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Biography of Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire, born Frederick Austerlitz on May 10, 1899, in Omaha, Nebraska, was an American dancer, actor, singer, and ballet master. He is best known for his work with dancer and actress Ginger Rogers, with whom he starred in a series of 10 Hollywood musicals that defined the genre. However, his partnership with Rogers was just a small part of his long and successful career as a legendary dancer and actor.

Astaire's family moved to New York in 1905, where he and his older sister Adele began their journey towards show business success. Recognizing their talent, their mother advised them to change their surname from the military-sounding "Austerlitz" to the shorter and more resonant "Astaire." With the help of their father's remarkable business skills, Fred and Adele quickly secured a major contract. Although they had their ups and downs, the siblings found success, and in 1917, they made their Broadway debut.

Over time, it became clear that Fred had a natural talent for dancing that Adele could only dream of. Nevertheless, Adele also received attention from audiences. In the 1920s, Fred and Adele continued their success on Broadway. After the closing of their production of "Funny Face," the Astaires moved to Hollywood, hoping to pass auditions for Paramount Pictures. Unfortunately, they were rejected. In 1932, Fred and Adele's paths diverged when Adele got married. However, Fred's career continued to thrive without her, although he faced psychological challenges that he managed to channel into a desire to refine his abilities.

Shortly after, Fred found a new partner in Claire Luce. Hollywood legend has it that after Fred's initial auditions for RKO Radio Pictures, the verdict was rather harsh: "Cannot sing. Cannot act. Balding. Can dance a little." Nevertheless, RKO decided to use Fred in their show, and they made the right choice. Fred made his Hollywood debut in 1933 in the musical "Dancing Lady" alongside Joan Crawford. However, his career truly took off when he began working with Ginger Rogers. Despite his initial skepticism about creating a new permanent partnership, the audience's response convinced him otherwise.

It is known that Astaire did not receive a fixed salary, but instead, he earned a percentage of the overall film profits, which was quite unusual for actors at the time. Undoubtedly, Fred deserved such compensation. In addition to his talent, he is credited with two significant innovations. Firstly, he insisted on using static cameras during dance sequences, ensuring that the dancers remained fully visible in the frame. Secondly, he always demanded that the dance and song numbers be seamlessly integrated into the films from a narrative perspective.

In 1939, Astaire left RKO and parted ways with Rogers. During this period, his films received varying degrees of success, but overall, his new work received positive reviews. After the release of the film "Blue Skies," to the surprise of his fans, Fred announced his retirement from the film industry. However, his rest did not last long, as he returned in 1949 for the film "Easter Parade." In the same year, he had the opportunity to work with Rogers again in "The Barkleys of Broadway." Throughout the 1950s, he starred in a series of major musicals, but in 1959, Fred announced his departure from film musicals to focus on acting. While he continued to dance, some of his roles did not require him to showcase his dancing abilities. Fred continued acting until 1981 when he retired from the screen.

On June 22, 1987, at the age of 88, Fred Astaire passed away from pneumonia. His legacy as a legendary dancer, actor, singer, and innovator in the world of musicals remains etched in the history of American entertainment.