Fred Astaire
Birthday: Born in 1899-05-10 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Deathday: 1987-06-22
Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, singer, actor and choreographer. He is widely regarded as the most influential dancer in the history of film. Born as Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 10, 1899, to Johanna (Geilus) and Fritz, a brewer, he entered show business at age 5. He was successful in vaudeville and on Broadway as well as in London's West End together with his sister Adele, a partnership that lasted 27 years. After Adele retired to marry in 1932, Astaire headed to Hollywood. Signed to RKO, he was loaned to MGM to appear in Dancing Lady (1933) before starting work on RKO's Flying Down to Rio (1933). In the latter film, he was teamed with Ginger Rogers, with whom he worked in 9 RKO pictures. Astaire later appeared opposite a number of partners, including Cyd Charisse, Rita Hayworth, Vera-Ellen and Barrie Chase. Astaire remained active well into old age, starring in musicals through 1968, and also performed a number of straight dramatic roles in film and TV. Throughout his career, he was also active in recording and radio. He died of pneumonia on June 22, 1987 in Los Angeles.
TV Credits
The Ed Sullivan Show
Character: Self
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows. In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time....
General Electric Theater
Character: J. Willingham Bardley
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations....
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Character: Self
In 1973 the American Film Institute initiated its Life Achievement Award, to be presented to a yearly recipient whose talent has fundamentally advanced the film art; whose accomplishments have been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time....
The Steve Allen Show
Character: Self - Recipient
...
Dr. Kildare
Character: Joe Quinlan
The story of a young intern in a large metropolitan hospital trying to learn his profession, deal with the problems of his patients, and win the respect of the senior doctor in his specialty, internal medicine....
The Oscars
Character: Self
An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit, that is better known by its nickname Oscar....
Alcoa Premiere
Character: Self - Host
Alcoa Premiere is an American anthology drama series that aired from October 1961 to July 1963 on ABC. The series was hosted by Fred Astaire, directed by Norman Lloyd and executive produced by Alfred Hitchcock....
The Kennedy Center Honors
Character: Self
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture....
The Emmy Awards
Character: Self
An annual awards ceremony honoring the best in U.S. prime time television programming as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences....
Talking Pictures
Character: Self (archive footage)
A look back at television appearances by legends of the silver screen, using archive footage to tell the story of their lives and careers....
MGM Parade
Character: actor 'Broadway Melody of 1940' (archive footage) (uncredited)
The original concept of the show was to allow the viewer to see the inner workings of a movie studio and featured interviews with MGM stars and explanations of how movies were made. Later, the format changed to show edited versions of MGM films....
MGM Parade
Character: Performer in 'Ziegfeld Follies'
The original concept of the show was to allow the viewer to see the inner workings of a movie studio and featured interviews with MGM stars and explanations of how movies were made. Later, the format changed to show edited versions of MGM films....
Dinah!
Character: Self
Dinah's show premiered 9 September 1974 and continued through to 4 September 1981. She started out the 70's with Dinah's Place which usually featured one guest and was more of a home oriented show about cooking, crafts and occasionally music. This format lasted until May of 1974. When the show came back in October of 1974 the format had changed drastically to a variety talk show which was called Dinah. and went on until 1981. This show was also known as "Dinah and Friends" during the summer of 1...
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Character: Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time....
General Electric Theater
Character: Paul Ashcroft
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations....
Battlestar Galactica
Character: Chameleon / Captain Dimitri
When the 12 Colonies of Man are wiped out by a cybernetic race called the Cylons, Commander Adama and the crew of the battlestar Galactica lead a ragtag fleet of human survivors in search of a "mythical planet" called Earth....
The Mike Douglas Show
Character: Self
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia....
The Dick Cavett Show
Character: Self - Guest
The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks....
The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood
Character: Self
Ed Asner tells the story of RKO Pictures from the 1920s to the 1960s....
What's My Line?
Character: Self - Mystery Guest
Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions....
The Mike Douglas Show
Character: Self - Co-Host
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia....
Cinépanorama
Character: Self
...
