Fred Astaire
Use attributes for filter ! | |
Gender | Male |
---|---|
Death | 36 years ago |
Date of birth | May 10,1899 |
Zodiac sign | Taurus |
Born | Omaha |
Nebraska | |
United States | |
Date of died | June 22,1987 |
Died | Century City Doctors Hospital |
Los Angeles | |
California | |
United States | |
Height | 175 (cm) |
Job | Dancer |
Choreography | |
Singer | |
Film Producer | |
Television presenter | |
Voice acting | |
Choreographer | |
Percussionist | |
Books | Steps in Time |
En revenant sur mes pas | |
Spouse | Robyn Smith |
Phyllis Potter | |
Children | Fred Astaire Jr. |
Ava Astaire-McKenzie | |
Parents | Frederic Austerlitz |
Johanna Austerlitz | |
Date of Reg. | |
Date of Upd. | |
ID | 430075 |
Royal Wedding
Swing Time
Shall We Dance
The Band Wagon
Holiday Inn
Flying Down to Rio
Daddy Long Legs
Easter Parade
The Gay Divorcee
Follow the Fleet
The Towering Inferno
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
The Barkleys of Broadway
Carefree
Second Chorus
Silk Stockings
Broadway Melody of 1940
Three Little Words
Ghost Story
Blue Skies
You'll Never Get Rich
The Belle of New York
You Were Never Lovelier
Finian's Rainbow
Ziegfeld Follies
That's Entertainment, Part II
A Damsel in Distress
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
Let's Dance
The Over-the- Hill Gang Rides Again
The Sky's the Limit
Roberta
Yolanda and the Thief
The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town
The Pleasure of His Company
On the Beach
The Notorious Landlady
An Evening with Fred Astaire
It Takes a Thief
A Purple Taxi
Another Evening with Fred Astaire
Midas Run
The Amazing Dobermans
Alcoa Premiere
The Man in the Santa Claus Suit
Paris When It Sizzles
A Family Upside Down
American Masters
Hollywood Musicals of the 50's & 60's
Top Hat
The Fred Astaire Show
Kennedy Center Honors
AFI Life Achievement Award
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award
Grammy Hall of Fame
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance - Variety Or Music Program
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing - Variety Series
David di Donatello Special Award
Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Single Performance
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Special Program, Drama or Comedy
Fred Astaire Life story
Fred Astaire was an American dancer, actor, singer, choreographer and presenter. He is widely regarded as the "greatest popular-music dancer of all time". He received numerous accolades including an Honorary Academy Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award.
Platinum Party at the Palace: The Royals were the real stars of the Jubilee concert
... released to mark her 90th birthday in 2016, includes Dame Vera Lynn s White Cliffs of Dover and Fred Astaire s Cheek to Cheek alongside hymns and songs from musical theatre...
I learned to sing using YouTube - and now it's my job
... " I would also study how my favourite singers such as Robbie Williams, Fred Astaire and Michael Buble would sing, and even their mannerisms, " he says...
Give Us A Clue to Extras: The life of Lionel Blair
... " From an early age Joyce and I were taken to the pictures - it was always Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers or Shirley Temple, " explaining where his inspiration had come from...
Savile Row tailors caught up as US tariffs come in
... When you think of all the Hollywood greats like Fred Astaire and Cary Grant, there is a beautiful relationship between Savile Row and America, so this tariff really hits us hard...
In pictures: Famous names 30 minutes before curtain call
... The image of Fred Astaire was an antidote to the difficulties of playing the troubled Dane...
Stanley Donen: Singin' in the Rain co-director dies aged 94
... He translated his love for dance to the big screen with the help of Kelly and Fred Astaire...
Give Us A Clue to Extras: The life of Lionel Blair
Lionel Blair will be remembered as a variety entertainer of the Old School , whose mischievous wit, flamboyance and ever-twinkling eye kept him popular whatever the decade.
His self-taught talent as a dancer and choreographer made him famous, taking him from child performer to Sammy Davis Jr's dance-off competitor in front of the Queen Mother .
But in a Career spanning More Than 70 years, Blair also did a lot of acting, especially in the early years. And he worked with, or counted as friends, myriad showbusiness legends including Bob Hope , The Beatles and Liza Minnelli .
As the decades advanced, Blair popped up as a (non-dancing) guest on multiple popular TV programmes - Quiz Show Blankety Blank to name but one. And Most People knew him as an ever-present celebrity who danced a bit, as opposed to a celebrity dancer.
It was his role as a team captain on the 1980s Give Us A Clue game show which became his calling card, even though he later ventured into reality TV, including an infamous PVC-clad turn in Celebrity Big Brother .
And though he also became a would-be retiree of The Real Marigold Hotel, there was never any thought of disappearing into anonymity for Blair. The Chat Show invites kept coming, as did the tours, played up and down the UK.
" People still say, almost in a derogatory way, 'Oh, you're a dancer'. Or, 'You're so showbiz', " " Well what's wrong with That ? I Am . I love it. I'm thrilled to have been part of showbiz for so many years. "
Henry Lionel Blair Ogus, to give him his original full name, got an Early Start to life in the spotlight.
