As should be evident to readers of this blog, I'm a big movie fan, but I have to admit that some genres leave me cold. These include horror movies, science fiction, and musicals; though there are certainly exceptions in all three. With regard to musicals, which always seem way too contrived for my tastes (and often fail to transcend the staginess of their commonly theatrical origins) the biggest exceptions are movies starring Fred Astaire. I guess partly because Astaire is something less than the prototypical leading man, and there's something goofily charming about his mannerisms, a quality that is played up in most of his vehicles. He's just a likable guy, who happens to sing passably and dance surpassingly well. Here's a clip from Swing Time (1936, directed by George Stevens) with his most famous partner:
When I was an undergraduate, I took a course in film history from Milton Plesur, a professor who was in the process of writing a history of Hollywood. He was conducting interviews with many folks associated with Tinseltown's Golden Age, including Astaire, who he characterized as a great gentleman and gracious interviewee. On the other hand, Ginger Rogers (who appears in the above clip) stood him up on several occasions. This led Dr. Plesur to jokingly forbid all his students from watching Miss Rogers, telling us to focus only on Astaire. That's pretty hard to do, obviously; but one way to honor the spirit of his request (and not be deprived of enjoying some female loveliness), was to search out the films Astaire made with other partners, none of whom was any better (nor more lovely) than Rita Hayworth (from You'll Never Get Rich (1941) directed by Sidney Lanfield):
But here's the thing-- Astaire could make even an inanimate partner look good. Exhibit A:
King in Yellow - Dark Passengers (self-released)
49 minutes ago
1 comment:
I really enjoyed watching
Fred Astaire in these clips, John. My Dad was a big fan of Fred's and never missed his movies in the
1930's. Your Dad and I saw Ginger Rogers in person at Melody Fair back in the late 1970's. What a disappointment she was - just an old broad acting like she was 20 again. But in spite of heavy make up and dyed blonde hair, she looked every bit her age which had to be in the sixties. All she did was brag about how she knew Fred and dozens of other Hollywood great leading men. Frankly, it was a disgusting performance. It ruined my opinion of her as a glamorous movie star. Mom
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