Movie Credits
Top Hat
Character: Jerry Travers
Showman Jerry Travers is working for producer Horace Hardwick in London. Jerry demonstrates his new dance steps late one night in Horace's hotel room, much to the annoyance of sleeping Dale Tremont below. She goes upstairs to complain and the two are immediately attracted to each other. Complications arise when Dale mistakes Jerry for Horace....
Swing Time
Character: Lucky Garnett
Lucky is tricked into missing his own wedding to Margaret and has to make $25,000 so her father will allow him to marry her. He and business partner Pop go to New York where they run into dancing instructor Penny. She and Lucky form a successful dance partnership, but romance is blighted by his old attachment to Margaret and hers for Ricky....
The Towering Inferno
Character: Harlee Claiborne
At the opening party of a colossal—but poorly constructed—skyscraper, a massive fire breaks out, threatening to destroy the tower and everyone in it....
The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town
Character: S.D. Kluger (narrator) (voice)
The Mailman decides to stop another deluge of letters by answering questions about the Easter Bunny: Sunny, a baby rabbit found and adopted by Kidville (a town of only kids--even a kid mailman). And when Sunny goes delivering eggs to the nearby town (which he has to dye to fool Gadzooks, the mean bear on the mountain), he discovers that there are no kids in the town, and that the rightful (kid) ruler is being suppressed by his aunt. But the young king likes Sunny's dyed eggs and jelly beans. So ...
Shall We Dance
Character: Petrov
Ballet star Petrov arranges to cross the Atlantic aboard the same ship as the dancer and musical star he's fallen for but barely knows. By the time the ocean liner reaches New York, a little white lie has churned through the rumour mill and turned into a hot gossip item—that the two celebrities are secretly married....
Roberta
Character: Huck Haines
Football player John Kent tags along as Huck Haines and the Wabash Indianians travel to an engagement in Paris, only to lose it immediately. John and company visit his aunt, owner of a posh fashion house run by her assistant, Stephanie. There they meet the singer Scharwenka (alias Huck's old friend Lizzie), who gets the band a job. Meanwhile, Madame Roberta passes away and leaves the business to John and he goes into partnership with Stephanie....
Ghost Story
Character: Ricky Hawthorne
Four successful elderly gentlemen, members of the Chowder Society, share a gruesome, 50-year-old secret. When one of Edward Wanderley's twin sons dies in a bizarre accident, the group begins to see a pattern of frightening events developing....
Second Chorus
Character: Danny O'Neill
Danny O'Neill and Hank Taylor are rival trumpeters with the Perennials, a college band, and both men are still attending college by failing their exams seven years in a row. In the midst of a performance, Danny spies Ellen Miller who ends up being made band manager. Both men compete for her affections while trying to get the other one fired....
Daddy Long Legs
Character: Jervis Pendleton III
Wealthy American, Jervis Pendleton has a chance encounter at a French orphanage with a cheerful 18-year-old resident, and anonymously pays for her education at a New England college. She writes letters to her mysterious benefactor regularly, but he never writes back. Several years later, he visits her at school, while still concealing his identity, and—despite their large age difference—they soon fall in love....
Flashing Spikes
Character: Narrator
An old ballplayer, thrown out of baseball due to a bribery scandal, becomes friends with a young phenom. The younger player is at first tainted by his association with the oldtimer, but eventually the truth about the scandal is revealed....
Funny Face
Character: Dick Avery
A shy Greenwich Village book clerk is discovered by a fashion photographer and whisked off to Paris where she becomes a reluctant model....
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
Character: S.D. Kluger (voice)
A postman, S.D. Kluger, decides to answer some of the most common questions about Santa Claus, and tells us about a baby named Kris who is raised by a family of elf toymakers named Kringle. When Kris grows up, he wants to deliver toys to the children of Sombertown. But its Mayor is too mean to let that happen. And to make things worse, the Winter Warlock lives between the Kringles and Sombertown....
