Fred Astaire was born in Omaha, Nebraska, to Johanna (Geilus) and Fritz Austerlitz, a brewer. Fred entered show business at age 5. He was successful both in vaudeville and on Broadway in partnership with his sister, Adele Astaire. After Adele retired to marry in , Astaire headed to Hollywood. Signed to RKO, he was loaned to MGM to appear in Dancing Lady () before starting work on RKO's Flying Down to Rio (). In the latter film, he began his highly successful partnership with Ginger Rogers, with whom he danced in 9 RKO pictures. During these years, he was also active in recording and radio. On film, Astaire later appeared opposite a number of partners through various studios. After a temporary retirement in , during which he opened Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Astaire returned to film to star in more musicals through He subsequently performed a number of straight dramatic roles in film and TV.
BornMay 10,
DiedJune 22, (88)
Rex Harrison was born Reginald Carey Harrison in Huyton, Lancashire, England, to Edith Mary (Carey) and William Reginald Harrison, a cotton broker. He changed his name to Rex as a young boy, knowing it was the Latin word for "King". Starting out on his theater career at age 18, his first job at the Liverpool Rep Theatre was nearly his last - dashing across the stage to say his one line, made his entrance and promptly blew it. Fates were kind, however, and soon he began landing roles in the West End. "French Without Tears", a play by Terence Rattigan, proved to be his breakthrough role. Soon he was being called the "greatest actor of light comedy in the world". Having divorced his first wife Collette Thomas in , he married German actress Lilli Palmer. The two began appearing together in many plays and British films. He attained international fame when he portrayed the King in Anna and the King of Siam (), his first American film. After a sex scandal, in which actress Carole Landis apparently committed suicide because he ended their affair, the relationship with wife Lilli became strained. Rex (by this time known as "Sexy Rexy" for his phi
Fred Astaire
()
Who Was Fred Astaire?
Fred Astaire is regarded by many as the greatest popular music dancer of all time. Astaire is usually remembered for his pairings with Ginger Rogers, who starred in several films with him, including Swing Time ().
Early Years
Light on his feet, Fred Astaire revolutionized the movie musical with his elegant and seemingly effortless dance style. He may have made dancing look easy, but he was a well-known perfectionist, and his work was the product of endless hours of practice.
Astaire started performing as a child, partnering up with his older sister Adele. The two toured the vaudeville circuit before making it to Broadway in Among their many productions the brother-sister team starred in the George and Ira Gershwin musical Funny Face. For all his early success, though, career in the movies eluded Astaire. He had done a screen test, but he failed to attract any interest. A studio executive wrote at the time, "Can't sing. Can't act. Slightly balding. Can dance a little."
In , Astaire suffered a career setback. His sister Adele retired from the act to marry a British aristocrat. He floundered a bit professionally without
Fred Astaire
BIO
Astaire's career in stage, film, and television spanned 76 years. He starred in more than 10 Broadway and West End musicals, made 31 musical films, four television specials, and numerous recordings. As a dancer, he was known for his uncanny sense of rhythm, creativity, and tireless perfectionism. Astaire's most memorable dancing partnership was with Ginger Rogers, whom he co-starred with in 10 Hollywood musicals during the classic age of Hollywood cinema. Astaire and Rogers starred together in Top Hat (), Swing Time (), and Shall We Dance ().
Astaire's fame grew in films like Holiday Inn (), Easter Parade (), The Band Wagon (), Funny Face (), and Silk Stockings (). The American Film Institute named Astaire the fifth-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood cinema in Years Stars.
STAGE CREDITS
Gay Divorce
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production,
Guy
The Band Wagon
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production,
Performer
"The Beggar Waltz"
The Demonstrator
Simpson Cater
"Hoops"
"I Love Louisa"
"New Sun in the Sky"
"Sweet Music"
"White Heat"
For Good Old Nectar
Sm
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