but in truth, his most magical
moments were never caught on tape. He had this electric
personality that just attracted people from all over, and
made the best of the best admire and hate him all at the
same time. Yet, Astaire was no slacker. It was only accomplished
with interminable hours of grueling, pain-staking hours
of sweat and toil. Fred referred to it as practice, which
is how Astaire delivered such flawless performances. It
took every little bit of energy out of him, yet he loved
what he did.
As usual, like the rest of his dancing,
musical confidantes, Astaire got his start on Broadway with
many stellar performances, his sister Adele accompanying
him.
Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire
in "Shall We Dance" (1937)
Yet, when the opportunities
for the big time came around, he was on his own. And how
could he go unnoticed, once paired with the infamous Ginger
Rogers? Together, they were the classic couple for onscreen
duets. You haven"t seen real dancing until you've
seen Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers together. Films like
"Top Hat" (1935), and "Swing Time"
(1936), show off the charisma and chemistry of the dynamic
duo.
Astaire continued with movies,
like "The Broadway Melody of 1940" (1940), and
"The Band Wagon" (1953), to be teamed up with
the likes of Eleanor Powell and Cyd Charisse. One of his
last great contributions to the silver screen was his
lovely 1957 romance number, with the lovely Audrey Hepburn,
in "Funny Face". He never stopped until he was
on top, and time told it to be of truth. (CD)
Fred Astaire Quotes ...
“Dancing is a sweat job.”
“Chance is the fool's name for Fate.”
“I just put my feet in the air and move them around.”
“I'm just a hoofer with a spare set of tails.”
“People think I was born in top hat and tail.”
Fred Astaire Interviews ...
On August 31, 1968 Joel Reisner and I conducted a radio interview with Fred Astaire at his home in Beverly Hills. The resulting two hour program, including music from some of Mr. Astaire's movies, was first broadcast on KPFK Radio in Los Angeles on Sept. 21, 1968.
Go to below link to access fourteen links for audio of the 2 hour program HEAR ASTAIRE INTERVIEW
Cheek to Cheek. Interviews to Susan Hampshire, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rodgers - WATCH FRED ASTAIRE VIDEO
Dick Cavett interviews Hollywood Greats - Fred Astaire - FRED'S VIDEO
Fred Astaire Posters - MovieActors.com
