Remembering Fred Astaire

You see, every once in a while I suddenly find myself dancing.

- Fred Astaire as Jerry Travers for the movie Top Hat

Frederic Austerlitz, more popularly known as Fred Astaire, was an American choreographer, dancer, singer, and actor who became popular during the period known as the “silver screen” era of films.

Getting Those Dancing Shoes On

Fred was born on May 10, 1899 in Omaha, Nebraska. He was the younger child of Frederic and Johanna Austerlitz, with their daughter Adele as the older one. The family had their name anglicized to Astaire following the beginning of the First World War. They moved to the city of New York in 1904, so that Adele, who was a very passionate dancer, can pursue her education as a dancer.  

While in New York, Fred came to know his true passions, one for dancing and other for horses. According to his mother, during those times when Fred just disappeared, he went to visit places that are important to horses. He knew every little thing that one has to know about them, like their owners and riders for instance. Fred even had a form book for that.

Although he really loved horses, Fred chose to pursue dancing by joining the Alvienne School of Dance, as well as Ned Wayburn’s Performing Arts School. His first vaudeville performance was with her sister, which took place in 1905 in Keyport, New Jersey. After that, they toured the famous Orpheum Circuit with their act known as Juvenile Artists Presenting an Electric Musical Toe-Dancing Novelty. The kid’s mother supported them and served as their tutor all throughout the tour. When not performing, Fred attended his classes on a school in New Jersey.

Fred and Adele made their first Broadway performance in 1907 in Over the Top. This was quickly followed by lots of shows and projects. And then, in 1922, the brother-sister duo found themselves not just dancing in their musicals, but also singing songs like George and Ira Gershwin’s For Goodness Sake. Their other broadway shows include Lady, Be Good!, Funny Face, and The Band Wagon, shown on 1924, 1927, and 1931, respectively.

Hollywood Hails

In 1932, Fred went on to pursue his solo career after his sister, whom many believed was a better dancer than he is, quited from their duo to marry Lord Charles Cavendish, the son of Duke Victor Cavendish of Devonshire. Fortunately for him, he was able to find a replacement for her in the person of Claire Luce. Together, Fred and Claire appeared on Gay Divorce, where they dance to the tune of Cole Porter’s Night and Day. It was during this when the studio moguls from Hollywood saw his performance, and his potential to do well in films. With that, they encourage Fred to undergo screen test, where one studio stated that he “can't act, can't sing, balding, can dance a bit.”  Despite this, David Selznick of RKO still opted to offer Fred Astaire a contract.

In 1933, Selznick decided to lend Fred to MGM for a few days, just to appear (as himself) in Dancing Lady, a very successful musical film that starred Clark Gable and Joan Crawford. He also travelled to London to work and tour with Gay Divorce. After that, he was offered by RKO to star in the musical film Flying Down to Rio, together with actress Ginger Rogers.

"He gives her class, she gives him sex appeal."

- Katharine Hepburn on Astaire and Rogers

Fred and Ginger worked in nine more films under RKO from 1933 to 1939, some of which were: Gay Divorcee (previously titled Gay Divorce) in 1934; Roberta, Top Hat, and Follow the Fleet in 1935; Swing Time in 1936; Shall We Dance in 1937; and  Carefree in 1938. Fred has only one film wherein Ginger was not his partner-- the 1937 movie Damsel in Distress. His films showed not just how great of a dancer he was, but how fantastic he was as a choreographer too. In fact, he spent months working with Hermes Pan, the dance director of RKO, to develop fresh, innovative routines. His sister even gave him the nickname Moaning Minnie.

While filming Top Hat, it is said that Ginger Rogers would always wore dresses decorated with feathers. As she danced, the feathers would fall away from her dress, causing Fred and the dance composer to become worried that it would be a distraction and the scene would have to be shot again. Fred and the composer then came up with a song about the feathers to Cheek to Cheek. He also started to call Ginger “Feathers,” which made her quite upset. But Fred, after realizing his annoying behavior, later gave her gold feather charm for her bracelet as peace offering. They then had another movie, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, a musical comedy released in 1939. It wasn’t as successful as Fred’s and Ginger’s previous movies, implying that, apparently, their audience wanted something new from them. Because of that, the pair decided to end their on-screen love team and part ways, with Fred leaving RKO.