He was born in Montreal in 1928, The Son of a Jewish barber who had emigrated from Russia to Canada. Blair's father moved The Family to London and, when World War Two broke out, Henry Lionel and his Older Sister Joyce began entertaining people in Air Raid shelters with their improvised dance routines.
" From an early age Joyce and I were taken to the pictures - it was always Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers or Shirley Temple , " explaining where his inspiration had come from. " We used to Go Home and try to copy them. That 's how we learned to Tap Dance . "
At 13, Blair was devastated by the death of his father. " It changed Everything . . I don't think I've ever experienced loss like it, " He Said .
With No Family breadwinner, he began working as an actor. He then teamed up again with Joyce in musical productions before flying solo and making his acting debut aged 14 in Watch on the Rhine.
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, in London's East End , followed. And as Blair's acting Career progressed, he performed Stoppard and Ayckbourn. But it was as a dancer That he was to excel.
In the 1960s, he came to public attention after forming The Troupe Lionel Blair and His Dancers, who became regulars on TV variety shows.
A Career defining moment came in 1961 when Blair stepped onto The Stage of London's Prince of Wales Theatre for The Royal Variety Command Performance - accompanied by none other than Sammy Davis Jr.
They Went on to perform a bizarre comedy sketch which saw " Savile Row shop assistant" Blair teach " gauche American" Davis How To be posh. As The Act progressed, the dancing became competitive, as The Duo bid to out-dance each other.
Neither did and Davis Jr and Blair became lifelong friends.
" It was the highlight of my Career . . That was one of The Most thrilling things, ever. He was just so kind to me. He gave me a Silver Dollar . I carry it with me all The Time , "
An appearance as a choreographer in The Beatles film A Hard Day's Night in 1964 enhanced his reputation and he choreographed other films such as The Magic Christian in 1969.
In 1967, Blair married his wife Susan. The couple went on to have three children and three grandchildren. Blair later revealed on ITV's Loose Women how he had stolen his future wife from his friend after a " Cupid's arrow" moment at a Dinner Party .
" I walked in The Room and honestly, I took one look at her and it Hit Me . I thought, 'That 's The Girl I Am going to marry'. . Six Weeks later we were married, "
" The Secret of a successful marriage is Memories . . That 's why my dad insisted That we went everywhere together, so we could talk about things. I'm So Lucky to have a wife who is a nest builder. Her nest is The Most important thing in The World to her, "
" We've got a very, very normal family, and for me Everything comes Back To family. If they're sad, I'm sad. I want them to be happy all The Time . "
On TV shows in the 1970s, Blair was often roped in to choreograph and/or perform. " Everybody said: 'Give us a twirl, Lionel'. If That 's what they want, That 's what they're going to get, " he later joked about his hoofer's reputation.
He built on his growing status as a household name with frequent spots on primetime family programmes such as The Tommy Cooper Hour and the Jimmy Tarbuck Show.
Towards The End of the decade, Blair had established his celebrity to such an extent That he became a judge on ITV's X-Factor forerunner New Faces in 1976.
But it was in the 1980s That Blair earned a cosier affection as a star of TV games shows Name That Tune and the charades hit, Give Us A Clue. The Women 's team captain was Una Stubbs and the series featured a galaxy of famous Team Players .
" We did well over 1,000 shows between 1979 and 1982, " Blair later proudly recalled.
In the mid-90s, Blair became The Butt of lewd gay Give Us A Clue jokes on Radio 4 's Sorry I Haven't A Clue. They Went on for nearly 15 years, made originally by host Humphrey Lyttelton and continued by his successor Jack Dee . The Audience loved it. Blair himself was less amused.
" It was merciless and just plain mean. I didn't mind for myself but My Wife and family really hated it and became very upset, "
" I don't understand why they had to be gay gags either. Yes, I'm very over-the-top and flamboyant but I always have been. I'm theatrical, darling!
" I could have sued, I suppose, but That would have been breaking The Comedians ' Code - and you simply don't do That . "
Established as a " good get" for a many a TV show, Blair continued to turn up regularly on a range of programmes - frequently as himself. They included Channel Five's The Farm , sending himself up in The Final episode of Ricky Gervais ' Extras in 2007, a one-off spot in Emmerdale and an outrageous spell in The Celebrity Big Brother house.
In 2007, Blair was diagnosed with and recovered from Prostate Cancer . There were also some bizarre non-Career related episodes in his Colourful Life , the same year he and The Comedian Alan Carr .
Late into his life, Blair continued to appear in pantomimes and gigs on game and chat shows. He toured the UK in both group and solo productions, including Tap & Chat With Lionel Blair , a convivial trawl through the variety performer's life and times.
His decision to check into The Real Marigold Hotel in India was driven by his dancer's competitiveness.
" I signed up. . Because of The Show That I saw before - I thought if Wayne Sleep can do it, I can do it!, " He Said .
If anything, The Show proved That , for Blair, life in all its infinite variety is for living - no matter your age. There is, He Said ,
" I've been in this business since I was 13 and it's given me a Wonderful Life . "
Source of news: bbc.com