Fred Astaire was born in Omaha, Nebraska, to Johanna (Geilus) and Fritz Austerlitz, a brewer. Fred entered show business at age 5. He was successful both in vaudeville and on Broadway in partnership with his sister, Adele Astaire. 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 began his highly successful partnership with Ginger Rogers, with whom he danced in 9 RKO pictures. During these years, he was also active in recording and radio. On film, Astaire later appeared opposite a number of partners through various studios. After a temporary retirement in 1945-7, during which he opened Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Astaire returned to film to star in more musicals through 1957. He subsequently performed a number of straight dramatic roles in film and TV. Date of Death 22 June 1987, Los Angeles, California (pneumonia)
Movie | La La La | Various Roles (archive footage) | 2018-11-25 |
Movie | Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall | Self (archive footage) | 2016-02-06 |
Movie | And the Oscar Goes To... | Self (archive footage) | 2014-02-01 |
Movie | Bad 25 | Tony Hunter (archive footage) | 2012-11-22 |
Movie | Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History | 2008-10-14 | |
Movie | To Each His Own Cinema | (segment "Cinéma de Boulevard") (archive footage) | 2007-10-31 |
Movie | Judy Garland: By Myself | Himself | 2004-02-25 |
Movie | Complicated Women | Self (archive footage) | 2003-05-06 |
Movie | Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer | Himself (archive footage) | 2002-09-24 |
Movie | The Green Mile | Actor in 'Top Hat' (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1999-12-10 |
Movie | A Bing Crosby Christmas | Self (archive footage) | 1998-01-01 |
Movie | That's Entertainment! III | (archive footage) | 1994-07-01 |
Movie | Imagine: John Lennon | Himself | 1988-09-30 |
Movie | That's Dancing! | Self (archive footage) | 1985-01-18 |
Movie | The Purple Rose of Cairo | Jerry Travers (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1985-03-01 |
Movie | George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey | Self | 1985-03-03 |
Movie | AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Fred Astaire | Self - Honoree | 1981-04-18 |
Movie | Ghost Story | Ricky Hawthorne | 1981-12-18 |
Movie | The Man in the Santa Claus Suit | Santa Claus | 1979-12-23 |
Movie | A Family Upside Down | Ted Long | 1978-04-08 |
Series | The Kennedy Center Honors | Unknown | 1978-12-28 |
Series | Battlestar Galactica | Chameleon | 1978-09-17 |
Movie | The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town | S.D. Kluger (narrator) (voice) | 1977-04-06 |
Movie | The Purple Taxi | Dr. Seamus Scully | 1977-05-25 |
Movie | That's Entertainment, Part II | Self - Co-Host / Narrator | 1976-05-16 |
Movie | The Amazing Dobermans | Daniel Hughes | 1976-11-24 |
Movie | The Lion Roars Again | Self | 1975-01-01 |
Movie | Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | Self (archive footage) | 1975-08-06 |
Movie | That's Entertainment! | Self - Host / Narrator | 1974-06-21 |
Movie | The Towering Inferno | Harlee Claiborne | 1974-12-14 |
Movie | The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again | The Baltimore Kid | 1970-11-16 |
Movie | Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town | S.D. Kluger (voice) | 1970-12-14 |
Movie | Midas Run | John Pedley | 1969-05-07 |
Movie | The Fred Astaire Show | Self - Host | 1968-02-07 |
Movie | Finian's Rainbow | Finian McLonergan | 1968-10-09 |
Movie | Paris When It Sizzles | Singer (voice) | 1964-03-01 |
Movie | The Notorious Landlady | Franklyn Ambruster | 1962-04-13 |
Movie | Flashing Spikes | Narrator | 1962-10-04 |
Movie | The Pleasure of His Company | Biddeford 'Pogo' Poole | 1961-06-01 |
Series | Alcoa Premiere | 1961-10-10 | |
Series | Dr. Kildare | Unknown | 1961-09-27 |
Movie | Astaire Time | Self - Host | 1960-09-28 |
Movie | Another Evening with Fred Astaire | Self | 1959-11-04 |
Movie | On the Beach | Julian Osborn | 1959-12-16 |
Movie | An Evening with Fred Astaire | Self | 1958-10-17 |
Movie | Funny Face | Dick Avery | 1957-02-13 |
Movie | Silk Stockings | Steve Canfield | 1957-06-28 |
Movie | Daddy Long Legs | Jervis Pendleton III | 1955-05-05 |
Series | General Electric Theater | Unknown | 1953-02-01 |
Movie | The Band Wagon | Tony Hunter | 1953-08-07 |
Movie | The Belle of New York | Charlie Hill | 1952-02-22 |
Movie | Royal Wedding | Tom Bowen | 1951-03-08 |
Movie | Three Little Words | Bert Kalmar | 1950-07-12 |
Movie | Let's Dance | Donald Elwood | 1950-11-29 |
Movie | The Barkleys of Broadway | Josh Barkley | 1949-05-04 |
Series | The Ed Sullivan Show | Unknown | 1948-06-20 |
Movie | Easter Parade | Don Hewes | 1948-07-08 |
Movie | Blue Skies | Jed Potter | 1946-10-15 |
Movie | Ziegfeld Follies | Fred Astaire / Raffles / Tai Long / Gentleman | 1945-08-26 |
Movie | Yolanda and the Thief | Johnny Parkson Riggs | 1945-11-22 |
Movie | Twenty Years After | (archive footage) | 1944-01-01 |
Movie | The Sky's the Limit | Fred Atwell (Fred Burton) | 1943-07-13 |
Movie | Holiday Inn | Ted Hanover | 1942-01-01 |
Movie | You Were Never Lovelier | Robert Davis | 1942-11-19 |
Movie | Second Chorus | Danny O'Neill | 1941-01-03 |
Movie | You'll Never Get Rich | Robert Curtis | 1941-09-25 |
Movie | Broadway Melody of 1940 | Johnny Brett | 1940-02-09 |
Movie | The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle | Vernon Castle | 1939-03-29 |
Movie | Carefree | Tony Flagg | 1938-09-02 |
Movie | A Damsel in Distress | Jerry Halliday | 1937-11-19 |
Movie | Shall We Dance | Petrov | 1937-05-07 |
Movie | Follow the Fleet | Bake Baker | 1936-02-20 |
Movie | Swing Time | Lucky Garnett | 1936-08-28 |
Movie | Roberta | Huck Haines | 1935-03-07 |
Movie | Top Hat | Jerry Travers | 1935-08-29 |
Movie | The Gay Divorcee | Guy Holden | 1934-10-12 |
Movie | Dancing Lady | Fred Astaire | 1933-11-24 |
Movie | Flying Down to Rio | Fred Ayres | 1933-12-22 |
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