Other Dance Partners

No longer bound to RKO, Fred was now able to work as freelancer in different studios and work with different people, particularly with anyone he wanted to. Among these people was Rita Hayworth, whom he appeared with in the movies You’ll Never Get Rich (1941) and You Were Never Lovelier (1942). After Rita, he also worked with  Lucille Bremer, Barrie Chase, Judy Garland, Betty Hutton, and Bing Crosby.  

In 1946, Fred announced that he would stop accepting film projects, and decided that he would just establish a dance school. However, he was pulled out of retirement when he was asked to star in the 1948 film Easter Parade, opposite actress Judy Garland.  

Following that, Fred again got a contract at MGM through Arthur Freed. Because of that, he was able to star on more films, including in The Barkleys of Broadway in 1949, where he worked again with his former dance partner Ginger Rogers. And then, he was paired with Vera Ellen in the 1950 film Three Little Words, with Jane Powell in the 1951 film Royal Wedding, and with Cyd Charise in the 1953 film The Band Wagon. After those films, he then starred on Daddy Long Legs, which was released in 1955.

Family Man

Fred got married in 1933 on his first wife, Phyllis Livingston Potter. They were blessed with two kids, a son named Fred Jr. and a daughter named Ava, born 1936 and 1942, respectively. While working on the film Daddy Long Legs, Phyllis unfortunately got sick with cancer and later died, leaving Fred extremely devastated. Nevertheless, his determination allowed him to complete the film professionally.

Fred’s daughter Ava, personally witnessed her father’s desire to create excellent dance routines and eagerness to try out things he never tried before, such as skateboarding:

My nephew had brought it up to the house and it intrigued him. Had the craze started earlier, I know he would have worked a routine around it; but unfortunately skateboards just didn't come around soon enough for him.

Unfortunately for her, though, she did not acquire her father’s talent in dancing:

I think Daddy would have quite liked it if I'd been a performer, but I've never even been able to touch my toes. I'm a klutz. He was a real perfectionist and he hated social dancing where he would have to dance with the hostess; it made him self-conscious. I danced with him in a father-and-daughter waltz when I came out as a debutante. But he was very hard to dance with, at least for me anyhow - he was more used to a partner who knew what she was doing.

Television

In 1958, Fred appeared on the television and worked on three TV programs with Barrie Chase. He also appeared as a host for the shows The Fred Astaire Show, Astaire Time, An Evening With Fred Astaire, and Another Evening With Fred Astaire.

Return to the Big Screen

Although Fred did quite a number of television appearances, he still continued his career as a film actor. In fact, he was nominated as Best Supporting Actor for the 1974 film The Towering Inferno. And then, in 1976, he worked again with Gene Kelly for the film That's Entertainment, Part II. Fred’s last movie appearance was in the 1981 film Ghost Story.

Recognition and Awards

In 1950, in behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Fred was awarded with an honorary Oscar by Ginger Rogers. The award was given to recognize “his unique artistry and his contributions to the technique of musical pictures.”  He also received nine Emmy Awards for An Evening With Fred Astaire. This was followed  by the release of Steps in Time, his autobiography, in 1959. In 1978, Fred went on to get the Kennedy Center Honours, and finally, in 1981, the American Film Institute's prestigious Life Achievement Award.

Second Marriage

Fred married Robyn Smith, his second wife, on June 1980. Smith was a jockey who also had passion for horses. She was 45 years younger than him.  

Astaire died of pneumonia on June 22, 1987, in Los Angeles. He was 88 years old then.

What Others Say About Him

No dancer can watch Fred Astaire and not know that we all should have been in another business.- Ballet dancer and choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov

What was so extraordinary about Astaire was his musicality, his agility. He was music in motion. He invented his own rhythm; he imposed his own musicality, as if he wrote another instrument into orchestration.- Ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev.

He had style. His clothes were always very casual and terribly, extremely elegant, because he had such taste. Was he good-looking? I think so, because charm is the best looking thing in the world, isn't it?- Actress Audrey Hepburn.

He was determined to succeed in his career, nobody could duplicate Mr Astaire's ability, but what I never stop trying to emulate is his total discipline, his absolute dedication to every aspect of his art. He rehearsed, rehearsed, and rehearsed some more, until he got it just the way he wanted it.  - Singer Michael Jackson.