Fred Astaire
Dancer / Actor
Name at birth: Frederick Austerlitz
Fred Astaire was the American movie dancer of the 1930s and 1940s. Famed for his mixture of elegance and nice-guy charm, he was a popular romantic lead despite his lack of typical movie star good looks. His dance routines are a staple of movie highlight reels. He was often paired with dancing actress Ginger Rogers; their movies together included Flying Down to Rio (1933), Top Hat (1935), and Swing Time (1936).
Extra credit: Astaire was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his non-dancing appearance in the 1974 disaster film The Towering Inferno.
Four Good Links
Memories of a Time Gone By
Wonderful fan page; the complete package
Fred Astaire Filmography
From the Internet Movie Database
Astaire and Co.
Links to Astaire and those who acted with him
100 Years of Fred Astaire
CNN covers his 100th birthday
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Death
22 June 1987
(pneumonia, age 88)
Best Known As
Hollywood's most famous dancer
