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 | Perspectives: For the Love of Fred Astaire | (archive footage) | 2015-01-01 |
Movie | And the Oscar Goes To... | Self (archive footage) | 2014-02-01 |
Movie | Bing Crosby: Rediscovered | Self (archive footage) | 2014-12-02 |
Series | Talking Pictures | Himself | 2013-01-05 |
Movie | 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year | Self (archive footage) | 2009-07-02 |
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 | Astaire and Rogers: Partners in Rhythm | Various / Self (archive footage) | 2006-10-24 |
Movie | Reunited at MGM: Astaire and Rogers Together Again | Self (archive footage) | 2005-08-16 |
Movie | Complicated Women | Self (archive footage) | 2003-05-06 |
Movie | Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer | Himself (archive footage) | 2002-09-24 |
Movie | Hollywood Musicals of the 40's | Self (archive footage) | 2000-09-01 |
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 | Doris Day: It's Magic | Self | 1998-10-18 |
Movie | That's Entertainment! III | (archive footage) | 1994-07-01 |
Movie | The Fred Astaire Songbook | Self (archive footage) | 1991-03-08 |
Movie | George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey | Self | 1985-03-03 |
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 | Ghost Story | Ricky Hawthorne | 1981-12-18 |
Series | Fred Astaire | Self | 1980-03-10 |
Movie | The Man in the Santa Claus Suit | Santa Claus | 1979-12-23 |
Series | The Kennedy Center Honors | Unknown | 1978-12-28 |
Movie | A Family Upside Down | Ted Long | 1978-04-08 |
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 | Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | Self (archive footage) | 1975-08-06 |
Movie | The Lion Roars Again | Self | 1975-01-01 |
Movie | That's Entertainment! | Self - Host / Narrator | 1974-06-21 |
Movie | The Towering Inferno | Harlee Claiborne | 1974-12-14 |
Movie | The Men Who Made the Movies: Vincente Minnelli | Self (archive footage) | 1973-01-01 |
Series | The American Film Institute Salute to ... | Unknown | 1973-04-02 |
Movie | S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gershwin | Self | 1972-01-17 |
Movie | Hollywood: The Dream Factory | Self (archive footage) | 1972-01-10 |
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 | Finian's Rainbow | Finian McLonergan | 1968-10-09 |
Movie | The World Premiere of 'Finian's Rainbow' | Self | 1968-01-01 |
Movie | The Fred Astaire Show | Self - Host | 1968-02-07 |
Movie | Paris When It Sizzles | Singer (voice) | 1964-03-16 |
Movie | The Notorious Landlady | Franklyn Ambruster | 1962-04-13 |
Movie | Flashing Spikes | Narrator | 1962-10-04 |
Series | Alcoa Premiere | Self - Host | 1961-10-10 |
Movie | The Pleasure of His Company | Biddeford 'Pogo' Poole | 1961-06-01 |
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 |
Series | Cinépanorama | 1956-02-04 | |
Series | The Steve Allen Show | Unknown | 1956-06-24 |
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 |
Series | The Oscars | Unknown | 1953-03-19 |
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 |
Series | The Emmy Awards | Unknown | 1949-01-25 |
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 | Various characters | 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 | You Were Never Lovelier | Robert Davis | 1942-11-19 |
Movie | Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10) | Self | 1942-01-01 |
Movie | Holiday Inn | Ted Hanover | 1942-07-10 |
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 | Shall We Dance | Pete Peters | 1937-05-07 |
Movie | A Damsel in Distress | Jerry Halliday | 1937-11-19 |
Movie | Follow the Fleet | Bake Baker | 1936-02-20 |
Movie | Swing Time | Lucky Garnett | 1936-08-27 |
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 |