orig. Frederick Austerlitz
born May 10, 1899, Omaha, Neb., U.S.
died June 22, 1987, Los Angeles, Calif.
U.S. dancer and singer of stage and movies.
At age seven he began his popular vaudeville dance act with his sister Adele, and they made their Broadway debut in 1917; they continued dancing in stage hits until Adele retired in 1932. Astaire's successful film appearances with Ginger Rogers began with Flying Down to Rio (1933) and continued until 1939. In the 1940s and 1950s he danced on-screen with Eleanor Powell, Cyd Charisse, and Judy Garland . His singing, though untrained, was admired by the finest songwriters of his time. He retired in 1971 but occasionally appeared in films and on television. His combination of sophisticated, seemingly effortless grace and technical virtuosity revolutionized popular-dance performance.
Astaire in Top Hat, 1935
Corbis-Bettmann