Fred Astaire: Puttin’ On The Ritz (1946)
Born Frederick Austerlitz in Nebraska on May 10, 1899, there isn’t really anything to say about Fred Astaire
that hasn’t already been said. The American Film Institute named him the fifth greatest male star of all time. Gene Kelly, not too shabby a performer himself, said “the history of dance on film begins with Astaire.” Choreographer George Balanchine likened him to Bach, a true genius of his art. Mikhail Baryshnikov famously stated: “He gives us a complex because he’s too perfect. His perfection is an absurdity.”
that hasn’t already been said. The American Film Institute named him the fifth greatest male star of all time. Gene Kelly, not too shabby a performer himself, said “the history of dance on film begins with Astaire.” Choreographer George Balanchine likened him to Bach, a true genius of his art. Mikhail Baryshnikov famously stated: “He gives us a complex because he’s too perfect. His perfection is an absurdity.”
It’s hard to argue with that. Here’s Astaire in a clip from 1946′s Blue Skies, performing “Puttin’ On The Ritz” — a song associated with him like no other. – AJW
Have you seen the well-to-do…
>> Download the MP3 of “Puttin’ On The Ritz” here!
