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The Dance Movie Blogathon: Remembering Fred Astaire

For the first time since the inception of this blog in July 2007, I will write about something quite different from what I usually do here. I will drop my observations on the cinematic technique, the most influential cinema movements of history, the filmmaking styles of the masters and all that and for once I will write about one man who entertained the world with the magic of his feet. This is my uber-late entry to the Danceathon hosted by my friend Marilyn Ferdinand over at Ferdy on Films and it just so happens that today is also Fred Astaire’s 109th birthday.

Before I became acquainted with Astaire, I was introduced to the ever-charming Gene Kelly. My mum is a big fan of Gene and Grace Kelly and she never missed any of their films that were shown on TNT (Turner Nightime Television, now renamed to TCM: Turner Classic Movies). We watched An American in Paris (1951) and Singing in the Rain (1952) and many more and then we came across the great Fred Astaire. I discovered that he was every bit as good as Gene Kelly and indeed matched him step to step. This might appear rather reversed to a lot of fans of classical Hollywood musicals because it was Gene Kelly who came in after Fred Astaire and not the other way round.

It was always a thrill watching Astaire’s feet move with such incredible precision and generate themselves into a sort of rhythm development that it seems as if the feet were controlling Fred and not the other way round. And what a smart gentleman he was! His dressing was always sharp and suave and his hair was always combed back in a sort of accuracy that could compete with the flying dynamics of most F22 pilots.

Though I’ve seen at least a good half a dozen of his films, I cannot recall any of them in vivid pictures more than one of his later films Three Little Words (1950), the film that won Fred Astaire his Golden Globe. The film also stars Richard “Red” Skelton in a brilliant supporting role as the collaborator to Astaire’s character. Together they make great music and are very popular in the country. The one scene that I remember very vividly is one of the last scenes in the film where Skelton’s character and Astaire’s character have an argument when they’re unable to write any new songs for a long time and Skelton’s character shouts at Astaire:

“Well I’ve got three little words for you my friend! You’re a Dope!”

He immediately leaves the room, only to accidentally re-ignite Astaire’s imagination as he goes over a melody on his piano and starts singing:

“Three little words…You’re a Dope…Three little words…”

And this leads to them getting back together after a prolonged period of creative differences to come up with their latest song entitled: “Three Little Words” ofcourse! Only they substitute “You’re a dope” with “I Love You” (much more agreeable don’t you think?).

And so I never really watched any Fred Astaire again after that and ever since Marilyn declared the last day of the blogathon dedicated to the memory of Fred Astaire, I began wondering that maybe I should re-discover the wonderful hollywood musicals of the 1940s and the 1950s- sure technically there is very little to be desired but then again, sometimes even the most dedicated film lovers can take a break and just let themselves be carried away by the magical talents of some of the greatest dancers of the big-screen. In the very same spirit, I would like to say:

“Happy Birthday Fred! You’re quite a man.”