Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire (1899–1987), born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska, was an American dancer, singer and actor who shaped how dance is presented on film. He began performing in vaudeville as a child with his sister Adele, and the pair became stars of Broadway and the London stage in the 1920s. When Adele retired in 1932, he moved to Hollywood, a turning point that led to ten films with Ginger Rogers, among them Top Hat (1935) and Swing Time (1936). He insisted that dances be filmed in long, full-figure takes, and he introduced songs by Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter. Later films included Easter Parade (1948) and The Band Wagon (1953). He received an honorary Academy Award in 1950 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1978, and his dedication to rehearsal remains a model of craft for performers.
Latest UpdatesLIVE
Shorts
Song, Dance and Comedy in Classic Hollywood
Fred Astaire set a new standard for dance on film in musicals such as Top Hat (1935). He co-starred with Bing Crosby in Holiday Inn (1942), the film that introduced the song White Christmas. Crosby and Bob Hope made seven 'Road to' comedies together, and Hope spent decades entertaining American troops overseas. Shirley Temple, the most popular child star of the 1930s, sang and danced in a string of box-office hits and later served as a U.S. ambassador.
View All
All featured content under Fred Astaire