Holiday Inn
Character: Ted Hanover
Lovely Linda Mason has crooner Jim Hardy head over heels, but suave stepper Ted Hanover wants her for his new dance partner after fickle Lila Dixon gives him the brush. Jim's supper club, Holiday Inn, is the setting for the chase by Hanover and his manager....
Follow the Fleet
Character: Bake Baker
When the US Navy fleet docks at San Francisco, sailor Bake Baker tries to rekindle the flame with his old dancing partner, Sherry Martin, while Bake's buddy Bilge Smith romances Sherry's sister, Connie. But it's not all smooth sailing—Bake has a habit of losing Sherry's jobs for her and, despite Connie's dreams, Bilge is not ready to settle down....
The Gay Divorcee
Character: Guy Holden
Seeking a divorce from her absentee husband, Mimi Glossop travels to an English seaside resort. There she falls in love with dancer Guy Holden, whom she later mistakes for the corespondent her lawyer hired....
Flying Down to Rio
Character: Fred Ayres
A dance band leader finds love and success in Brazil....
On the Beach
Character: Julian Osborn
In 1964, atomic war wipes out humanity in the northern hemisphere; one American submarine finds temporary safe haven in Australia, where life-as-usual covers growing despair. In denial about the loss of his wife and children in the holocaust, American Captain Towers meets careworn but gorgeous Moira Davidson, who begins to fall for him. The sub returns after reconnaissance a month (or less) before the end; will Towers and Moira find comfort with each other?...
You'll Never Get Rich
Character: Robert Curtis
A Broadway choreographer gets drafted and coincidentally ends up in the same army base as the boyfriend of his object of affection....
The Band Wagon
Character: Tony Hunter
A Broadway artiste turns a faded film star's comeback vehicle into an artsy flop....
Easter Parade
Character: Don Hewes
On the day before Easter in 1911, Don Hewes is crushed when his dancing partner (and object of affection) Nadine Hale refuses to start a new contract with him. To prove Nadine's not important to him, Don acquires innocent new protege Hannah Brown, vowing to make her a star in time for next year's Easter parade....
Carefree
Character: Tony Flagg
Dr. Tony Flagg's friend Steven has problems in the relationship with his fiancée Amanda, so he persuades her to visit Tony. After some minor misunderstandings, she falls in love with him. When he tries to use hypnosis to strengthen her feelings for Steven, things get complicated....
The Barkleys of Broadway
Character: Josh Barkley
Josh and Dinah Barkley are a successful musical-comedy team, known for their stormy but passionate relationship. Dinah feels overshadowed by Josh and limited by the lighthearted musical roles he directs her in. So she decides to stretch her skills by taking a role in a serious drama, directed by another man....
Finian's Rainbow
Character: Finian McLonergan
An Irish immigrant and his daughter arrive in Kentucky with a magical piece of gold that alters the course of several lives, including those of a struggling farmer and an African American community facing persecution from a bigoted politician....
Three Little Words
Character: Bert Kalmar
Song-and-dance man Bert Kalmar can't continue his stage career after an injury, so he has to earn his money as a lyricist. By chance, he meets composer Harry Ruby and their first song is a hit. Ruby gets Kalmar to marry his former partner Jessie Brown, and Kalmar and Jessie prevent Ruby from getting married to the wrong girls. But due to the fact that Ruby has caused a backer's withdrawal for a Kalmar play, they end their professional relationship....
Silk Stockings
Character: Steve Canfield
After three bumbling Soviet agents fail in their mission to retrieve a straying Soviet composer from Paris, the beautiful, ultra-serious Ninotchka is sent to complete their mission and to retrieve them. She starts out condemning the decadent West, but gradually falls under its spell—with the help of an American movie producer. A remake of Ninotchka (1939)....
The Belle of New York
Character: Charlie Hill
In squeaky-clean New York at the turn of the century, playboy Charlie Hill falls so much in love that he can walk on air. The object of his affections is beautiful Angela Bonfils, a mission house worker in the Bowery. He promises to reform his dissolute life, even trying to do an honest day's work....
Ziegfeld Follies
Character: Fred Astaire / Raffles / Tai Long / Gentleman
The late, great impresario Florenz Ziegfeld looks down from heaven and ordains a new revue in his grand old style....
