| At the 1981 American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award gala, producer George Stevens, Jr. introduced the evening’s inductee as “the premiere dancer of the Twentieth Century, and the greatest performer in the history of motion picture musicals.” Mr. Stevens was, of course, referring to none other than Fred Astaire. |
| In 1959, Fred Astaire (1899-1987), actor, dancer, choreographer, star of stage and screen, published his autobiography, Steps in Time. (The title of the book was suggested to him by good friend and theater legend, Noel Coward.) The result of Mr. Astaire’s effort is a delight; his prose—like his dance—is graceful, debonair and effortless. |
| Written in a witty and anecdotal style, Steps in Time traces the life of a man who not only lived through the extraordinary times and artistic achievements of the 20th Century, but was often a major contributor to them: we follow Fred from his childhood in vaudeville, to co-starring in musical comedies with sister Adele in New York and London during the Roaring Twenties, to his movie successes in the Depression-era |
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| Thirties,to meeting and falling in love with his first wife Phyllis,
to his overseas
USO tour during World War II, to the
founding of the Fred Astaire Dance Studios,
right on through to his television triumphs
in the late 1950’s including An Evening with Fred Astaire, which earned a record nine Emmy awards. (Watching his television dance work, it is hard to believe that anyone could dance that well at age 60, much less at age 25!) |
| Unlike the tell all autobiographies of today, the shy and humble Astaire pens not a single unkind word for those he worked with. Quite the contrary, he is quick to laud praise on those he admired, and takes the time to set the record straight concerning misconceptions about himself and his relationships; in particular, his relationship with his most famous dance partner, Ginger Rogers: |
| For decades it was rumored that Fred and Ginger did not get along well. In Steps in Time, Fred makes it clear that they were terrific friends who deeply respected each other’s talents, and during the six years in which they made nine films together at |
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