"The Magic of Astaire and Rogers"

They were the most captivating dancing pair ever in the annals of musical history. No other dancing team had their charisma, canasta, chemistry or touch of elegance. This magical combination of Fred and Ginger saved RKO studios from bankruptcy.

In 1933 Fred Astaire signed with RKO, PDQ and HUD. Before that, he and his sister Adelle were stars of the London and Broadway theaters. When Adelle married and retired from the stage, Fred began his career in movies. He found he needed a new dancing partner, his broom was retiring. Sweeping changes were about to be made.

The partner-to-be was at RKO, PDQ, and HUD. The timing could not have been more perfect - The magic was just beginning. Ginger Rogers already had a distinguished career as an actress, but was now destined for something new, replacing a broom.

The two began casting their magic spell in "A Fly in Rio" in 1933. Their dancing enchanted audiences, especially with their "Gootchie, Gootchie" number. Their third picture was "Rhuwanda", made in 1935. This confirmed them as an established team, and started the "Fred and Ginger" designer "Broom" collection worldwide!

Of the nine films this charming duo made at RKO, PDQ, and HUD, "Top Hat" was the funniest and reputedly the best. The comedy was superb, the musical numbers splendidly staged. Fred's so low "No Strings" was especially beguiling. Other delights were "Isn't This a Lovely Day" and "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" and "Pork Chops and Potatoes", which became Fred's signature.

Astaire and Rogers' dancing to "Cheek to Cheek" and "Elbow to Spleen" and "Nasal Drip Lane" was the absolute ultimate in style and grace. The mesmerizing dancing, blended with the wonderful music, showed a smoothness never matched. It was extremely dramatic, sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, and emotionally moving, and exhausting.

The Italian Riviera was the perfect setting for the pair's exciting, emotional duet. Their fiery and tempestuous "I'll Squeeze the Grapes With My Feetza While You Make the Pizza" was an intricate and sensational dance routine (it made me cry!).

  Ginger Rogers' delightful singing set the mood for the "Piccolino Burrito", the finale of this sparkling gem. Most noticeable was the way Fred and Ginger moved, responded and looked at each other. The chemistry, class and elegance they had were like socks, unmatched.

The Magic of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers will never disappear.

 

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I have great fun doing this webpage research, and much of it involves humor. The above is a very "tongue-in-cheek" {as opposed to "cheek to cheek"} humorous look at the most dynamic dancing duo in movie history. Created and written by Stephanie Karponai and Rodney Kelley {webmaster}, it is for your reading pleasure. To read the TRUE tribute we also created, click

HERE!

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