The Sky's the Limit
Character: Fred Atwell (Fred Burton)
Flying Tiger Fred Atwell sneaks away from his famous squadron's personal appearance tour and goes incognito for several days of leave. He quickly falls for photographer Joan Manion, pursuing her in the guise of a carefree drifter....
Yolanda and the Thief
Character: Johnny Parkson Riggs
Johnny Riggs, a con man on the lam, finds himself in a Latin-American country named Patria. There, he overhears a convent-bred rich girl praying to her guardian angel for help in managing her tangled business affairs. Riggs decides to materialize as the girl's "angel", gains her unquestioning confidence, and helps himself to the deluded girl's millions. Just as he and his partner are about to flee Patria with their booty, Riggs realizes he has fallen in love with the girl and returns the money, ...
You Were Never Lovelier
Character: Robert Davis
An Argentine heiress thinks a penniless American dancer is her secret admirer....
Broadway Melody of 1940
Character: Johnny Brett
Johnny Brett and King Shaw are an unsuccessful dance team in New York. A producer discovers Brett as the new partner for Clare Bennett, but Brett, who thinks he is one of the people they lent money to, gives him the name of his partner....
Dancing Lady
Character: Fred Astaire
Janie lives to dance and will dance anywhere, even stripping in a burlesque house. Tod Newton, the rich playboy, discovers her there and helps her get a job in a real Broadway musical being directed by Patch. Tod thinks he can get what he wants from Janie, Patch thinks Janie is using her charms rather than talent to get to the top, and Janie thinks Patch is the greatest. Steve, the stage manager, has the Three Stooges helping him manage all the show girls. Fred Astaire and Nelson Eddy make appea...
A Damsel in Distress
Character: Jerry Halliday
Lady Alyce Marshmorton must marry soon, and the staff of Tottney Castle have laid bets on who she'll choose, with young Albert wagering on 'Mr. X'. After Alyce goes to London to meet a beau she is restricted to the castle to curb her scandalous behavior. Albert then summons Jerry to Alyce's aid in order to 'protect his investment'....
Royal Wedding
Character: Tom Bowen
Tom and Ellen are asked to perform as a dance team in England at the time of Princess Elizabeth's wedding. As brother and sister, each develops a British love interest, Ellen with Lord John Brindale and Tom with dancer Anne Ashmond....
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
Character: Vernon Castle
In 1911, minor stage comic, Vernon Castle meets the stage-struck Irene Foote. A few misadventures later, they marry and then abandon comedy to attempt a dancing career together. While they're performing in Paris, an agent sees them rehearse and starts them on their brilliant career as the world's foremost ballroom dancers. However, at the height of their fame, World War I begins....
The Notorious Landlady
Character: Franklyn Ambruster
An American junior diplomat in London rents a house from, and falls in love with, a woman suspected of murder....
Showbiz Goes to War
Character: (archive footage)
While a few Hollywood celebrities such as James Stewart and Clark Gable saw combat during World War II, the majority used their talents to rally the American public through bond sales, morale-boosting USO tours, patriotic war dramas and escapist film fare. Comedian David Steinberg plays host for this star-studded, 90-minute documentary, which looks at the way Tinseltown helped the United States' war effort....
Blue Skies
Character: Jed Potter
Jed Potter looks back on a love triangle conducted over the course of years and between musical numbers. Dancer Jed loves showgirl Mary, who loves compulsive nightclub-opener Johnny, who can't stay committed to anything in life for very long....
The World Premiere of 'Finian's Rainbow'
Character: Self
This documentary has interviews with actors and the director as they arrive for the 1968 New York world premiere of "Finian's Rainbow."...
That's Entertainment, Part II
Character: Self - Co-Host / Narrator
Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time including comedy and drama as well as classic musical numbers....
The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again
Character: The Baltimore Kid
Walter Brennan is back as the clever and funny over the hill Texas Ranger Nash Crawford. This time the gang must face corruption in their own home town. The gang put their heads together to clean up their town, take back the rule of law and rehabilitate the town lush (played by Fred Astaire) along with way....
