It all started in Omaha, Nebraska: Fred Astaire, whose real name was Frederick Austerlitz, was born there in 1899. His mother was the daughter of German parents, his father had Austrian roots. Together with his sister Adele, Fred developed a penchant for the poetry of the foot \u2013 the art of dancing \u2013 at an early age. In their hometown of Omaha, the two siblings quickly advanced to become local celebrities \u2013 it wasn’t long before their parents began to think seriously about how their two children could turn their hobby into a profession… <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Austerlitz family decided that if their two children were to become professional dancers, there was only one place they could go: New York. In the early 20th century, there was no better place for aspiring entertainers. Broadway and the strong vaudeville scene were the breeding ground for a successful career as an entertainer. The mother accompanied her children to New York, while the father stayed at home in Nebraska and provided the financing for his children’s dance education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On November 28, 1917, Adele and Fred Astaire performed on Broadway for the first time: The play Over the Top<\/em> became a hit and manifested the status of Adele and Fred Astaire, who by now had learned to earn a living with their talent. The play Over the Top<\/em> was performed a total of 78 times. The critics were always stating that Adele Astaire was the center of attention \u2013 often her brother was only mentioned as a side note. That’s why Fred Astaire was looking for something that would allow him to shine as well: That’s how he got into tap dancing. Already at this point, the public noticed that Fred did not care to stand out with his dancing: His tap dancing was an understatement. The audience was amazed at the light-footedness with which Fred Astaire glided across the stage \u2013 often only the most accomplished dancer himself knew how difficult it was to make tap dancing look so effortless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fred Astaire was no longer just a dancer: he designed dances himself and took part in the creation of the Gershwin musical Lady, Be Good<\/em>. He learned to play the piano in London, together with his friend No\u00ebl Coward. In the thirties, there was only one medium that could reach people better than Broadway: the cinema. In 1933, Fred Astaire made his big screen debut with the musical Dancing Lady<\/em> \u2013 the film was a huge success. In the same year he found what he was looking for and at the same time achieved his breakthrough in cinema: In Flying Down to Rio<\/em> (1933) Fred Astaire played alongside Ginger Rogers for the first time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers became one of the most successful film duos in Hollywood history: the two made a total of nine films together between 1933 and 1938. These films cemented RKO Studios’ status as one of the most influential film studios \u2013 the Rogers-Astaire pair was the drawing card par excellence for RKO Studios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Astaire’s contract gave him a percentage of the profits from each film \u2013 something that was highly unusual at the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1939 Fred Astaire decided to leave RKO Studios and from then on choose his own film projects. The highlight of his activity as a film actor without ties to a studio was Blue Skies<\/em> (1946): Fred Astaire\u2019s performance of the song Puttin\u2019 On The Ritz<\/em> remains unforgotten to this day. With Bing Crosby in another leading role, the film Blue Skies<\/em> was a great success.
Their success with Over the Top<\/em> was the ticket to another world: in the twenties, the Astaires celebrated fame on both sides of the Atlantic, in London as well as in New York. The duo enjoyed particular success with the musical Lady, Be Good<\/em>, with music by George and Ira Gershwin. <\/p>\n\n\n\nUnderstatement<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
When his sister Adele married an English aristocrat in 1932, the Astaire duo disbanded: It was a tough transition for Fred, but he took the opportunity to continue his career on his own. <\/p>\n\n\n\nBreakthrough on the silver screen<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
At that time, Astaire was under contract with RKO Radio Pictures, which lent him to MGM Studios for his debut film. Fred Astaire did not yet star in the film: the stars of the film were Joan Crawford and Clark Gable.
After his sister Adele retired from the stage, Fred no longer had a dance partner \u2013 a bitter loss for him. But he who seeks, finds… <\/p>\n\n\n\nGinger Rogers and Fred Astaire<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Blue Skies<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Fred Astaire originally intended to retire after Blue Skies<\/em> and not participate in any more films. He had chosen Puttin’ On The Ritz <\/em>as his farewell dance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n