Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire , of his true name Frederick Austerlitz , is a Acteur, Compositeur of Cinéma, Danseur and American Chanteur . He was born the May 10th 1899 with Omaha in the state from the Nébraska, and died the June 22nd 1987 with Los Angeles in the state of the California of a Pneumonie. He gained a Oscar of honor for his single artistic talent, and his contribution to the association of the image and the music. One notices also his star on the avenue Walk off Famed.

Biography

The father of Fred Astaire, Friedrich E. Austerlitz, emigrates of Austria towards the United States in 1892, where he marries Johanne Geilus, of Alsatian ascent , in 1894 in Nebraska. The family moves with New York in 1905. Fred takes lessons of Danse at the Alvienne school, and it is in 1905, during an interpretation in a small part with his/her sister Adele, whom it adopts the name “Astaire”. This part marks the beginning of their career; voted by plebiscite by the local press, they start a series of many rounds. Fred and Adele carry out their first performance in Broadway in 1917, in the Musical comedy Over The Top . The spectacle is a relative failure, but the career of Astaire is launched: Fred and Adele will occur together throughout the Années 1920, with Broadway and in England. They separate in 1932, after very acclaimed The Band Wagon , with the New Amsterdam Theater, when Adele marries Lord Charles Cavendish, wire of the Duke of the Devonshire.

Career solo

Fred Astaire becomes acquainted with George and Ira Gershwin in 1922, during the production of For Goodness Sake , a spectacle whose Gershwin wrote some songs - a meeting which will give place to many collaborations.

Extremely of many performances acclaimed by criticism, Fred Astaire cuts a reputation of choreographer and director in Broadway. In 1930, Alfred Aarons requires of him to re-examine the piece Embraceable You , in its Musical comedy Girl Crazy . This same year, Astaire meets Ginger Rogers, with which it will make several films.

When The Band Wagon stops, after 260 representations, Fred the main role of the musical comedy The Gay Divorcee incarnates, written by Cole Porter, spectacle which will last 248 representations. At this point in time the cinema starts to be interested in him. The producer Mervyn LeRoy approaches Astaire to make a film of The Gay Divorcee . Interested by the big screen, Astaire presents to the studios RKO, where it carries out a screen test in January 1933. In spite of the laconic return of an anonymity of the studio on its performance: “Can' T act. Slightly bald. Also dances. ” ( “cannot play the comedy. A little bald person. Dance too. ” ), David O. Selznick engages it for Carioca ( Flying Down to Rio ). It then starts a cinematographic career without precedent.

July 12th, 1933, he marries Phyllis Baker before, met one year.

Cinema

Following times in the production of Carioca , Fred Astaire begins in the Swirl from the dance ( Dancing Lady ), at the sides of Joan Crawford and Clark Gable. Carioca , 1933, is its first film with Ginger Rogers. Criticism acclaims its talents of dancer and Astaire makes knowledge in the studios of the choreographer Hermes Pan, with whom it will collaborate of many years. RKO engages it for the turning of Merry Divorced the ( The Gay Divorcee ), for which Astaire obtains a percentage on the receipts, extremely rare clause up to that point in Hollywood manners. This film devotes the Astaire-Rogers couple, sponsored by Hermes Pan. The trio and its successes are at the origin of the importance which the numbers danced in the Hollywood musical comedies will take.

Astaire accepts an offer on behalf of NBC for a radio program ( Your Hit Parade ), for the Cigarette S Lucky Strike, thus aiming at diversifying its career. Its following film, While following the fleet ( Follow the Fleet ), turned in 1936, is again a great success, consolidating the Astaire-Rogers couple at the top of the hit-parades. Undertaking It Mr Petrov ( Shall we dance ) and Amanda do not have however discounted success and the collaboration of Fred Astaire with Ginger Rogers is completed with the turning of the Large Farandole ( The Story off Vernon and Irene Castle ) in 1939.

Fred Astaire had as a partner Eleanor Powell in Broadway which dances , as Rita Hayworth in the Love comes while dancing and in O you my charming , which, both and like its following partners, was compared by criticism with Ginger Rogers; but one did not find with them the alchemy of the mythical couple.

In 1946, after the turning of Blue Ski , Fred Astaire announces with the press that it withdraws cinema world. The film is announced as being its last and of the thousands of letters of protest reach him, the public not resigning itself to its disappearance of the poster. Its retirement is of short duration. In October 1947, whereas Judy Garland and Gene Kelly is in repetition for Parade of spring , Kelly breaks ankle and calls Astaire to replace it. Conscious of the Astaire-Garland potential on the same poster, the studio renews them for a second film. Judy Garland is évincée by it, following her constant delays and with her behavior eratic, replaced with the foot raised by Ginger Rogers. Ten years later, for lack of Astaire-Garland poster, Arthur Freed offer the return of the Astaire-Rogers couple. Entrons the dance is a success and charms the fans of the dancing couple. The career of Fred Astaire takes a new rise, and it turns some of its larger films, until the end of the Années 1950, at which time the offers are done rarer.

It will turn a series of special programs for the Télévision, until the beginning of the Années 1960. One of these programs, One evening with Fred Astaire ( Year Evening with Fred Astaire ), gains 9 Emmy Awards in 1958.

Astaire continues its cinematographic career in a sporadic way until in the Années 1980, appearing in films such the Valley of happiness in 1968 (its last musical comedy) and the infernal Tower in 1974, for which it receives its only nomination with the Oscars in the category male best supporting role. It appears in documentary the That' S Entertainment! , in the middle of the Years 1970, in a dance number with Gene Kelly. It also takes part in 1978 in the televised series of Science-fiction Galactica , and makes its last film, the Phantom of Milburn ( Ghost Story ) in 1981.

It receives a Oscar of honor in 1950 “for its exceptional artistic talent and its contribution to the technique of the musical comedies”. The American Film Institute gives “Lifetime Achievement Award to him” in 1981. It will classify it fifth actor of legend.

Its body is buried with Chatsworth in California.

Catalog of films

Actor

Type-setter

Anecdote

  • Fred Astaire, which had time to discover the rise of Michael Jackson, sent a cordial to him Télégramme of congratulations for its style of dance very worked, by thanking it for the pleasure that it had given him. In return, Michael Jackson dedicated her book Moonwalk to him.
  • Its name Astaire was chooses because one of his/her uncles had been named in his village Astaire of the Village .

Rewards

Nominations

Victories

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