The Purple Taxi
Character: Dr. Seamus Scully
With his mauve taxi, the old philosopher Dr. Seamus Scully runs around the small green roads of the south of Ireland, becoming confident of his patients, while trying to help them find their way....
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Character: Self (archive footage)
A documentary about the glorious history of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and its decline leading to the sale of its back lot and props. By extension this provides a general history of Hollywood's Golden Age and the legendary studio system....
The Pleasure of His Company
Character: Biddeford 'Pogo' Poole
Biddeford "Pogo" Poole, an urbane charmer, has been absent for most of the life of his daughter, Jessica, but he pops up again as she prepares to marry a California rancher. Though Pogo's ex-wife remains unimpressed, Jessica quickly falls for her father's charismatic offensive. Soon, however, his reappearance causes complications for the bride-to-be, and she must decide whether or not to go ahead with the wedding....
The Amazing Dobermans
Character: Daniel Hughes
An ex-con man and his five trained Dobermans help a Treasury Dept. agent stop a racketeer and his gang....
Doris Day: It's Magic
Character: Self
When the cameras rolled, Doris Day wore a happy face, never hinting at the pain she endured in her personal life. This documentary brings viewers close to the real Doris Day through the eyes of her friends and family members and with the help of film footage, newsreels and photographs. What surfaces is a complex picture of an equally complicated woman who faced problems far more formidable than her cinematic image revealed....
Let's Dance
Character: Donald Elwood
Years after the death of her husband, Kitty McNeil takes her son and flees from the home of her wealthy and controlling mother-in-law. Alone and jobless in New York, she runs into an old flame, her USO partner Donald Elwood, who agrees to help her fight for custody of the child....
George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey
Character: Self
Biography of the legendary filmmaker directed by his son....
Midas Run
Character: John Pedley
A veteran secret service officer from Britain hijacks a government shipment of $15 million of gold out of an irritation for never being knighted....
The Man in the Santa Claus Suit
Character: Santa Claus
The mysterious owner of a costume shop rents a Santa Claus suit to three very different men: a math teacher trying to get the nerve to propose, a homeless restaurateur trying to hide from the mob, and a harried political speech writer visiting with his estranged wife and son. Their lives are inexorably changed by their experience of playing Santa Claus....
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)
Character: Self
The edition of Screen Snapshots celebrates 25 years of production. It looks at the content of edition #1, then a tribute to movie people who have died in those 25 years. Finally there are tributes to the Screen Snapshots series by Cecil De Mille, Walt Disney, Louella Parsons and Rosalind Russell....
A Family Upside Down
Character: Ted Long
An elderly married couple find that as their physical and mental health deteriorates, they find themselves dependent more and more upon their grown children....
Going Hollywood: The '30s
Character: (archive footage)
Robert Preston hosts this documentary that shows what people of the 1930s were watching as they were battling the Depression as well as eventually getting ready for another World War....
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
Character: 'Dancing Lady' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Henry Fonda hosts this retrospective on the career and films of iconic filmmaker David O. Selznick, who epitomized the era of the auteur producer in the 30s and 40s....
In Full Swing
Character: Self (Archive Footage)
A documentary on the making of the 1936 film Swing Time, featuring interviews with jazz and film critic Gary Giddens, dance critic Brian Seibert, and Dorothy Fields biographer Deborah Grace Winer. This is an all-encompassing feature covering the evolution of the Hollywood musical, Astaire's and Rogers' work, and the film's music, written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields....
You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story
Character: Self (archive footage)
Biographical portrait of one of Broadway's most brilliant songwriters. Told through the use of archival material and interviews with the rich and famous that knew him, this portrait concentrates on his career and his public life events....
A Life in Technicolor
Character:
Alone in her apartment during the pandemic, Natalie turns to her favorite classic movies to keep her company. When her life in color gradually begins to turn to black-and-white, she takes a magical tour through film history, recreating a dazzling array of classic movie scenes....
Dance Crazy in Hollywood
Character: Various Roles (archive footage)
American dancer and choreographer Hermes Pan recalls his life and work as he relives the glorious history of the Hollywood musical....
"All -Singing All-Dancing" Before And After
Character: Archive Footage
The development of sound and song dance production techniques, and how they come together in 'Holiday Inn'...
The Men Who Made the Movies: Vincente Minnelli
Character: Self (archive footage)
...
That's Entertainment!
Character: Self - Host / Narrator
Various MGM stars from yesterday present their favorite musical moments from the studio's 50 year history....
The Purple Rose of Cairo
Character: Jerry Travers (archive footage) (uncredited)
Cecilia is a waitress in New Jersey, living a dreary life during the Great Depression. Her only escape from her mundane reality is the movie theatre. After losing her job, Cecilia goes to see 'The Purple Rose of Cairo' in hopes of raising her spirits, where she watches dashing archaeologist Tom Baxter time and again....
Get Aboard! 'The Band Wagon'
Character: Self (archive footage)
Documentary on the 1953 musical "The Band Wagon."...
Audrey Hepburn: Remembered
Character: Self (archive footage)
Audrey Hepburn was one of the movies' best-loved stars, blessed with beauty, talent, an elegant sophistication and an enduring aura of youthful innocence. As Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, she spoke for the world's suffering children and families, earning an affection and admiration that only increased with news of her untimely death. From the star herself we learn of her career and the family and friendships that were her priority....
Bad 25
Character: Tony Hunter (archive footage)
Spike Lee pays tribute to Michael Jackson's Bad on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the epochal album, offering behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson recording the album and interviews with confidants, musicians, choreographers, and such music-world superstars as Kanye West, Sheryl Crow, Cee Lo Green and Mariah Carey....
A Bing Crosby Christmas
Character: Self (archive footage)
The program on this DVD is basically a retrospective produced in the early 1990s for public television that was originally called «A Bing Crosby Christmas: Just Like the Ones You Used to Know» that was narrated by Gene Kelly and hosted by Bing's widow, Kathryn Crosby. The program itself features clips from fifteen of Bing's classic television specials, concentrating on the period from the early 1960s onwards when he included Kathryn and their three children in the programs....
That's Dancing!
Character: Self (archive footage)
A documentary film about dancing on the screen, from it's orgins after the invention of the movie camera, over the movie musical from the late 20s, 30s, 40s 50s and 60s up to the break dance and the music videos from the 80s....
That's Entertainment! III
Character: (archive footage)
Some of MGM'S musical stars review the studios history of musicals. From The Hollywood Revue of 1929 to Brigadoon, from the first musical talkies to Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain....
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Character: Self (archive footage)
Period music, film clips and newsreel footage combined into a visual exploration of the American entertainment industry during the Great Depression....
Hollywood Musicals of the 40's
Character: Self (archive footage)
Highlights from the great musicals of the 1940s. Stars featured include Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Danny Kaye, Jimmy Durante and Frank Sinatra....
Astaire Time
Character: Self - Host
A one-hour live television special starring Fred Astaire....
Another Evening with Fred Astaire
Character: Self
A one-hour live television special starring Fred Astaire....
The Fred Astaire Show
Character: Self - Host
Ten years after the award winning "An Evening With..." Astaire shows us his "hip" credentials in this paen to the flower power era,larking about with the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, The Gordian Knot, and of course the lovely Barrie Chase whose legs seem longer than ever. As the previous reviewer said it is unforgivable that this and Astaire's other shows are not available on legitimate DVD releases....
An Evening with Fred Astaire
Character: Self
A one-hour live television special starring Fred Astaire....
Complicated Women
Character: Self (archive footage)
Looks at the stereotype-breaking films of the period from 1929, when movies entered the sound era, until 1934 when the Hays Code virtually neutered film content. No longer portrayed as virgins or vamps, the liberated female of the pre-code films had dimensions. Good girls had lovers and babies and held down jobs, while the bad girls were cast in a sympathetic light. And they did it all without apology....
Twenty Years After
Character: (archive footage)
This short celebrates the 20th anniversary of MGM. Segments are shown from several early hits, then from a number of 1944 releases....
Imagine
Character: Self
A surreal, half-fiction, half real life footage of a day in the life of John lennon and Yoko Ono, composed to music from John's historic 'Imagine' album and Yoko's 'Fly'....
La La La
Character: Various Roles (archive footage)
When the silent cinema learned to speak, the audience was surprised not only by the voices of the actors and the sound effects, but also by a new element, the music, which, combined with the dance and an unprejudiced imagination, gave rise to a new genre, as important to Hollywood cinema as the western was: the musical. A journey through the history of this genre, from its beginnings to the present day....
Stars of Cabaret
Character: Self (archive footage)
A collection of amateur films made by photographer Roderic Vickers and friends....
Astaire and Rogers: Partners in Rhythm
Character: Various / Self (archive footage)
Featuring clips from all 10 films which Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers made together from 1933 to 1949. Includes candid photos and behind-the-scenes tidbits....
And the Oscar Goes To...
Character: Self (archive footage)
The story of the gold-plated statuette that became the film industry's most coveted prize, AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... traces the history of the Academy itself, which began in 1927 when Louis B. Mayer, then head of MGM, led other prominent members of the industry in forming this professional honorary organization. Two years later the Academy began bestowing awards, which were nicknamed "Oscar," and quickly came to represent the pinnacle of cinematic achievement....
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
Character: Self (archive footage)
This documentary focuses on 1939, considered to be Hollywood's greatest year, with film clips and insight into what made the year so special....
Bing Crosby: Rediscovered
Character: Self (archive footage)
Bing Crosby was, without a doubt, the most popular and influential multi-media star of the first half of the twentieth century, pulling audiences in with his intimate, laid-back voice and innate charm. Narrated by Stanley Tucci and directed by Robert Trachtenberg, this film explores the life and legend of this iconic performer, revealing a personality far more complex than the image the public had only thought they'd known....
Sid & Judy
Character: Self (archive footage)
Explore the dramatic career and personal struggles of the talented and tragically short-lived entertainer Judy Garland through rare concert footage, never-heard-before voice recordings and personal photos....
Fred Astaire donne le 'la'
Character: Self (archive footage)
...
Darcey Bussell: Looking for Fred Astaire
Character: Self (archive footage)
Documentary in which Darcey Bussell profiles Hollywood dancer Fred Astaire, marking 30 years since his death....
The Fred Astaire Songbook
Character: Self (archive footage)
A loving tribute to Astaire the singer, hosted by Audrey Hepburn....
Astaire and Rogers Sing the Great American Songbook
Character: Self (archive footage)
Compilation of memorable songs from the Great American Songbook sung by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in their films. Includes songs written by George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, and Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer....
S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gershwin
Character: Self
A musical tribute to brothers George and Ira Gershwin...
Sem Título #1: Dance of Leitfossil
Character: Self (archive footage)
Experimental Short, Brazil...
The Rudolph, Frosty & Friends Sing Along
Character:
Ten Musical Yuletide treasures featuring the voices of Fred Astaire, Jimmy Durante and Burl Ives. Create A tuneful new family tradition with this festive, fun-to-follow sing along!...
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression
Character: Self (archive)
A two-hour in-depth exploration into the Hollywood musicals of the 1930s....
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singing
Character: (archive footage)
This is a two-hour in-depth exploration into the Hollywood musicals of the 1940s....
Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall
Character: Self (archive footage)
Director Spike Lee chronicles Michael Jackson's early rise to fame....
Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood
Character: Self (archive footage)
Gene Kelly is a legend of the heyday of the Hollywood musical. His name stands for masterpieces such as "Singin' in the Rain" and "An American in Paris". As a singer, dancer, actor, choreographer and director, he was a true all-round artist who revolutionized the world of dance in particular. Kelly, who loved to experiment, explored new forms of dance expression and helped a whole generation of young talents to fame. From his beginnings in cabarets and on Broadway to his recognition as a choreog...